We spent a wonderful long weekend in Charleston, S.C., reminded that trees are supposed to have leaves and the grass is green. I spent the prior week working to clean the grounds and bought nearly 4 yards of pine bark chips to cover the beds, which emerged from the snow with only hints of their prior coverings. While we were gone, it had warmed up but now that we are back a cold hard rain falls along with the temperature so that this evening it will be sleeting at best.
There have been some signs of breaking weather: the daffodils are ready to bloom, the crocuses and snowdrops are all out as well as a few other early spring bulbs. The forsythia have started to green and the Japanese maples are starting to bud. And our crabapple tree has the tiniest of leaves trying to emerge.
But for the next week or so, the evenings will be in the mid-30s while the days will be in the 50s at best giving us yet another delay for warmer weather and the greening of our yard. Last week a few robins came to the back yard hunting for a meal no doubt upset that their beaks were coming up empty as the frosty soil had yet to melt.
We continue to wait for the warm weather; perhaps in another week.
