After weeks with hardly a day above 60, the Pacific Northwest is currently experiencing its warmest day of the year so far (over 81F at my house). While some residents are reveling in the sudden heatwave, and most of my plants seem to be taking it in stride, it's an unpleasant shock to my system. I was really hoping to avoid the bizarre heatwaves of the last two years. This isn't as bad as last year when we had days over 80 in April, but still unpleasant for those of us that favor cooler temperatures. I'm trying to look on the bright side. This heat will cause many plants to grow much faster (I am rather impatient for all my little plants to grow up) and will certainly make apparent once and for all what survived winter and what didn't among the evergreen trees and shrubs
Speaking of things that prefer cooler temperatures, I decided to snap a photo of this tulip before it fell apart in the heat. It appeared mysteriously one year, after dividing a patch of daffodils. Immaculate bulb conception? I'm sure the tulip had been there in the clump of daffodils since before we moved to this house, but I had seen nary a sign of flower nor leaf in all that time. Then suddenly, surprise! Tulip foliage! Another year or two, and suddenly we had these hot yellow and red flowers. Even more surprising, they've returned reliably every year (not always the case with tulips in PNW gardens) and even bloomed when I managed to keep the deer off them (before the fence was installed). Both in the hot colors and the surprising appearance and persistence, this tulip is much like the sudden heat we're experiencing.
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Is this the new "normal" for PNW springs? This makes the third year in a row we've had unusually sudden rises in temperature in spring, though a bit later than the last two years. I can't say I enjoy it. It's too much like the wild temperature swings experienced elsewhere in the country.
This is my contribution to Wednesday Vignette, hosted by Anna at Flutter&Hum. Follow the link to see more vignettes.
Speaking of things that prefer cooler temperatures, I decided to snap a photo of this tulip before it fell apart in the heat. It appeared mysteriously one year, after dividing a patch of daffodils. Immaculate bulb conception? I'm sure the tulip had been there in the clump of daffodils since before we moved to this house, but I had seen nary a sign of flower nor leaf in all that time. Then suddenly, surprise! Tulip foliage! Another year or two, and suddenly we had these hot yellow and red flowers. Even more surprising, they've returned reliably every year (not always the case with tulips in PNW gardens) and even bloomed when I managed to keep the deer off them (before the fence was installed). Both in the hot colors and the surprising appearance and persistence, this tulip is much like the sudden heat we're experiencing.
Is this the new "normal" for PNW springs? This makes the third year in a row we've had unusually sudden rises in temperature in spring, though a bit later than the last two years. I can't say I enjoy it. It's too much like the wild temperature swings experienced elsewhere in the country.
This is my contribution to Wednesday Vignette, hosted by Anna at Flutter&Hum. Follow the link to see more vignettes.