First signs of spring

[txbeyer]

If THIS doesn't say spring has arrived, I give up! Picture taken in my neighbors yard on Feb 27th in NW Austin.

[PlantSwap]

I've got 2 saucer magnolias framing the walkway to my front door. They have been blooming like crazy for about 4 days now.

I really need to find my digital camera....

[lcosden]

Nice... Now if NY(home) would just thaw out too. Even Northern Calif(work) is cold. C'est la vie.

[Gram18]

Blooming what`s that???, I`ve forgotten what the word means!!!

[PlantSwap]

Blooming onion:

[lcosden]

That's awesome.

Yeah I hear you there.. I live in NY (hr north of Manhattan) and work in CA (near Napa). And neither place is warm. In fact, here in CA, it had even snowed a bit at the higher elevations and in Napa Valley. Whereas NY, it's just bleak and cold. I heard that we had more crap falling again this week. I'm not looking to flying home. Poo...

[txbeyer]

Gotta have one of those blooming onions. No garden is complete without one.

Hey, you guys up north get to tell us all about spring while we are trying to keep cool here. I used to live in VA. and TN (Zone 7) and really miss some of the spring features from that area. (Dogwoods, daffodils, peonies, hostas popping up, etc)

[lcosden]

Yeah.. I used to live in Northern VA, in the DC metro area. It was reaaaaally beautiful there. Especially around this time of year when the cherry blossoms were starting to blossom. Gee, I miss it.

[txbeyer]

To be more specific, I lived in Falls Church. VA for 10 years and got my Associates degree in Horticulture from Northern VA Community College.

[lcosden]

Yeah, I know where you were then. I used to live in Fair Lakes area, right across from Tony's Pizza. Mmmmm. Chicken Steak........

But basically I graduated from GDub(GWU) and worked at G.Mason. So, I live in downtown DC during college then moved around to Rosslyn, Clarendon and Alexandria. I loved DC. I don't know why I ever moved... **sigh**

[txbeyer]

I know why I moved, outrageous cost of living, not having to deal with real winter anymore, and the congestion. Love to visit DC but thankful not to be living there still. Having grown up in southern Florida, I missed the warmer environment. Glad to have learned about horticulture while there which broadened my overall knowledge of plants from many different plant zones and locations.

[PlantSwap]

Oh my... Just ran by the grocery store and saw all the veggie plant babies for sale out front. The jonesing has started, but I don't have time this week to play in the dirt.

[txbeyer]

Weather is beautiful, but awfully dry here in Austin but spring is busting out all over. My Bradford Pears have joined the Redbuds and perennials are popping up out of the ground from their disappearance act during winter. I constructed a very small but new bed to enhance our entryway today. Felt sooooooo good to get out and dig

[lcosden]

Gee.. Talk about the spring.. My husband and I flew home to NY (after the rain storms there) and it was 50-60 degrees there. But by the time we left on Sunday, it was 30-40 again. Just a hint to warmth to tease us New Englanders..

Whereas Cali, we left in 40-50 degree weather but came back to 60-70 degree temperatures. It's been beautiful here and it's suppose to stay that way too. Feels like spring literally came in over the weekend. It's really too bad that we work here instead of live here. I could have started gardening out here in Cali now...

[txbeyer]

More signs of spring -- purple martins have returned. We have Martin houses and have noticed they are returning to take up residency. Other migritory birds such as purple finches are feasing from our bird seed feeder.
Local nurseries are actually getting in new stock - went out today and bought some new perennials for the garden. I have actually begun removing my tender plants from the greenhouse to start aclimitizng to the brighter sun and staging them in possible locations but will hold off on actual planting for another week or so. We are seeing a 7 day forecast of mid 70's to 50's at night . I'm lovin it and truly hope we won't see temps in the 30's again.