This has been a fairly cool spring by and large. We've had some very welcome days of warmth and sun but interspersed with those clusters we've also had cooler, wetter days that seem to go on forever. Even on warm days that reach in the low 20s, there's a risk of overnight frost. Each morning I'm relieved to find that the annuals haven't been touched by frost. One good thing to do to protect them is to ensure they're kept well hydrated.

 

 

We had a benign, warm day of full sun yesterday with a brisk wind. The temperature went up to 23C, but diminished sharply by nightfall. Some time during the night rain began falling heavily and was still falling this morning. Miraculously, it seemed to us, the sun emerged in the early afternoon. But today wasn't destined to rise above 12C and with that temperature came icy, blasting winds. 

It's hard to complain though, when even untoward weather like that comes complete with an open blue sky and a sun dominating that ocean of blue. The bonus is that all the annuals lapped up the rain, and it will protect them tonight, we hope, from a drop in the nighttime temperature that may resemble a hard frost. 

 

When we emerged from the house on our way to the ravine early this afternoon it was quite the sight before us. Our Jade crabapple tree that had been thickly covered with white-pink blossoms now had a more modest covering of blossoms. A snowfall's worth of petals was torn from the tree by heavy rain and the cold wind accompanying it, resembling nothing quite so much as -- snow.

 

In the ravine the trails were sodden but not slippery, given the presence on most of the trails of pea gravel laid down many years ago, that had established well into the clay soil and now present as a rough surface offering good traction to boots on days like this. The rain hugely benefits all the vegetation in the forest, from trees and shrubs to ferns and wildflowers. Their perennial nature basks in the extremes of rain/cold and warmth/sun, encouraging a higher rate of growth and maturation.

 

We found enough pools of standing rainwater on the forest floor to assure us that mosquitoes are sure to flourish in the forest this spring. The sparrows, robins and finches didn't mind the wind one whit, vocalizing their pleasure at the presence of spring as they flew busily about. Frogs and spring peepers are beginning to realize they have free license to express themselves, and there are times in late afternoon or early morning when we can hear them from across the street in their propinquity between the houses and the forest.

 

After our return we decided to drive back to t he Cleroux plant nursery to acquire the last of the annuals we figure we would need to complete our spring planting. The rush of anticipated excitement w hen we're there, faced with such a wide selection of annuals is familiar and treasured. So back we came with zinnias, marigolds, petunias, lobelias, wax begonias and tuberous begonias and tomorrow we'll have a field day planting again.