The weather has been the main topic of conversation lately. From those who are in the frozen tundra up north to our semi-tropical February temperatures in Arkansas, there is a lot to talk about. Upon awakening this morning, you could tell change was in the air. The wind has been whipping since 5:30 a.m. and the muggy, wet heat of the past few days seems to be moving away. I cannot recall an early February where I heard of so many people turning on their air conditioners already! I did break down and turn it on in the car yesterday, but I suffered through at home with just opening the windows. It was 72 degrees this morning when I got up and we had all the windows open in the bedroom and it was still warm, but the winds are refreshing and blowing away the humidity.
If you look at the hour-by-hour forecast, the temperature is going to start falling pretty dramatically once the storms roll through. The rains that were forcasted all week were just a sprinkling in my yard, but heavy rains and storms are predicted today. The temperature is moving from 72 to 22 by nightfall--quite a change. It looks like we will once again be experiencing winter the next few days.
How well our plants survive this roller coaster is anyone's guess. If the winds stay active it won't be as hard on the plants as a clear, still cold night would be. Getting some moisture into the ground will also help, but how cold it gets and how long that lasts can determine what happens. As flower buds swell cold tolerance decreases. Dormant plants can tolerate much lower temperatures than those that have started to grow. I have blueberries with very swollen buds, so how cold it gets may determine how many blueberries I get. Different varieties have different hardiness.
Camellias are also in full bloom in many gardens and their flowers may not last long.
Spring bulbs are blooming in many gardens and they are usually pretty cold tolerant, but again, it depends on how cold it gets and whether or not we have frost that can determine any damage.
Many gardeners are worried about their big leaf hydrangeas. The terminal buds on many of them have started to move which can make them more susceptible to damage, but only time will tell.
The oakleaf hydrangeas are much more winter hardy.
The front has moved through our neighborhood about 8:30 a.m. The skies turned ominous, the wind blew and it poured down rain and hail. It blew the power for a minute, and then whoosh, it was through. Now very little wind, light rain and the temperature has already dropped 10 degrees. Weird weather for sure, but at least we can stay warm and dry indoors. Our poor plants! Let's keep our fingers crossed for no damage.