Frost Fracas

For a few days there, we were enjoying temperatures up to 80 degrees F. 

All that warm weather jump-started spring blooms.  In the flower gardens, the hosta plants have broke dormacy and starting to send up shoots.

In the woods the ferns are doing the same thing.

There are huge patches of green plants coming up here and there in the woods.

Even the moss looks greener!

One of my spring favorites, trillium, is also popping up all over the wooded areas.

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In the pasture and backyard, there are violets and white wildflowers blooming around the ubiquitous sweetgum balls.

And while I love ALL signs of spring, my very favorite is when the lilac bush starts to bloom.

I love the smell of lilacs in bloom.  Why, even our Maremma sheep dog likes it!

Unfortunately, it is too early for it to get so warm and STAY so warm.  Last night The Farmer was watching the news, and the weather man said the dirty “F” word.  (No, not THAT one!)  He said, “FROST tonight.”

What!!

Well, The Farmer being the sweet guy that he is, offered to help me go out in the dark, find a stepladder and tarp, and try to cover up as much of our lilac bush as possible.   Now, it really is too bad there was no one around that could have taken our pictures as we struggled to get a tarp over the top of that big ole bush in the dark.  (Tarp… too small.  Bush… too tall!)  But we figured even though we couldn’t cover the entire bush, if it really did frost, at least some of the blooms would be saved.

I took a picture of our covered up bush this morning before taking the tarp off. . .

Did you notice the weights on the corners to hold the tarp down?

The Farmer is nothing, if not inventive!

We did get a light frost, but it didn’t hurt the uncovered blooms.

So now I’ve got 4 big vases of lilacs in the house that I really didn’t have to harvest quite so soon.  (Well, actually only three… I gave one away.)

But the house sure smells good!