WINTER’S OVER, HELLO SUMMER?

The entire month of April was significantly colder than normal. Then three days ago on Friday, we set an all-time high for the date. A warm-up was well overdue, but this was quite dramatic! It is not uncommon to have some warm weather during the spring, but it's rare to last long. Our mini heat wave this past weekend was short lived as well. The longer-range forecast is for back to normal with a mix of dry and wet days with seasonal temperatures. Summer is still a ways off (normally starting on the fifth of July).

Spring has started late and most of our normal spring activities are late as well. Flowering trees and shrubs are blooming late, trees are just beginning to leaf out, pansies are just coming into full bloom, bulbs are late to bloom, and grass is just finally growing at a spring rate. 

The dry weather last week has dried the soil out, so our challenge with rutting soggy lawns is subsiding. We are finally getting into a normal mowing routine. However, the constant rain has germinated more than normal weeds, thus weed control is a big focus right now too. With the extended cold weather we have delayed our seasonal color changeout which will start next week, a week later than planned.

We continue to prepare irrigation systems for the beginning of the irrigation season but with cooler wetter weather returning this week, the season is likely a ways off. We will begin watering in new summer color plantings and newer plant installations that tend to dry out quickly. 

All our work this past winter and early spring is about to pay off!