Winter? What Winter?

This has been the warmest winter that I can ever remember. It hasn’t seemed to have gotten below 40 degrees most days and barely a coating of snow a couple of times. It has the bulbs a bit confused and has my Hellebore blooming earlier than usual.

Helleborus Bridal Queen.

 This is the kind of thing you expect to see in February...

Not an unusual sight in winter – the red berries of Castle Spire Holly.

This is NOT what you expect to see in February...

Yellow crocus.

And buds forming on daffodils...

Notice the two buds.

As of yesterday, I actually have a daffodil clump in the front yard that is blooming. I’ve never seen such a thing in winter! Does this mean winter is over? Or will we get hit with a snow storm in March? It HAS happened before. Last weekend it was in the upper 50s and I was outside finishing clearing out my Kitchen Garden that I hadn’t finished in the fall. Doing yard work in February?!?! Crazy, but true. It’s all ready for seeds (protected by row covers) come next month.