Assessing the damage

“April is the cruelest month” said T.S. Eliot.  This year my garden concurs.  I returned Saturday afternoon from a three month hiatus in the south.  The forecast was for snow and cold so I went out in the garden with my son, and we covered as many daffodils and budding plants as we could with wastebaskets, pots, laundry baskets etc.  Here is the garden before the snow.

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The new daffodils I planted last fall were beautiful.

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The snow came and with it two nights of temps in the teens. Darth Vader invaded the garden.

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Pots over plants

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Some flamingoes showed up.  They don’t look happy either.

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The snows have mostly melted now, and this morning I uncovered my treasures.  The daffodils I covered are fine .  The hyacinths were not covered and are mush.  I covered the Mukdenia but it still looks terrible.  Epimedium buds froze whether they were covered or not.  They were my favorites.  My tree peony was covered but looks terrible. The plants will probably make it, but I will miss those lovely spring blossoms.

Gardening in New England is always a challenge.  I guess I’ll just have to see what Ma Nature decides to do now.