Garden Notes

Forsythia Shrub blooming in early December

I was clearing out some of the overgrown brush in my garden when I noticed a few flowers blooming on my forsythia shrubs and was dumbfounded. I do know that we’ve had strange weather this year, a few really cold and frosty nights in November and now weather that has been unseasonably warm with quite a bit of rain. I can only guess that those shrubs are confused because it feels like spring.

Our forsythia shrubs have been great bloomers in the yard, lighting up the early spring garden with a mass of cheery yellow flowers. I am hoping that this brief fall showing does not interfere with the normal spring bloom.

Daffodils growing in December garden

When I told my daughter about the forsythia blooming so late in the year, she said that actually her daffodils had started to grow and some were at least 5 inches tall. She asked if there was anything she could do to stop the unwanted winter growth. Now she lives in Chicago, so it is a little warmer than Milwaukee, but I have never had daffodils emerge in December. I was at a loss, I don’t think there is anything she can do anything except pray that winter comes quickly and hope for the best.