Beautiful Sherry! I hope we all avoid late frosts. The only one up here is Teaspoon and the deer got it before I sprayed - it was still surrounded by snow. Your zone 5 is so different than mine!

Laurie, it’s been over all, a warm winter. This is the first time ever that my butterfly bush and caryopteris did not die back to the ground. I also have several hydrangea that die back to the ground with buds on last years branches, don’t know if I’m happy about that or not.

Sherry

I'm zone 6, technically, but a well-thrown football might land in zone 5. My hostas aren't anywhere close to emerging. I can't believe yours are so far along!

dont complain deanna .... the longer they stay dormant.. the longer you dont have frost or freeze damage ...

ken

Sherry..your A. montana is really taking off..looks great!..we can move our pots out of freezing temperatures..but leafed out inground plants are a dilemma..

I was in zone 5 but they changed that to 6. I have had zone 6 plants die in cold winters, so I try to stay away from them. I try and plant the more cold sensitive plants closer to my house so that they have the best chance of success. All of the butterfly plants died here in my area a couple of years ago and I've never replanted one. Many of my hostas are up 3-4 inches. However, it was 80 here yesterday and today. A bit of rain fell yesterday but it's been sunny. We had several cold spells this past winter which took the temperatures down into the teens. Most of you have plants that haven't emerged and you are lucky. Now I worry about frost up until mid-May. The flowering trees and bushes are in full bloom and the trees are about to leaf out. Sherry, your A. montana is gorgeous.

I agree with Miles. As much as I love to see my plants, it is super-stressful when they emerge long before the last frost date. I also think that Montana is beautiful.

Sherry, I am in zone 5b SE WI. I also have a number emerging early which is well before our frost date.....But we had a very late freeze, like many of you last year. It was in late April or early May. So things coming up early are a concern.

Here’s a few:

I actually covered MM for the winter hoping it would not heave. Many more pips than last year.

Many other pips and plants are also coming up. So I definitely fear a frost coming now.

debra

Very very nice!! Isn't it exciting looking for the new growth to emerge? I am looking for something and nothing yet and I am zone6. Strange. Tulips and crocus about though)

I'll post once mines start to pop.

Debra, I’m in 5a, about 50 miles west of Chicago. I believe we’ve had the same weather as you. You asked earlier about my shih tzu Zoe. She is still with us, she doesn’t yet know she is sick, she is still her feisty self.

Sherry

I noticed today that Fire Island is up..

Sherry, I am so happy to hear Zoe is doing well! Hopefully she will get to enjoy the summer with you! :-D

debra