The weather has been crazy here in South Carolina too Maddie! My parents
were up here to visit this weekend from West Palm Beach, FL and they froze
the whole time! It was in the 30s and 40s and windy. They left this morning
glad to head back to the Florida sun. My peony is doing wonderful this year
(It has taken it 5 years to finally look this beautiful) but I don't know if
it is a tree peony or not. My new peonies I bought on sale last year ($2
apiece at a flea market) have flower buds on them! There are 2 plants in
flower pots that have come back this year but I can't remember what they are
so they are "potluck surprises"! I'd love to see your tree peony! My purple
bearded irises are blooming ecstatically and really brighten up my yard. I
have just planted purple wave petunias and marigolds in planters on my front
porch plus more purple wave petunias in pots to hang around my side porch.
(Can you tell I like purple?!) Hope to be hiking in the smokies within the
next couple of weeks. Please get it warmer up there for me since we will be
in a tent!

loony


"madgardener" wrote in message
...
Well here comes a dogwood winter. Or is it a Locust winter? This is the
strangest Spring I've noticed here or in Tennessee since I started
noticing
the seasons closer. It's not very common for redbuds, dogwoods AND honey
Locust trees to be blooming at the same time. I will say that the redbuds
are winding down, but the white and pink dogwoods are in full throttle.
And
two days ago I noticed along the interstate in Knoxville, the Honey Locust
trees starting to bud out. It blew my mind. So this weekend, we're
getting
down to 35 or lower. The upper regions of the Smokies are expecting
snow.............(makes me glad I don't live up in Gatlinburg or
Sevierville
or on the other side of the mountain on the way to North
Carolina..........). I will say as a Tennessee girl that I HAVE seen snow
on the dogwoods, but it's been a coon's age since seeing that happening.
And I just planted Delospermum...........and Fire Lights dianthus and two
yellow columbines called Swan's yellow.........sigh. Hopefully my little
micro-climate will protect them..........I need the rains that is bringing
in the cold front very badly.

The heatwave has been so brutal on my spring bulbs, it's like looking at
time lapse photography. So I take pictures and enjoy what I see. This
year
the tree peony beside the NSSG blew my socks off. Anyone wishing to see
her
picture, holler at me. It's beauty made me cry.

madgardener