Benefits of a Cool Spring

By Sarah Battersby

/Mar 26 2018

snowdrops

Snowdrops last longer in a cool spring.


Spring has sprung, but a lot of us are still wearing winter coats. The temps are still a little cooler than usual, and the trend is supposed to go through the first two weeks of April. The good news is that spring ephemeral bulbs like snowdrops—the very first flowers to arrive—are sticking around for weeks instead of being a flash in the pan.

That means we may enjoy crocuses a little longer than normal too, once they show up. The slow, cool spring may be maddening but once we have a few rains, things are going to be popping up all over.

In the meantime, we have time to sort through our seeds for planting, clean our tools, and as soon as the garden centre is open in April, buy some early perennials, and soil amendments, like compost and manure. Remember, you can always plant spring bulbs in pots as well. So as soon as the ground is diggable, pop in a few pots of crocus, or grape hyacinths in some bare spots in your garden. They will come up year after year.