The consensus is that the Atlanta area is botanically 2 weeks behind the normal for blooms this year. In many ways that is a positive because the early blooms do get zapped by frost so this gentle, cool spring is keeping things in check. On the other hand most folks are rather sick of cool weather, westerly fronts blasting us with icy winds, and the constant little snow mix. These little daffodils were hiding underneath a patch of fragrant winter honeysuckle that has been in bloom for the last month or so. It was a definate sign that spring has to be soon and warmer weather will really be just around the corner.
One of the few advantages of the snow was that Barrington Hall’s remnant daffodil hedge did show up slightly better this week! The hedge was mentioned by George camp in a letter about 1850 ish, (”The jonquil hedge is in full bloom’) but he forgot to tell us where the hedge was, and we are now eyeing every peak of daffodils just in case they are ‘the one’. This line though is favorite to be the line he mentioned. It was first noticed about 3 yrs ago but got mown down by landscape crews before I could mark it. I think this year there are a few green stems that are thickening indicating that we may get a bloom and my daffodil lady, Sara Van Beck, will be able to identify and perhaps even date the line.
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