Flowers in the Snow

Tulips in the snow

The cold front that came in yesterday dropped a bit of very late-season snow overnight. Thankfully, it's supposed to warm up today to the 50s, so it won't be staying around. 

When I heard the forecast, I moved all my outdoor pots and seedlings into shelter.  I'm hoping the cold doesn't nip too hard on the perennials and shrubs that have been budding out. I have planted out only the hardiest annuals so far, such as the snapdragons and some sweet alyssum.

Certainly the rain that fell yesterday was most welcome.  We got a little over half an inch: not a lot, but every little bit does help!  The Great Plains are still in severe drought, so we love to see any rain coming our way. 

My rain barrels are not set up yet for the summer, so I wasn't able to capture any of the rain for later use on my garden. However, as long as we are still having hard freezes at night, it just isn't safe yet  for the barrels.  Freezing water as it expands can damage them.   As temperatures moderate, I look forward to getting them set up soon.  So far I have four rain barrels, and would love to get two or three more so that I can have one for every downspout on my house and garage.