Waiting to assess the damage.

AuthorRogers, Paul
PositionLiving

Byline: Paul Rogers

Do you realize that one month from today Daylight Saving Time begins? On March 9, the daylight length will be more than 111/2 hours long.

During February, the gain in daylight is 1 hour and 10 minutes. The strength of the sun, as well as the day length, increases step by step, as does the pace of our indoor gardening activities.

It is time to bring into the warmth some of the potted bulbs for forcing into early color. Add some cut branches of willows, forsythias, witchhazel and other shrubs to vases and enjoy your own flower show.

Mark the dates of Feb. 20-23 on your calendar so that you will not miss both the Rhode Island Spring Flower and Garden Show and the Conn. Spring Show. Both will be followed by the Boston Flower and Garden show that opens March 12.

However, we still have at least five more weeks of winter. How are we progressing thus far? What is the likely condition of the yard plants? Trees, shrubs, perennials, and groundcovers have experienced a challenging winter.

Why? Even if our plants are rated as "cold hardy,'' the cyclic temperatures throughout December prevented the plants from entering and remaining in their deep dormancy state. The bitter cold of January tested the lowest limits of some plants.

Plants in our area rated as cold hardy to Zone 5 (-10 to Co20 degrees) are expected to survive. However, each of the Cold Hardiness Zone ratings are based primarily on the "average minimum temperatures'' within a given area. Yet there are a number of other climatic factors involved in plant survival.

How early in the autumn did the temperatures drop? How long did the cold persist? (The California Citrus Industry...

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