How to check flowering buds for damage after Arctic blast earlier this month

BOSTON - It's hard to not notice the early signs of spring in the middle of winter, but is this too much too soon?

You may notice some early blooming flowers like crocuses, eranthis and witch hazel popping up in your yard, obviously a little early, but thankfully, these plants are built for some degree of cold. The "big" question is, how low will temperatures go later this season? Twenties? No problem. But if we dropped into the single digits some damage to the flowers and leaves is likely.

As for the fruit trees, like apples, most of their buds remain tight and closed, safe for now. The peach tree buds did not fair nearly as well; the local crop was likely severely damaged by the Arctic blast of cold air earlier this month. Farms will have to wait until April to see just how extensive the damage was. However, there is a fairly easy way to test the buds of peach trees or plants like rhododendrons in your yard.

Garden expert Dave Epstein shares a test you can do now in your home.

"You can cut a branch and put it in water for a week to 10 days, and then take it out, and make a cut across the bloom, across the flower bud and look inside you'll see parts of the flower and if you see brown in there... that's it.. it's toast," Epstein explains.

The recent mild weather does have a lot of folks out early, cleaning their gardens or perhaps taking a stroll in the woods. A word of warning... watch out for ticks. Typically, they are dormant this time of year, but again, thanks to the warm temperatures, they are much more active than usual. So, make sure to check your pets and yourself after enjoying the outdoors.