Plants Begin To Sprout As Spring Nears, But Is Weather An Issue?
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Warm weather is coaxing perennials - like snowdrops - out of the ground right now. But the question is: With cold weather coming by the weekend, will they meet an untimely death?
The answer is: No. Some flowers may die but the plant should be okay, unless it gets really cold, said Tim Johnson, senior director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden. WBBM's Steve Miller reports.
Now, some snowdrops are emerging.
"You should get some crocus coming up. And it's likely, you'll see some daffodil foliage pushing up, too," Johnson said. "If you pull the mulch back a bit you'd see some things growing underneath there, too."
But Johnson says don't rake up a lot of the dead leaves and mulch just yet.
"I think it's best to leave leaves and mulch in the garden so they'll give some protection for the colder weather that's coming yet," Johnson said. "So it's a bit early to go in and remove debris from the gardens. But comfortable weather is great for pruning."
Johnson said prune later bloomers like spiraea, potentilla and Annabelle hydrangea now; not early bloomers like forsythia and lilacs.
Chicago set a daily record for high temperatures between Friday and Monday, with readings in the mid to upper 60s. A boat was seen skimming over the calm waters of Lake Michigan on Monday afternoon, speeding across the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in an area that is typically filled with sheets shelf ice.
Temps on Wednesday could set another record, this time reaching the 70s.