Last week gave me ample opportunities to keen like my Irish ancestors when every plant in the garden got blasted by MORE snow and arctic chill.

Even the Pansies found this a bit much. First looking like this

then looking like this.

For a number of years, I have been cajoling a Pink Flower Almond Tree into settling into our orchard. A Green Hope friend from Barcelona had given me a tiny bottle of its stunning Flower Essence and I have worked for several years to grow this tree and convince it to bloom even though this is not even close to a climate it prefers. This year it was radiant with blossoms and fortunately I made an Essence before the snows, because this tree that looked so magnificent before the snows looked rather irked at me after them.

I hope the Pink Flowering Almond will give us a second chance with our climate. At least I can promise that it is unlikely the same thing will happen this time next year (something else equally strange will).

This weekend also worked in my favor with the Almond Tree. Its in the nineties today. Yes, in this era of confused climate, I should have expected the five inches of snow to be followed by full on summer heat, but some part of me still finds it bizarre to bundle in woolens one day then find it too hot to be out in the gardens the next.
I did have enough energy to go out and cut a handful of tulips before they got all blowzy in the heat, and I couldn’t help but notice how fresh and beautiful they looked upside down as I walked them into the house. Everything is unexpected these days, but often so very beautiful.