“A microclimate is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often slightly but sometimes substantially.” ~some website

I’ve never noticed that I had one in any garden I’ve made.  My neighbor, Maria, had one. Along the side of her house that faced my side door in Madison, daffodils bloomed at least a week before the rest of the neighborhood or my front or back gardens.  The thing about her microclimate was that she did nothing to it.  I mean, the bulbs were planted and the bed cleaned and tended, but no special watering or fertilizing went on. Those daffodils just returned year after year a week or so earlier than any others.  And I was able to step outside of my side door in the early spring and be greeted by their absolute glorious yellow-ness.

And I’d like to report that I may have my own microclimate right by the stairs off my back porch.  I noticed it last week. This is my third spring in this house–during the first one, I was still unpacking, last year, it was the front garden bed that I paid most attention to, this spring, I have the eyes for smaller things.

The day after the warmest day in months last week, I noticed green shoots poking out of the earth.  I’ve kept my eye on it all week and for sure, there is a circle of shoots getting bigger every day.  I checked the front garden bed today where Julia and I planted many, many bulbs in the fall.  I see a few tiny shoots, not enough to fill one hand and very small.  Nothing will be early there.

But that little circle by the back steps encourages my gardening spirit.  I will keep an eye on it and possibly plant a few other kinds of bulbs right there in the fall so that next early spring . . . 

And more.  Took a walk in Cambridge this afternoon.  I’m still in recovery mode which sucks.  I don’t have the stamina that I did before January.  I have some energy but it takes very little activity before it is completely spent and I need to rest. The only way to improve is to keep doing, walking, going other the gym and then taking time to recover and rest.  

Anyway, walking in Cambridge and seeing so many first signs of spring!  Lots of old gardens with snow drops a bloom!  I have to plant snow drops in the fall.  A few early crocus and a decent amount of daffodil shoots.

Hazzah, hazzah, spring come-th!!