The Hour of the Red Bud Drags On...

This Red Bud tree has been blooming for over a month, since the mercury hit 85 F/ 30 C in early March and pushed many plants to flower early. We planted it soon after moving into our house  over a decade ago. My husband has trimmed and shaped it over the years. His careful work probably prevented the branches from breaking under the weight of the wet Spring snow that fell this past week.

This Birch is also very flexible, dare I say friendly. We planted it too, though it's not one of our favorites. It's tall and lopsided, like some loopy relative. We can't bear to get rid of it.

Our Lilacs didn't fare well at all and in fact one of them was uprooted under the weight and had to be taken out. In nearby Highland Park, which is home to more than a thousand Lilacs, there were many victims. Every time we drove to and from work, we saw piles of sawn off branches along the road.

The next day, the snow was all gone, and although the temperatures have fallen below freezing on several nights since, we're back to that Spring feeling. We just don't trust it.