Just a few notes for this month. Spring has finally arrived, and winter is gradually receding. Snowdrop flowers have already popped out and formed buds, waiting for a warm day and open up. The patch has expanded slowly but surely over the past number of years, with a few starting to show up in odd spots where I had not planted any of the original bulbs. Rugged and resilient, snow drops come up long before the crocuses do and are an excellent harbinger of spring.

But just to show you how volatile the weather is here in Northern New Hampshire, the above picture was taken on March 22. The picture below was taken yesterday (March 29).

We’ve gotten at least six inches of snow with this latest storm, but the nice thing about spring snow storms is that the snow doesn’t last. It’s already changed to rain and well before next Saturday, this stuff will largely be melted, and the snowdrops will pop back up, totally unphased.
A flock of robins made a reappearance this month, feeding on the hawthorn berries still clinging to the thorn trees out front. I’ve been watching for cedar waxwings, as they like feeding on berries, but so far no sign of them. Several nights before, I heard an owl hooting off in the distance. After listening to online recordings, the one that comes closest is the barred owl. “Who-cooks-for-you-who cooks for you” is how many people hear it, and it did sound like that. Unfortunately I’ve never seen one, as they are nocturnal and even by day are well camouflaged, so I’m not likely to spot one.
One animal I spotted recently, is one that has migrated north over the past few decades. This sad little sight of a roadkill greeted me when I was out walking one morning last week.

Virginia Opossums this far north, were unheard of when I was a kid, but global warming has made the climate in New Hampshire tolerable enough for them to spread about up here. They are prolific animals, a female sometimes having a dozen young at a time. Their lifespan is only a few years with predation and roadkill a frequent hazard. Information online suggests that ticks are an item on the menu of these omnivorous animals, so in spite of their homely appearance, they are beneficial to have around.

While it’s too soon for planting, I’ve begun going through seed packets left over from last year, as well as the year before, to determine what might still be viable and which need to be consigned to the composter. Bush and pole beans, beets, parsley, peas and swiss chard are viable on average about two years. Broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers and squashes average three years. How long a seed stays viable is not carved in stone,with some outlasting others depending on the conditions they were stored under. I will be experimenting with them to see what shape they are in.
Have a safe and happy April.