This is by far the worst winter I can remember, even for Chicago standards. I gave up on anything coming back in my garden in December when we had a really nasty ice storm. Yet when the 3 feet of snow melted last week, I was amazed at what I saw.

I understand that snow is an insulator, I do. I just didn’t expect for the snow to melt and for there to be perfectly preserved plants underneath it. My yard is like a cryogenics lab for plants right now. I have Swiss chard, Cardoon and Iris- all at a few inches tall. I have Daffodils at about 6” already. The pile of Lavender and Blue Fescue I didn’t get a chance to plant before the first permafrost? Still alive and kicking. And February is almost over already, really. It’s like falling off a log from here on out.

What I am afraid of is that now that I’ve sailed through the worst part of winter with such remarkable and exciting success, everything will die on the first sunny day in April. It’s like Michael Phelps sweeping the Olympics in an amazing blaze of glory only to get caught with a bong at a party a few months later.

I’m no pessimist; Mother Nature has just put me in my place a few times.

For example, when I wrote this there was no snow on the ground. A few hours later, I took this photo.

As always, join me in the forum where you can tell me how much I suck, or whatever. I won’t be here to defend myself, I’m going on a teesy road trip. Curious? I’ll be Tweeting!