It is no surprise to anyone that everything is just a little bit early this year. From Washington's cherry blossoms in February the march of spring would seem to be underway. In my own garden, newly awarded a zone 6 status, I have the first signs of the seasonal changes. The witch-hazel is in bloom! 

When I checked my images from last year the witch-hazel bloomed on March 19th - that is a full 5 weeks from now. Elsewhere in the garden the crocus are coming up alongside daffodils and a few tulip leaves. The mint and other perennials barely went totally dormant so are still holding their own. Once the crocus bloom it will be just a few weeks before the daffodils start and the real feel of spring will be here.

Of course there is still the concern that some of these things will get a nasty zap if we get an arctic blast - it is only the beginning of February. With no snow cover, and still no real snow in the forecast, we have no insulation on the ground to protect the young leaves. I am confident that most things will do just fine though.