Having had Snowmageddon* back in October we now have no snow, on the other hand it isn’t cold.  This isn’t especially good for plants, though it would be much worse if it was very cold and there was no snow.  Yet, it is also an interesting reminder of how plants react to light as much as temperature.  Most trees for example are primarily attuned to daylight length, and will wait for spring regardless of the warmth.  Temperature does play a role, of course, especially in how sap is released; this year will be terrible for maple syrup.  Furthermore, early warm spring once the daylight hours have really begun to shift will cause them to break dormancy.  But fifty degree weather in January doesn’t flip the chemical switch.  Some perennials, however, are attuned to soil temperatures with little attention to light; these are a bit confused and are not quite dormant or are almost dormant.  The hollyhocks, parsley, kale are all sort of still trying to grow.  I haven’t a clue as to whether this is good or bad. 

May you live in interesting times, indeed!