WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Most of us won’t complain about how warm and beautiful the weather has been lately. Flowers seem to be enjoying it too. Many are actually now blooming weeks ahead of schedule.
The New Hanover County Arboretum typically doesn’t see too much foot traffic during this time of the year but this winter warmth has been driving people to spend more time outside.
County Extension Director Al Hight says every year is a little different and this year is just one of those years that flowers seem to grow and open a bit before they normally do.
“Things are a little ahead of what they normally are for this time of the year,” Hight said. “It’s not a huge difference but a lot of things are probably a couple of weeks ahead of normal.”
He says if old man winter does return that cold air wouldn’t kill the plants but may turn whatever is green to something less than ideal.
“It’s a concern somewhat if you look at what happens if we get a blast of cold air after all of this,” Hight said. “That can really hurt the lawns and can hurt some of the plants.”
More than 75% of February has been above average and the upcoming week doesn’t hold any change.
Hight suggests if you have plants at home, it’s a good idea to go ahead and prune them and treat them for weeds before the spring season is in full swing.