Pussy Willows

The blooms of pussy willows, called catkins, have long been thought of as an early sign of spring. The catkins start opening in the spring when the daytime temperatures consistently rise above freezing. Many years they'll start to open when we still have significant snow on the ground, but the air is warm. Last year on our farm the catkins started to pop around March 19th. This year they started opening on February 26th, over three weeks earlier than last year. We all know that it has been much warmer this winter and that it feels like spring outside. For me this is the first sign that the plants are thinking it is spring as well. 

Last Friday we took a break from blueberry pruning to cut pussy willow branches. Pussy willows are a beautiful and unique way to decorate your home for the spring season. They look beautiful in a vase on the table and also last practically forever.