Yes, that is yesterday’s  paper. (Sorry Heels)  It is still March and awfully  cool–

And yes, that is a rose in my garden–the first rose of spring to be exact.   And no–it shouldn’t be blooming with the daffodils and dogwoods.

So what’s up with that?

Micro climate.  The roses grow down by the street.  The street is black asphalt.  Black absorbs heat.  After the sun goes down, the heat is released.  So the rose bed is warmer than the rest of yard.  It’s a micro-climate.

You probably have them too.  By the walk, or the brick of your house–we all have South facing garden  spots that are warmer.  Colder micro-climates, too.

The trick with Micro-climates is to find and use them.

Yea–roses in March are great, but in summer the same bed is my hottest spot.  Challenging.  I grow the heat lover gaura there and a wonderful plant I love to share–my reseeding melampodium.

Got a hot-spot?  What are you growing in your micro-climate?

PS–No wonder it’s so hot in parking lots in the summer time.  Micro Climates–just one more reason not to cover the earth in asphalt and concrete–