Went for a walk, and what a difference a week makes. Buds are coming out all over. From bare and brown to green and ripe; it’s a form of magic! A couple of days of summer-like temperatures and nights above freezing have really kick-started things.

Willows are opening fluffy catkins, the purple-leaved ornamental apple trees look like they’re glowing and perennials are peeking out. The star of this stroll though was the pictured Forsythia in full, sunny yellow glory! I did notice a few other Forsythia but they were only showing buds, and all of them only part way down the stem. What’s the secret of this one?

Microclimate! Yes, a special place that every yard has, to some extent, where plants are very happy. I simplify but a microclimate is an area where conditions are different, usually better, than the rest of your garden. A microclimate can be one or two zones warmer than your area. Here’s a great, detailed explanation here.

So what’s so special about the corner where this Forsythia is? First, it is directly south-facing, lots of sun during the growing season with the heat retaining abilities of the masonry wall. It will warm up sooner in Spring and cool down slower in Fall. In the winter, when days are short and the sun is farther south, the house beside will block rays for part of the day, preventing the plant from artificially warming up even though the temperature is well below freezing. This will prevent water loss from the dormant plant.

Secondly, it is very protected from wind. Our prevailing winds are from the NW, with occasional storms coming from the NE. It is more rare to have winds coming from the south. Wind can be very drying; we see it more in evergreens which tend to brown on the windy and sunny side. This often shows in Forsythia (and other plants) only leafing out to where the snow was, the branches sticking out of the snow are dried out. Snow is our best insulator again winter damage.

Third, the plant is right beside a downspout. Anytime we are not frozen, the plant should be able to make use of any excess moisture directed through the spout and be a little healthier than something left to rely on rain alone. The area under an overhang can be an extremely dry spot. At first look, I might have though this shrub planted a little close to the house; but the downspout takes away that worry.

As a plant geek, I would certainly take advantage of this area and try all sorts of shrubs and perennials not of Zone 3. You could probably over-winter Zone 4 and perhaps even Zone 5 plants. I appreciate that the homeowners are not plant geeks and have a very pretty cover for the storage of their garbage and recycling containers.