Warm stretch signals early start to planting in North Texas

As February continues, winter seems to be in name only in North Texas, with signs of spring emerging strongly.

At Ruibal’s Plants of Texas in the Dallas Farmers Market, Lexi Grant from Arlington was seen on Saturday selecting the perfect plant.

“This is going to be a philodendron white wizard,” Grant said. “I feel like this is also recovery because of the harsh cold snap. I lost a few plants, so this is mending that hole, the void.”

Brady Bumgarner, representing Ruibal’s, mentioned that most of the plants and flowers available now are resilient spring varieties that can withstand another sub-freezing cold snap if it occurs.

“Most people are feeling pretty confident that it’s not going to freeze again, but then again, who knows,” Bumgarner said. “The plants are definitely responding to the weather.”

Forecasts suggest even warmer temperatures, with Monday’s highs in February expected to reach 90 degrees.

The prolonged warm spell indicates a promising start to the Dallas Blooms event at the Dallas Arboretum.

Dustin Miller from the Dallas Arboretum expressed excitement, saying, “This is really when, as a garden and as a community, we’re all sort of blooming into the new year. We’ve been really fortunate this year with sort of picture-perfect weather.”

This weekend marked the beginning of a planned six-week duration for what’s described as the largest floral event in the Southwest.

For those interested in planting, Bumgarner suggests that now is an opportune time to explore available options.

“It’s a good time to get your beds prepped,” Bumgarner advised. “Get your mulch, get fresh soil in there. And just get things ready for spring.”