I cannot remember another spring when every single flowering plant outdid itself in production of a profusion of blossoms. Even trees which typically produce a good crop of blooms only every few years burst forth. Overall, it was the warmest spring on record for Washtenaw County. Whether that was the cause of the extraordinary blooms, I couldn't say.

After a record breaking warm winter, we almost literally skipped spring and jumped right into summer. A prolonged period in middle through late March with temperatures from twenty to forty (yes!) degrees above normal daytime highs for that time of year turned our area into a virtual hot house, forcing plants into premature blooming and leafing out. But not enough insects to pollinate them. This was followed by several nights of extremely hard freezes which destroyed a good portion of the fruit crops throughout Michigan and blasted the wonderful display of magnolia blossoms. April was much cooler than March! About normal or even slightly cooler, with many more nights dipping into the lower 30s or upper 20s. It was the first time on record that the average daily temperatures of the two months were reversed, with March being the warmer month. April was drier than normal, too. Nevertheless, the warm March kept almost every flowering plant on a blooming schedule that was 2-3 weeks ahead of what is typical. The entire month of May was hot, and extremely dry.