Dogwood Winter

Growing up in Gatlinburg, I (Kim) have always heard my family talk about "dogwood winter" but had no clue what they were talking about. It's actually very simple! Dogwood winter is a term used mostly in the south that refers to a period of cold weather that coincides with the blooming of the dogwoods. In the beginning of spring there is usually a stretch of warm and pleasant weather followed by several days of cold, cloudy weather and even possibly frost or snow flurries. Because of dogwood winter, most gardeners don't plant until after the dogwood trees have bloomed. With that said, I do believe that dogwood winter has recently just ended in Gatlinburg!!