Albany's bloomin' blooms | Community Spirit

ALBANY - It just doesn't look like the end of March in Washington Park.  On Friday there were bikinis, bikes and bulbs -- blooming bulbs.

"This is unbelievable," said Carol Nersinger, who was walking though the park on her lunch break.

She wasn't the only one shocked by the color.

"That's really strange to see this time of year, the tulips blooming," added Richard Keefe.

In the scores of beds around the city we aren't just seeing green.  We're seeing color -- tulips, full tulips, three weeks early.

"Eighty degree weather is going to force that to happen," explained Jessica Morgan, the city gardener.

Morgan is retaliating.  She and city crews are piling on three extra inches of dirt and mulch to insulate or keep ground cooler.  But after this week, short of thousands of ice bags, it's been no use battling Mother Nature.  

"With the weather so warm it's very difficult to stop at this point," said Morgan.

Ninety percent of the tulips are already growing and Albany's Tulip Festival is still seven weeks away.  The good news is the city plants a variety of late and early blooming flowers so there will still be a show come Mother's Day weekend.

"We're looking at 30s and 40s next week, I heard. So cross your fingers we should be ok," added Morgan.

March may have been more of a lamb, but the potential for a lion is still out there.

"I think we shouldn't put away our shovels just yet ," laughed Nersinger.

This is Morgan's first year in the position of master gardener.