Signs of last year’s excellent growing season are popping up in unusual ways this spring.

While the weather in most parts of Newfoundland so far this year has been cooler and wetter than usual, one thing that seems to be thriving are maple seedlings.

Horticulturalist Todd Boland says an extended period of warm, sunny weather last summer contributed to a great crop of apples and other fruits, and maple seeds were no different.

Gardeners have noticed the profusion of maple seedlings popping up just about everywhere this spring, which Boland says is a result of last year’s excellent growing conditions.

Now is the time to get out there and try to pull up as many of those maple seeds as you can, before your flowers grow up over them.

Once established, maple seedlings can put down strong roots and are much harder to remove.