Seasons and Changing Climate

Seasons and Changing Climate

Two weeks ago Spring arrived in an unusual way here in the northeast - we had four snowstorms. We also had crocuses hiding under the blanket of white. Last week we had atypical temperatures in the high sixties - and daffodils. Today it was back in the 40s and the flowering plum tree in our front yard was, well, flowering.

I have always respected the inner sense of nature with its seasonal consistency. It has traditionally provided focus in our world. But lately I am concerned; our weather is changing. The seasons are shifting with winters becoming shorter and summers becoming longer, in weather terms. We have been experiencing more floods and extreme storms. Islands are becoming flooded and unlivable. Forest fires are fiercer and more prolonged. Glaciers are melting and animals are losing traditional habitats. I wonder how our food supply will be affected as well as our health.

I hope that we can preserve our beautiful planet for future generations. It is truly an amazing place. And as Spring moves toward Summer, I will plant some vegetables as I do each year. They will each take their own time to grow and hopefully produce their offerings that will be so appreciated in our family. There is nothing as delicious as a handpicked and immediately eaten tomato!

How is climate changing?

https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/atmospheric/climate-change-four-seasons-redefine.htm 

And more:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/global-warming-effects/ 

A Golden Time of Year

A Golden Time of Year

The crocuses that greet us as we open our front door are soft yellow. The daffodils in the backyard and on the side of our house are deeper yellow. The goldfinches that find our feeders are brilliant yellow! More gold than not, they are aptly named. It is hard to sulk about the weather when there is so much to awaken to us of the vibrance of Spring.

The supermarkets in our area have pansies for sale – yellow (of course) and purple and pink flowers just invite me to think about gardening. The coreopsis and yarrow will be out soon and, not doubt, so will the dandelions. The sun, which plays hide-and-seek at this season, varies in color from a whitish-yellow to an intense gold.

Yellow is a heartening color. It is the color that resonates in our solar plexus. It energizes and inspires us, stimulates us for learning and ups our intelligence. It brightens the artist’s palette and adds light to the ordinary.

So amid the sporadic raindrops, despite the temperature shifts from cold to warm to cool to hot, even with the uncertainty about the future climate, this time of year is golden. It is filled with promise and hope. And goldfinches to remind us to appreciate nature.

If you like yellow flowers, you’ll love these:

http://www.mlra.org/wildflowers/yellow.htm 

Colors have meaning:   

http://www.colormatters.com/yellow

Puddles of Daffodils

Puddles of Daffodils

It’s sunny today, a welcome change after a weekend of pouring rain. The ground remembers, however. It is wet, wet, wet. Mud puddles are everywhere. The grass is sopping, the bushes soaked. Between the recently melted snow and the consistent rain, the earth doesn’t seem able to absorb any more.

Although it is inconvenient, there is reason for this madness. April showers will bring May flowers - even if so much of the rain came in March. The water loosens the soil, making it easier for roots to dig in and gives plants nutrition for a good start. The daffodils seem to agree. They are already pushing up through the puddles, reaching for the sun. They are happy to greet another Spring; the crocuses have bloomed already.

So while we squish around on the saturated ground, putting corn gluten on the lawn to control weeds, cleaning the vegetable patch from last summer’s stalks, and digging new plots for anticipated plantings, it’s good to remember that each season has its own character. And why not? Nothing is static in our world, not even us. Some of us like the snow while others bask in the heat of summer. We don’t all plant the same flowers, if we plant at all, or the same veggies. We all like different foods, read a variety of books, have a diversity of jobs. Nature expresses itself in its own way, and so do we. If the weather isn’t our favorite, all we need is a little patience  - Nature will get around to a new season. Soon there will be puddles of daffodils.

The source, science, and philosophy of the rhyme:

http://feelingsandflowers.com/136/april-showers-bring-may-flowers-%E2%80%93-discussing-the-rhyme/  

Is It Spring Yet?

Is It Spring Yet?

The poor squirrel, huddled in the bush, no doubt confused by the latest weather. It’s confusing for all of us. We had about 3-4 inches of snow today while down in the D.C. area, there was 8 inches on the ground. Isn’t that south of New Jersey? New York, which is north of us, didn’t have any.

On March 20th it will officially be Spring. It may not feel like it to us yet but the flowers know. Daffodils are beginning to peek out of the ground.  Snowdrops, crocuses, hyacinths, forsythia, snapdragons, camellias all welcome the early spring. Time to think about the garden.

As the snow melts, I venture into the backyard to see which plants have survived the winter. The pachysandra have defied the ice onslaught. Our dappled willows are starting to put out foliage and the azaleas have hints of green under the latest coating of white.

Mother Nature has her own timetable, taking in the amount of light as well as the temperature. We do, too. Some people have seasonal affective disorder, being particularly sensitive to the shortened light of winter. Many of us have said this year, “I’m ready for Spring!” The warmer weather and the brighter days tend to cheer us up. The brightly colored flowers help bring a lift to the spirit.

Ah, Spring. It’s almost here. Enjoy!

A list of flowers that grow all through Spring:

http://garden.lovetoknow.com/wiki/A_List_of_Spring_Flowers

Seasons can affect how we feel:

http://www.mindpub.com/art027.htm

Vernal Equinox

Vernal Equinox

The vernal equinox has just passed, the time when the sun shines right on the equator and the hours of day and night are just about equal. The March or Spring equinox brings increasing daylight, warming temperatures, and rejuvenating plants and flowers.

The crocuses here have already faded but the daffodils are just now flowering. Their leaves have been hinting at blooms for a while and the buds have been teasing but here are the blossoms - at last. And today it is snowing.

It has snowed in late March and early April before so this is not that unusual but it isn’t necessarily welcome. Most of us are looking forward to the temperature moving out of the snow zone. While we are eager for the season to change, we have to remember that the equinox is the cusp of the seasons, the turning point, not the closing of a door; the year holds on to a little of the past even as it turns toward the future.

The daffodils may huddle into themselves for a bit longer but they will return with vibrant yellow flowers and Spring will assert itself. The snow will be gone, early season plants will poke out of the ground, trees will start to green up; there are buds already on the branches.

Like the changing seasons, we tend to hold on to what is familiar, too. But while we honor the past, let’s not close the door on what is unfolding before us. Let’s enjoy Nature’s changes as we move into a new space. And let us be open to the promise of growth in our gardens, in our thinking, in ourselves.

Happy Spring!
 http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/march-equinox.html

Daffy for Daffodils

I’m daffy for daffodils. When their leaves peek through the crusty winter soil I am reminded that warmer weather is approaching, that spring is about to kiss the waiting bulbs and early blooming flowers into life, and the earth is renewing itself once more. The tall, spiky deep green leaves that defied snowflakes and sudden cold snaps are fuller and robust now. The buds, elongated hints of anticipated blossoms, tempt me to get out my gardening tools and play in the dirt. And now…voila! The daffodils are open. The corona reaches out like a trumpet to herald spring. There is nothing quite like that golden yellow to perk up the spirit.

Of course, there are other colors to delight us as well. There are even miniature daffys, if you prefer. According to the American Daffodil Society there are between 40 and 200 daffodil species and over 25,000 hybrids! The ADS puts out a lot of information about daffodils on their website http://www.daffodilusa.org/daffodils/faq.html and they also have a journal. I learned that narcissus is the Latin or biological name for daffodils but there is no difference.

But there are many things that excite me about daffodils. The color, yes. The early blooming, certainly. Then there is their persistence. I thought I had raised all the bulbs in my side yard to replant in another location but they are back through bulb division that I didn’t catch and I’m glad; they are so cheerful. And even better, the squirrels (I apologize for talking about them yet again) don’t seem to eat them! We don’t have tulips but we always have daffodils. How great is that?

Here is a picture of my daffodils. Feel free to post photos of your own.