A week ago I wrote a celebratory blog post for the Vernal Equinox, when it seemed that the earth was warming and plants were ready to emerge from sleep. But weather is an uncertain thing, and since that time we've been thrust back into winter, with blustery cold and intermittent snows.
The pond is a frozen white expanse, and cattails are dark lines against it. I mark important seasonal milestones in my calendar each year and sigh when I read the events from last year's mild spring: I dug parsnips, meaning the garden ground was well thawed, on March 16th; robins appeared on the lawn on March 24th; wood frogs began quacking in the water of the pond on April 2nd.
Birds will not be tempted onto ground still covered with snow and ice.
But the plants in the house realize it's spring, as the longer daylight hours encourage them to bloom. The brilliant red geranium, and the tiny blue flowers of rosemary remind me to be hopeful. Spring, however late, will arrive, and will be all the more cherished.
The chaise photo is perfect...
ReplyDeleteCold here too, no snow but it still feels like winter. A few plants starting to grow and many plump buds. I would torture myself if I kept a detailed record...I know generally by year: this one had a dry spring, that one never warmed up all through the wet summer, that one: we suffered drought twice and I almost lost my specialty Witchhazel. Well, maybe I do recall a detail or two. But with clients' gardens: harder to record and distinguish individually.
Julie, I don't keep a detailed record, just a few milestones, and last year was particularly mild. It's hard to remember from one year to the next what the weather was like, but I'm like you in generally remembering by plants, or in my case crops: the summer before last was too cold for onions, last spring too warm for a good spinach crop.
ReplyDeleteI love these photos. They are worth the regressed weather.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a late spring here, too. But at least our last snow was minor compared to yours. Almost gone in the garden but the pond is still frozen. Last year the ducks were here on 3/14. This year their arrival will be one of the latest dates in the 12 years they've been coming to our pond.
ReplyDeletethanks, Deesha.
ReplyDeleteMs. Wis., I guess this excessively late spring has been affecting a lot of the country. We'll all going to be cheering when spring settles in for good.
It's funny -- my heart breaks in late summer, when I know it's almost over. But now, when even snow and cold won't keep spring and summer from happening, I like it to drag out as long as possible, so I can notice more of the tiny changes. I guess I'm in the minority! I love the chaise photo.
ReplyDeleteI do believe you're in the tiny minority, Susan, but it's actually nice to know there's someone enjoying this lingering winter.
ReplyDeleteLove seeing how the objects like the chaise burn the snow away around them. Great capture, but I am feeling the impatience for growth and not in the amount of snow scheduled for April Fool's day!
ReplyDelete