Spring is about to spring
You know it’s almost spring because…
- Unseen bulbs begin sprouting leaves. They sat mostly asleep for months, slowly spreading roots, singing folk songs and playing canasta, but for some bulbs, spring is their moment on the stage. Different bulbs flower at different times – some in early spring, like crocuses, but canna lilies and dahlias wait ‘til late summer.
Different daffodil varieties bloom early, middle and late, which is a good idea. Did you know daffodils are native to Portugal and Spain? Tulips originated in Turkey, and Claytonia virginica is native to eastern North America. Some dahlia bulbs are edible, but you should first check with your dietician. Onions are bulbs. Eat your onions.
- Greenhouses of the world are springing into action, and being inside a busy greenhouse is like entering a green house. It’s called a greenhouse because it’s where your best intentions result in green things, plus red mustard and amaranth and purple cabbage and opal basil. Splendid hours will be spent in greenhouses for three months, and then mine gets too hot. Great place to dry herbs and firewood. And to clarify (with emphasis), it’s a greenhouse, not a red-white-and-blue house.
- Suddenly, there is more college basketball coverage on airwaves than coverage of the president. Let’s hope he doesn’t hear about this because there might be a tariff. Ever hear of Longwood University? It’s in Farmville, Va., and the Division-1 men’s basketball team made it to the quarterfinals of the Big South tournament, but the Lancers lost to the Winthrop Eagles. Ever hear of Winthrop? They lost in the finals to the High Point Panthers. Ever hear of the highly esteemed High Point University? Me neither, but their women’s team also won its championship. March madness.
- Your seed inventory has become a regular focus. Are the packets alphabetical for easy searching? Do you alphabetize “cantaloupe” with melons or separately? I already have probably 20 tomato varieties represented in the basket and a kind friend gave me 41 packets of seeds, eight of which are tomato varieties. Variety is good. I better call a special staff meeting to sort this out. And in the very back corner of the basket is a packet of Aunt Molly’s ground cherries. Who knew!
- Now that seeds are escaping from the seed basket and planting themselves in orderly fashion hither thither, your garden will need water. It’s a propitious moment each year when I feel the weather will be frost-free enough for me to hook up three 50-ft. hoses to water my garden. We’ve been fortunate all these years to have the weather observations of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration so easily available, but times are a-changing, and best of luck to dedicated experts who got fired. Almanac says we will likely have more mornings below 32°, but the hoses had to come out and I can drain them if necessary. My phone indicates no rain for at least ten days, and the Almanac shows we’re on the cusp of warm/wet below us and cold/wet above us. The good news is I’m good at arithmetic, so I’ll figure it out.
- Birdsongs in the woods are changing right on time because it’s almost spring. Last week I heard a pine warbler, the usual first returnee, and this morning I heard a phoebe. If you hear a bird say fee-bee, that’s a phoebe. They’ll try to nest on your porch. Soon chipping sparrows, cowbirds and brown creepers return. Whippoorwills wait till April. Birdsongs nearby make for happier gardening.
- Because it’s almost spring, we switched our clocks back to Daylight Savings Time which was designed a century ago to provide workers more daylight to work in and ostensibly to reduce electricity use. It also allowed more time after work for golf or, if you’re an entomologist, collecting bugs. Russia do not observe DST. Just noticing, because our nation seems to be getting more Russian every week. All it takes is an Executive Order, and borscht will be our national breakfast. But who knows – by summer, it might be kim chi.