Spring, officially!
Hello!
Spring officially starts tomorrow! I know I am not alone in being happy about this. What a long winter it’s been.
As I write, there’s still snow on the ground in Canaan Valley. But it will melt soon, and we may even miss it.
Meteorologically, it’s already been spring for a while, based on annual temperature cycles rather than the Earth’s position relative to the Sun. With the temperature swings we’ve had lately, that may need some rethinking.
Astronomically, our spring starts with tomorrow’s equinox, or equal night, a brief moment of balance before daylight begins to outlast the nights. On the equinox, the length of day and night is nearly equal in all parts of the world.
For a long time, people thought flowering was all about daylight hours. But it turns out, the length of uninterrupted darkness matters, too. Plants need a solid night’s rest to bloom properly. If that darkness gets interrupted, it can throw everything off.
I can relate: that groggy feeling after waking up in the middle of the night and not quite falling back to sleep tends to leave me far from budding, let alone blooming, until I’ve had my coffee.
Plants, it seems, feel the same way.
And while it might feel like spring is just beginning, behind the scenes we’re already well underway. Seeds have been started, trays are filling up, and yes, there’s that spreadsheet mapping out what gets planted when. It keeps me reassured, focused, and productive. Phew!
Out in the fields, with frost heave icicles pushing upward and crunching under my boots, the hunt for early signs of spring is rewarding. Hellebores are lining the wall by the front door, unfazed by yet another layer of snow. Alliums are already 4–6 inches tall. And thanks to some impressive gusts of wind ahead of this last snow, I got a sneak peek at plants I started around the time of last year’s fall equinox. This is They’ve been growing under the frost cloth all winter and are now coming along for this year’s early bouquets!
That’s the promise of our Appalachian springs: even though they are long, cool, and seem slow to arrive, there will be flowers, both wild and those grown with care in Canaan Valley, bringing us delight and wonder.
Let there be flowers!
Lizz
* This photo shows bupleurum, which will grow into upright stems, small round leaves, and clusters of tiny yellow-green flowers that will beautifully fill out bouquets.