Spring is technically on the books, but here in the northeast there is a difference between what’s marked on the calendar and the state of things outside.
These very early days of spring remind me of a spiral effect in that once the first signs of growth appear, the weather will keep circling back to winter (deep cold nights, snow), all the while progressing forward just a bit after each circle. I mention this effect because for the gardener, this circling back to winter can be frustrating, if not downright deflating. One thing that I do each spring to help defeat the negative feelings that emerge is to go out into the garden everyday and look for some new sign of spring. As I wrote a few years back:
It’s there now, but you have to look for it. Be a detective. Turn your attention way down to the ground. Can you see it? Today you may have to crouch down low or look up high to get a glimpse, but within just a few weeks it will all be happening so fast all around you, you will wish for it to slow down just a bit so you can catch your breath.
Two weeks ago I started up the springtime ritual of going out into the garden each day to look for some new green thing that is poking up through the soil. Since then I have been taking quick snapshots with my phone camera and posting them to my Instagram and Facebook accounts. I’ve also added a few from my indoor seed-starting setup as seedlings emerged. It’s encouraging to discover new signs of spring appearing everyday despite dipping temperatures, terrible winds, and snowfall. Spring marches on.
I’ve been tagging the images on Instagram with the hashtag #greenthingswatch so that I can find them again. I encourage you to add your own using the same tag. I’m interested to see the big picture of early spring that we can create collectively.
What a great idea! I did go out to look for signs of spring only a few days ago, but there was little to see, although the buds on our cherry tree do appear swollen. I’ll have to go out again tomorrow – what was a bare patch of ground yesterday may now be dotted with green and I wouldn’t want to miss it!
That’s a good way to occupy myself while awaiting some blooms. The ephemerals are my favorite to watch for–so far, I spotted bloodroot, trout lily, and Virginia bluebell emerging. Indoors, watching those tomato and pepper seedlings unfurl is so satisfying!
I like the idea of making a collective picture of Spring, but I don’t have Instagram. I decided to make a blog post in response instead. Here is the post: http://placeforpollinators.blogspot.ca/2015/04/signs-of-spring.html
I’m in love with the winter aconite in my local community garden. Its such a brilliant contrast to all the grey and brown. Thanks for encouraging me to go out and take a walk around with my camera.
I find myself poking around my garden hoping for sprouts of color. I might have to start documenting my findings, too! Thanks for a great idea.
I do this, too! I absolutely love watching the seasons change, especially into spring. A few weeks ago, I noticed some fields here (in Missouri) that had been burned. Under the black ash, bright green grass was coming through. The contrast was beautiful. Just signed up for the Grow Write Guild–super excited about that!