Anticipating Spring

One of my favorite seasons of the year is getting near.  Early spring is the time for colorful bulbs to emerge from hibernation and announce that spring has sprung.  That always seems to rejuvenate and motivate the inner gardener in me.  I have been anxious to see the first signs of growth in the form of green shoots and bracts gently emerging on my ornamentals and trees.  My mom and I typically place a friendly wager on what the date will be when one of us will see the first blossoms emerge around town.  The down side of all of the new growth is the yellowish-green powder coating car wind shields and streets, generally creating havoc for Solano County allergy sufferers.  This year we have had an unusually sunny winter and our rain totals are well below the averages for our region.  All the sun we have had is certain to develop the blossoms earlier than normal this year and I am excited that I might get to work in my garden earlier in the year than I am accustomed to.  The sun has been shining for the past month and my springtime mentality is starting to get geared up.  I have to remind myself that we are still a couple of months away from our traditional spring season and we could very well experience several more frosts between now and that time.  Something about the sun shining makes me almost willing to risk planting some of my favorites 2 months ahead of schedule.  I have thought better of it so far but if the sun continues to shine in February I’m not certain how long I can remain patient before I get outside and get my hands dirty.

Fuzzy buds of magnolia. (photo by Ed Walbolt)

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