Things are stirring in the natural world. Every day we add two or three more minutes of light. The birds are gettting more than a little excited, and plants are pushing their way up through the soil to the sun. Other yards are way ahead of mine – purple and yellow crocuses are flowering on the sun-lit meadows of Cape Cod. My yard, being in the woods and shaded most of the year, is some 10 days behind. Bulbs in my yard haven’t fared so well this year. A more selective tribe of squirrels has taken to digging up my yard, in search of the bulbeous treasure. They’ve been extremely successful, leaving me exasperated and worrying that no bulbs will be left to display their color. It is the rent one has to pay for residing on other critters’ forage grounds.
I am wondering who will be first this year. First in flowering, that is, among my native plants. The last few sunny days have encouraged wild bee balm (Monarda didyma) and wild bermagot (Monarda fistulosa) to show new leaf growth. Bluejacket spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis) has been pushing through the leaves for at least a fortnight and is showing 2 to 3 inches of growth. Creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera) is also greening considerably, waiting to explode and invade new territory. These plants, however, need to build some serious foliage before flowering comes into play. I am betting on the ole staple, wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) to produce flowers first this year. Bearberry, at least on Cape Cod, will not be far behind – it tends to flower in May further inland but it often surprises us here on the Cape and islands by showing its white to pink beauty in an advance showing. Other candidates for runner-up will be sessile bellwort (Uvularia sessilifolia) and Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica). The latter plant starts flowering in March a few states further to the south, so I put it into consideration as a dark horse. So far, the plant has shown no sign of life in my yard.
Surely there will be a few more tough days and nights ahead, temperature wise, but the plant kingdom has decided to forge ahead and trust the additional offering of light and energy. From here on, growth will be exponential and rapid. We’ve turned the tide.
I really love this time of year! All of the subtle signs of the coming season are quite a thrill.
It’s kinda funny; most gardeners I know always notice the first signs of green pushing up through the soil while I usually notice the catkins on the birch, and the like, showing up.
I guess I’ve always been a tree man at heart (though I do love to see those spring bulbs as much as the next gardener).