It’s not really spring — it won’t officially be spring for another sixteen days — though today it does feel as if spring might truly be on the way. It’s certainly sunny and windy enough to evoke the coming season, though more wintery temperatures and perhaps even some snow are forecast for next week. Still, the first signs of spring have sprung — a couple of tulips have pushed their way up through the soil and oh, what a welcome sight they are!
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that more than these few hardy bulbs made it through this very cold winter, though there’s really no reason to expect a problem (except, of course, for my lack of a green thumb and even more crucially, my lack of knowledge about how to care for plants).
There are other signs that the ground is warming up — seedlings are sprouting up all over the place, even where I don’t want them to be, such as on my pathways. This would obviously be the best time to hoe up weeds in my garden, but I have no idea which seedling are weeds, which are weedy grasses, and which are flowers. I’ll find out soon enough, I suppose, hopefully early enough that I can get rid of the weeds before they take over.
Although we haven’t had a lot of moisture recently, and although we’ve been treated to desiccating winds, and although I’m sure my grass and various garden spots are ready for a supplemental drink, I’m not going to water quite yet because . . . well, because I don’t want to. I somehow manage to sprinkle myself almost as much as I sprinkle the yard, and it’s still too cold to be outside in damp clothing. (The current temperature of 44 degrees is not all that warm, even though it does have a springlike feel.) Besides, I don’t like battling the wind. Wind frazzles me and makes me feel unsettled.
Besides, even though I can feel a tinge of the awakening spring inside myself, I’m not quite ready for the commitment of gardening and yard care. Nor are my knees. They are protesting just at the thought of all that bending and stooping.
But still — tulips!!
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Pat Bertram is the author of Grief: The Inside Story – A Guide to Surviving the Loss of a Loved One. “Grief: The Inside Story is perfect and that is not hyperbole! It is exactly what folk who are grieving need to read.” –Leesa Healy, RN, GDAS GDAT, Emotional/Mental Health Therapist & Educator.
Bertram's Blog 
March 4, 2023 at 11:39 am
Tulips?!?! I’m envious! Your season is so far ahead of mine! It’s 4°C (39° F) here at the moment, the warmest it’s been in a couple weeks, with about 10″ of snow remaining on the ground from a dump last weekend. It still drops below freezing at night. I’m so very tired of winter. Some years spring-like weather has started in February, but not this year.
Part of my restlessness is undoubtedly because I’ve adjusted to the idea of an impending move and am ready to explore gardening options in a new location, but our current property still hasn’t sold yet. I daren’t even start any bedding plants indoors since I need to keep everything clean, tidy and viewer ready. This ‘being in limbo’ business is a pain!
Granted, I suppose my joints would join yours in complaining if I had the opportunity to start yard work. My new ‘bionic’ knee is great, but the other is not, and my hips and hands are beginning to join in. Another reason to yearn for the return of warmth and sunshine. 🙂
March 4, 2023 at 1:37 pm
We’re still getting down below freezing every night, too. The difference here is that the air is so dry and the sun is so very hot that it warms the ground quickly. And whatever snow we get evaporates more than it melts.
I sympathize with having to keep your house viewer ready. It’s hard living in a transitional stage that goes nowhere. Here’s hoping you get a buyer soon. And here’s hoping for an early spring up there!
March 5, 2023 at 7:57 am
Your tulips are a wonderful sign of spring. My daffodils have come and gone. It seems as though most things are waking up and starting to bloom. My wisteria is trying to join the crowd. We have had a couple of inches of rain this week. We had an awful bad storm Friday which produced tornadoes in the surrounding area. The wind was bad, but we had no damage.
March 5, 2023 at 9:59 am
I’m so glad you had no damage. I miss your wisteria — the one I tried to grow died last winter. And oh, daffodils! How nice!