Spring Fling

article and illustration by Lou Davenport

By the time this issue goes to print, it will be one of my favorite times of the year and spring will finally be here! I’ve been watching for signs of spring since January, but, “Old Man Winter” just wouldn’t go away! I guess I shouldn’t complain though.  Last year, we had snow and ice.  Luckily for us, this winter has been fairly mild, but, as we all know, we usually have one last “cold snap” before we really get into spring, and tonight, the weather says rain mixed with snow…and it actually snowed!  It was pretty to watch, but I was thankful that is was just enough to “dust the ground.”

When I was growing up, I could not wait to just be outside all the time. I lived in a neighborhood full of kids that were around my age, so, we were riding our bikes, making mud pies, and generally having a great time.

My first memory of spring was the arrival of my Mother’s tiny daffodils that she had planted along the top of the drainage ditch in front of our house.  They were so pretty and I would pick countless little bouquets of them.  My mom showed me how to put a little food coloring in the water that I put them in, and they would actually get a new color around the edges of the little flowers!

My mother and grandmother loved working in the yard, and the last time I went by the house that I grew up in, there were still some of those shrubs, namely a “Spirea,” (or “Bridal Wreath”) as it was called back then, a Forsythia and a Flowering quince. I didn’t pick any of those Flowering quince though, after learning the hard way, because they have thorns!

Later on in the year, they would plant annuals in the front flower bed.  I have several pictures of those flowers, and although I don’t remember picking any of them, there were tons of Bachelor Buttons, Zinnias, and one of my mother’s favorites, Impatients, (otherwise known as “Touch-me-nots”). There were Nandinas behind them, and Lirope bordering the beds. Needless to say, our yard was very beautiful.

My first memory of learning about hummingbirds was when one flew into the large picture window in our living room. My mother rushed out to save it, but, luckily, it had recovered and flown away.  I remember having all kinds of questions about them, and  she  got out one of our “World Book” encyclopedias, and we learned all we could about those fascinating little creatures. To this day, I love those little amazing birds. I have already bought a brand new hummingbird feeder, and am anxiously awaiting their arrival. If all goes as planned, hopefully they’ll start coming back around by March 15th!

I guess I got my love of plants, birds, and just the general outdoors from my mother and grandmother.  My grandmother had a bedroom that she fully dedicated to all of her houseplants, although she called them “her flowers!”  When she’d go to visit my other aunts, I was put in charge of watering all of those “flowers” of hers.  It’s funny, I, too, have a living room full of houseplants now! I guess I learned, and got my love for them, honestly. 

Although, I don’t have a big yard anymore, I do have a small patio.  Out there, I have several plants that I have “nursed” through the winter. One is my red honeysuckle, that I thought had died from all the ice last year. Determined to keep them going as best I could, I cut it back, kept it pampered, and now, it’s doing great, and beginning to climb up the small fence that I have. My ferns, a “Kimberly Queen,” and an Asparagus fern are doing great!  Now that there’s been a bit of warmer weather, I can once again sit out there with them, and “watch” the world go by.

When I lived in Vicksburg, my oldest daughter and son had to make wildflower collections in one of their classes.  Of course, I helped them, and I ended up getting hooked!  I found so many beautiful wildflowers over there, and I did dig up a “Jack in The Pulpit,” that I planted on the shady side of our house. By the time I moved many years later, it was over a foot high. I so hope the people who bought my house knew what it was, and that is now multiplying and maybe, just maybe, those little “Jack Babies” have filled up the whole side bed. 

Where I found this “Jack in the Pulpit,” was also teeming with other plants that were considered endangered species, such as “trillium,” “Golden Dragons,” and several other exotic species. They grew in a shady, old forest area and, again, I hope they are still there. It is sad to say, but most of those areas are quickly disappearing.

There were other less than exotic species of wildflowers that I found, such as “Toadflax,” “Wild Geranium,” “Blue Eyed Grass,” and “Goats Beard.” They are so beautiful, and if you don’t look closely, you just might miss them.  Right now, I have several “Blue Eyed Grass” plants out by the fence…another sign that I know spring is right around the corner!

Along the highways, you can spot “Evening Primrose,” “Queen Anne’s Lace,” and maybe, just maybe, the “Crimson and Red Clover” that are beginning to make their appearances.  It is about to be an explosion of color, and I cannot wait! Sometimes, it IS just the little things that make me happy.

Even though we’ve had some snow, and our usual all-seasons-in-one-day kind of weather, I have been riding around looking for the “signs of Spring.” Just the other day, I saw several beautiful Azaleas bursting into bloom. There were Redbud trees just beginning to open, and I also spied with my little eye a gorgeous yellow Jasmine climbing along someone’s fence.  At the Beidenharn, yellow tulips were beginning to bloom, and I am sure when I ride by again, there will be many others!

The “signs of spring” are beginning to pop up all around us, almost as if nature is hitting a reset button,  and ready to revive and reinvigorate everything around us.  I, myself, am looking forward to all the pops of color that are starting to emerge, sprouts that are beginning to blossom, the many different songs of birds coming and going, the days becoming longer, and the overall feeling of happiness that spring always brings me.  Let’s celebrate it! 

What signs of spring have you witnessed?