The Many Indicators of Spring

In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours. Mark Twain

As I watch the effects of snow storms, nor’easters and relentless rainfall in other parts of the country, I am grateful to live in an area with a more mild winter.  Born and raised in Connecticut, I have fond (and not so fond) memories of four distinct seasons. Though I do miss the stillness and peace a new fallen snow brings, I am not fond of the unpredictable weather between winter and spring~dirty snow, dreary days and monochromatic skies.

Though we have four seasons in Phoenix, the weather is quite lovely most of the year. Our summers are comparable to harsh winters where you are inside more than outside. During the month of March here at Bella Terra, we are now noticing the changes that spring brings. Our morning temperatures are finally out of the 30s and into the 40s with warmer days.

Bulbs

The arrival of the first tulip is always a magical moment. These apricot (dusty pink on the outside and apricot/mango on the inside) beauties from Longfield Gardens are the ones I planted in January. Aren’t they just gorgeous?

Bulbs (in the ground) seem to only last a few years here. So far, none of the bright red tulip bulbs that I planted in 2019 have made it out of the ground…yet. Also, the 50 hyacinths I planted 3 years ago, only 8 of them bloomed this year. There is a good possibility that something is eating the bulbs too.

In front of the guest cottage, the first jonquil has shown its beautiful trumpet.  A member of the daffodil family, the jonquil has six outer petals and slender, hollow foliage.

Arrival of the Ducks

Another first sign of spring is the arrival of the ducks. Typically our first sighting is outside our gates and in the irrigation lateral that runs in front of our home. A few weeks later, duck dating occurs in our pool.

Recently, 6 gorgeous mallards are vying for the lone female’s attention.  She appears to have settled on the last two.  Who will be the lucky guy?  Her suitor will stay by her side for the next few months.  Soon she will bring her little ones, teaching them how to swim here. As you can imagine, this makes our pool guy rather unhappy.

The Shifting of Light

With the sun a bit higher in the sky, the morning sunshine light makes it way into the eastern rooms.  Bathed in softness, the subtle difference is a reminder that spring is on its way.

Blooming and fragrance everywhere

Stretching along the eastern side of our property, we use Lady Banks Roses, R. Banksiae Lutea as a natural screen along the adjacent street. These roses can vigorously grow to a height of 25 feet and produces pale to deep yellow flowers.  It is not strongly perfumed and the wood is almost thornless. This makes the perfect privacy fence.

Just this week, we are seeing the very first of its blossoms. These roses only bloom once a year, but shortly will provide a stunning wall of yellow.

In the orchard, it is nearly time to glean all the citrus fruit from the tree.  We are encouraged to do so when we start seeing the early citrus blossoms for the next cycle of fruit. The air is filled with an intoxicating scent of orange blossoms.

The apple and apricot trees are budding and I am tempted to cut these gorgeous branches to display inside. But I leave them alone and let nature takes its course.

Due to our extreme summer heat, I have only had success in growing Anna apples, which will be ready to pick in June.

The apricot tree is in its 3rd year of production, so I am hoping for a great yield this year. Look at how delicate these blooms are!

Our peach tree has tiny fuzzy fruit appearing as the blooms fall off the tree. So looking forward to juicy, sweet peaches the second week of May.

The Chickens are Happy

Even the chickens are sensing the change in season.  Our Araucanas have started laying their blue-green eggs again.  Chickens need 14 hours of daylight in order to have egg production.  Some chicken breeds lay more than eggs others.

After changing up their food and letting the hens have more free range time outside, they are rewarding us with fresh eggs every day.

Lots of Pollinators

The yard is full of robins and bird chirping! Flocks are on the lawn eating all the small dates that are dropping from the palms.

The flower beds in the front of the house are just starting to come to life. Here the lavender flowers are showing off and the bees are LOVING all the blooms.

Are you experiencing signs of Spring yet? Please tell me what is happening in your area of the country. Like Mark Twain’s quote above, we are experiencing spring-like days mixed in with dreary, raining ones too.

Happy 2nd day of Spring! Here is to new beginnings.