I grew up mainly in the tropics. I didn't experience a full year of northern seasons until I came to the US mainland to go to college in California. Our seasons here include a very short wet winter and a long dry summer. My first winter left me so sad and depressed by the darkness. I'd arrived at the end of a long drought. The rains finally came in December. By February, when magnolia trees started blooming, then plum trees, daffodils, and crocuses, ah... I'd fallen in love.
I still get excited each spring. Dozens of varieties of heritage roses surround our house in Berkeley. It's a thrill to watch the fresh leaves appear each spring and the buds all line up for their big moment. As heritage roses, they generally bloom just once in a big Mardi Gras-like party. When it's over, the ground is a carpet of petals. We're a week or two away from that now.
When I was a student at Smith, that bulb show was like a blood transfusion!
I love the Botanical Garden there so much. It's also a much needed respite during winter. Go and warm up in the tropical greenhouse.
I wrote an article about tulips being my life force, back on January 16, during a wild snowstorm. I love daffodils too, but they seem a little fragile to me. Lucky for us, tulips and daffodils share the early spring stage, companions in color and renewal. https://bookstories.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/157263299?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts
Thank you for sharing this!
I grew up mainly in the tropics. I didn't experience a full year of northern seasons until I came to the US mainland to go to college in California. Our seasons here include a very short wet winter and a long dry summer. My first winter left me so sad and depressed by the darkness. I'd arrived at the end of a long drought. The rains finally came in December. By February, when magnolia trees started blooming, then plum trees, daffodils, and crocuses, ah... I'd fallen in love.
I still get excited each spring. Dozens of varieties of heritage roses surround our house in Berkeley. It's a thrill to watch the fresh leaves appear each spring and the buds all line up for their big moment. As heritage roses, they generally bloom just once in a big Mardi Gras-like party. When it's over, the ground is a carpet of petals. We're a week or two away from that now.
I can hardly wait. 👉 👈