We may officially be into Spring now, but with the recent snow we’ve received it may be hard to picture Spring actually coming. So we thought we’d share some signs of spring and what to look for to remind ourselves that Spring is in fact here, and thought it would be fun to do so through the five senses: seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, and smelling.
Seeing Spring!
There are so many ways in which we start to see the signs of Spring (once the snow starts melting), but one of the most eye-catching things are the colors that start to show from budding flowers and trees! There are a few flowers you can start looking for including the bright yellows of Daffodils, the bluish-purple tint of Hyacinths, and the familiar white color of Snow Drops.
In addition to the flowers poking up out of the soil, you may also start to see buds forming on trees that have seemed to be barren these last few months. Some of our favorites to look for are the deep colored buds of the Red Maple tree, the green buds of the Sassafras, and the buds of the Flowering Dogwood getting ready to develop into beautiful flowers.
Hearing Spring!
The next best thing to seeing all the sights that Spring has to offer are the sounds that come along with it! It may not be obvious at first what is causing those sounds we associate with the Spring season, but here are few things your ears can be on the look out for. The first is the sound of birds which could range from the familiar song of the famous Robin, the pecking of the Woodpeckers, or the sweet sound of the Song Sparrow. And although he’s not quite considered a songbird, be on the lookout for the “Hoot” of the Owl which will start returning as well!
Aside from the birds, you may start to recognize the familiar high-pitched sound of the Spring Peepers – small frogs that sing from wet patches of ground letting us know the ground has begun to thaw and that Spring is here!
Feeling Spring!
So this is probably a tie with the sounds of Spring, but feeling Spring for the first time after a long cold winter is a wonderful feeling! There are a few ways to feel Spring – maybe you’re literally feeling the fresh soil and new plants as you start to plant your gardens and landscaping again. Or maybe just feeling the warmer sun and cool breeze brings good thoughts and feelings as you sit outside on a warm Spring afternoon and just enjoy being outdoors again.
Tasting Spring!
The tastes of Spring could include fresh lemonade or home made iced tea, but one our favorites is maple syrup that comes from the newly budding maple trees in Spring. The most well-known trees for supplying us with the sugary treat are Sugar Maple trees, Red Maple trees, or Black maple trees. The process of tapping the tress could start in February or March and then continues through April as the buckets collect the sap from the trees, and the syrup is prepared to be sold. Delicious!
Smelling Spring!
And last but certainly not least are the refreshing smells of Spring! Stepping out of your front door and being greeted with the wondrous smells of fresh cut grass or the wet soil after a Spring rain shower. Not to mention all the beautiful smells of the new flowers and trees starting to bud! And even if it’s not our favorite smell, the smell of fresh mulch and soil is certainly associated with the coming of Spring and helps to offer us that friendly reminder that Winter is now behind us.
———————————-
Image sources: http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/,
http://seagrant.unh.edu/phenology,
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/saal8.htm