At the end of winter, there is a season in which we are daily expecting spring, and finally a day when it arrives.
- Henry David Thoreau, Journal of March 8, 1853
Spring is a long and glorious season in the southern Appalachian mountains. It can begin as early as late February, but gets fully under way in early March despite occasional cold and snowy days. The earth is soft, the birds begin to sing, and this is the time I plant my pea seeds. You see, peas like the cold weather. While the nighttime temperatures in early March can be just below freezing, the daytime temperatures are usually mild. It is true that the day and night temperatures in March can vary, but the peas don't seem to mind.
March is the transition from a cold and snowy February to increased warmth and new growth everywhere. At this point the landscape is still mostly bare and brown, but color is creeping onto the trees and on the ground, in fact everywhere. You just have to pay attention to notice it.
Most people are aware of daffodils in the spring, but there is more to see for the observant gardener. By mid-March, the peas are germinating and poking their tiny green heads above the soil. The burgundy tips of peonies also start appearing. Looking closely, I can see small green catnip shoots near the circular leaves of my autumn sedum. The Knock Out rose bushes in the front yard are unfurling dark red leaves.
By the third week of March many flowering trees are coming to life, such as the Weeping Cherry and Star Magnolia. Their glorious blooms last about two weeks, then they fade and are replaced by green leaves. Robins appear with joyful birdsong every morning as the birds call to each other.
With April comes a burst of colorful growth, green lawns, and leaves on trees. By mid-April the Appalachian Redbud is the most vivid flowering tree with its tiny pink blooms. Dogwoods and cherry trees put forth their white and pink blossoms. The daffodils are fading by then, but at that point, colorful phlox covers the ground with tones of vivid pink and lavender. As soon as some plants finish, others begin in a succession of vibrant color, such as the azaleas that begin blooming in April and continue into May.
April also heralds the return of many different types of insects, which I look forward to. One notable and visible insect is the swallowtail butterfly that appears. This is the month that bees begin their season of pollinating flowers.
May brings accelerated growth and blooms with a nonstop display of beauty. In my yard, the climbing clematis, the Siberian and Bearded irises and exquisite peonies take center stage, while the hydrangeas begin to show their blue, pink and white flowers that last throughout the summer.
In Asheville, spring extends into June. I can tell because my peas are still hanging on. Early June is when fireflies begin to appear and the Oakleaf hydrangeas begin to bloom. Tiny praying mantises walk around after hatching. The earth is now fully alive with plants, insects, and birds. By mid-June the summer heat begins, putting an end to a long and exciting spring season.
This article also appears in The Laurel of Asheville. Follow @TheObservantGardener on Instagram to see new garden photos daily!