Every year (normally at the back
of January/February), after I realise the days have got a little bit longer,
there comes a day when I feel the warmth of the sunshine on my face. This year
I happened to be sitting on a Barbra Hepworth sculpture, eating my lunch. There
was a break in the clouds, the sun had clambered high enough to heat my
skin.
At moments like these, I
sometimes reflect on our distant ancestors worshiping that golden orb and
ponder why they dragged those monolithic rocks across the countryside, to
create calendars on their landscapes. We cannot understand their mindset, which
is part of the beauty and mystery of these unknowable monuments. However, with
careful observation we can see a natural calendar in the seasons of plants,
trees and weather.
The ground was muddy and saturated
du to recent heavy rainstorms. I had noticed that crocuses had flowered under
a large oak tree and fresh daisies were tracking sun’s light. Other plants were
beginning to send forth green shoots to compete for energy in the form of
sunlight.
Interestingly, plants don’t wait until
the days get longer, they count the nights getting shorter, combined with a
subtle shift in temperature and the fact that there has been a steady period of
cold temperatures. During last Autumn, some people reported detecting a “Second Spring” (trees
and plants flowering unseasonably for a second time), but plants are
opportunistic and will take any chance send out extra seeds to improve their
chance of colonising.
Climate scientists have consistently warned about the effects humans are having on the Earth. Warmer wetter winters combined with hotter drier summers, with more droughts and flooding have long been predicted as a result of human induced climate warming. Now gardeners and other people who enjoy nature, are starting to notice subtle shifts in the seasons, and understanding the difference between climate and weather.
Albion, a Spring Song for Blighted Briton by, The Garden Wall. Enjoy!
You might even notice that the songbirds have started to sing, shouting out to rivals to demonstrate their territory.
