“When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest.” – Earnest Hemmingway-American novelist, short-story writer (1899-1961)
“The beautiful spring came, and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.” – Harriet Ann Jacobs-African American-abolitionist and writer (1815-1897)
Though we are still two weeks away from spring, on this day it looks and feels like spring. The sun is shining, making everything seem warm, just a tad warm but certainly spring is on its way. The grass is greening, the rosebush is shooting out little leaves, can buds be far behind? Daffodils also popped up in random areas. They look like beautiful bouquets rising up just for the kitchen table. They come back in the spring after hiding in the ground through most of fall and winter.
Overnight the forsythia burst out in bloom with colors of yellow and fresh green leaves. Also, the Loropetalum, just tiny little blooms but soon there will be many. Such a beautiful color I would call it a vibrant burgundy or maroon. The plant is also called “Chinese Fringe Flowers” that’s a good description. The blooms are thin in size but abundant.
Our Redbud trees are also showing off their buds. They don’t really look like true red. They also come in different colors pink, purple, and white. The tree is a native tree in Mississippi and can be seen all over the Prairie and along Highways. We didn’t plant these trees, so I can only imagine birds flying over dropping seeds from years ago and planting the trees.
As the days get warmer and comfortable, I will start moving the plants outside in the greenhouse. They have fared well over the winter.
If you choose to plant trees, flowers, shrubs, and so on, it might be beneficial to have a soil test from the Mississippi State Soil Testing Lab. It’s an Extension unit of the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. Online, they have a list of benefits of soil testing. Having a soil test done will guide how, when, where, and if you need certain fertilizers, lime, pH, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and a number of other items to make sure your plants, trees, flowers will thrive. It can’t be unnerving if you made your purchases only to find the soil is not adequate for your needs.
One of my gardening books suggests a kind of trickly system to ease water into the ground. I thought of a soaker hose, but better yet I like doing the watering the way my mother did. Sometimes she’d poke holes in old milk gallons jugs, fill the jug with water up to the rim and bury them near the plants so the water would leak out to the roots deep below. Mother knows best. I hope you keep your eyes out for all the beauty that we can see around us. Take a slow walk and be surprised.
Shannon Bardwell is a writer living quietly in the Prairie. Email reaches her at [email protected].
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
