Where's Spring?
OK - Where's spring? This is New Zealand, the land of the four seasons gardener - we fully hardy types are not known for huddling in front of log burners in late August.
Let me put it differently - When's spring? It's three weeks until the equinox - surely this stands for something! And what about all my spring flowering plants? They've started - all the polyanthus are merrily flowering. A few grape hyacinths have popped up, and the species tulips have fully grown leaves. The snowdrops are looking pretty, white on green.
Spring Evidence #1 - Snowdrop
There is blossom, and the first patches of daffodils are flowering furiously. All my Hellebores are in full floral flight. There are greens, pinks, and a dusty red - of course they've been flowering for weeks now, surely a sign that winter is nearly over.
Spring Evidence #2 - Forget-Me-Not
'Spring will come when it wants to' drawls my non-gardening partner. He's only saying that because he's way behind on the climbing rose pruning. His job is to mechanically attack all archway roses before they get too many new green shoots. I thought they started doing that in spring!
Spring Evidence #3 - Daffodils
Today I put all my spring vegetable seeds in a pile. I started off some courgettes in the glass-house. I even wondered about starting the parsnips in the ground - the seed packet clearly said to sow in spring - perhaps the weather would then take the hint. I even spent an hour symbolically stacking next winter's firewood.
Spring Evidence #4 - Blossom
I guess I need to put on an extra layer of thermal clothing, and pretend that it isn't sleeting, or raining. That's not snow fluttering helplessly down. And why should the southerly wind have anything to do with the Antarctic? Whatever the weather, just try keeping this Four Seasons Gardener away from the garden.
Footnote
Two things - I still can't remember the correct name for the snowdrop. And I have decided to declare the Moosey Spring Season to start officially on the 1st of September. That'll show the weather who's actually in charge here!