Spring, sprang, sprung green #phenology #Arbormonth

Bluebirds seem to be nesting in the bluebird house in the back yard. Tree swallows(?) have returned to the "purple martin" house. Paper wasps are moving out of their winter hideaway in the deck rafters. No signs yet of chipmunks. No fresh signs of pocket gophers, but then we haven't gone looking. We pulled the season's first tick (a very tiny one) from one of the dog's muzzles. Our forsythia bush has survived the Winter and actually produced a half dozen to a dozen blossoms. Far from an abundance, but better than none. We're anxious to see if our lilac produces any blossoms over the next several weeks.

bluebird perched on mullein

Photo by J. Harrington

To further confirm the season, and as a general matter of principle, we pulled some buckthorn this morning. We've added a "buckthorn puller" to our arsenal despite encountering mixed reports on how well any of them work. We use the tractor (or the jeep) and a chain to pull the larger plants. It's the smaller ones that will quickly wear out our old shoulders, plants that are too small to wrap a chain around and too large to be a quick and easy pull, that we're frustrated by. If any of you want to offer additional suggestions, feel free. We tried the cutting and color-coating with herbicide but don't want to wait for the stumps to rot.

This is being written, for the first time this year, while we sit on the screened patio, enjoying warmer temperatures, cool breezes, birds flitting about and the soft sighs of leaves growing. Now we remember why we tolerate the damned awful Winters around here. We are definitely looking forward to more days like this.

how many shades of green?

Photo by J. Harrington

As we look about, the variety of colors, especially shades of Green, are truly stunning. By mid-Summer, the range of green shades will have narrowed and deepened. But now, the list of greens in The Secret Lives of Color, which we're presently reading, is far from adequate. It's limited to:

• Verdigris,
• Absinthe,
• Emerald,
• Scheele's green,
• Terra verte,
• Avocado, and,
• Celadon

Since May is Arbor month, it would be a fine time to revisit some other lists of green we have about. Stay tuned.

Spring

By Gerard Manley Hopkins

Nothing is so beautiful as Spring –          

   When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;          

   Thrush’s eggs look little low heavens, and thrush          

Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring          

The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing; 

   The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush          

   The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush          

With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.          

What is all this juice and all this joy?          

   A strain of the earth’s sweet being in the beginning 

In Eden garden. – Have, get, before it cloy,          

   Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,          

Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,          

   Most, O maid’s child, thy choice and worthy the winning.      

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