Nature Connection: Finding Joy In Flowers

 Every winter about this time, mid to late February, I start daydreaming about spring. I’m far from alone in this. Even the song sparrows and cardinals have begun to test their singing voices early in the morning.

 There’s not a lot in bloom outdoors at this time of year, though there are a few stalwarts that push through the frozen earth to begin the slow walk into spring. There are the hellebores that bloom in December and continue on through February. There are snowdrops and even a few brave, or perhaps foolish, crocus blooms as well. These are all cultivars, not wildflowers, but I’ll forgive them for the joy they bring me at this time of year.

 Walking in the winter woods you may come across a blooming witch hazel shrub. Most often yellowish in color, these blooms are often mistaken for forsythia, but closer examination will confirm that it is indeed a different flower. 

 By the end of February, we may find skunk cabbage poking up in muddy, damp areas. Our first blooming wildflower may not excite us, the flower being mostly hidden by the dark purple hood, but if we look closely, we will see there is a lovely flower hiding in there. Don’t step on one of these or you’ll soon learn why it’s called skunk cabbage.

 As much as I enjoy the annual watch for the first flowers of the year to bloom outdoors, I often find myself standing in the plant room of my local garden center, just breathing in the lovely oxygen while enjoying all the different foliage, but especially all the flowers. I almost always bring at least one home. I’m also prone to buying cut flowers at the grocery store in winter, especially on cold, windy, nasty days.

 There’s something about a flower that is, well, just cheery. Flowers are colorful and many smell wonderful, though some are famous for their noxious odors as well. If you know about the corpse flower you know what I’m talking about.

 Flowers are lavish and colorful for a reason and that is to attract pollinators. Simply put, they are the reproductive organs of the plant. Without them, there would be no fruit or vegetables, no grasses or trees.

 Flowers need help, however, in order to reproduce, and many have a symbiotic relationship with their pollinators, mostly insects such as bees, but also some birds and even mammals such as bats. Poisons used to deter agricultural and garden pests also kill pollinators no matter what your landscaper says, and this is becoming a worldwide problem that could soon affect our food production. Please look into alternatives for controlling garden pests, and remember, an organic poison is still a poison.

 Flowers may appear delicate, but they are often hardy little things, able to withstand rain and wind, temperature variations, and general mayhem in their often specific ecosystems. Some close when the sun sets and reopen as the sun spreads warmth the next morning. Some only bloom one day while others last a week or so. Even plants that feature ever blooming flowers rely on the plant creating multiple blooms, one after another, as the flowers die off. This means the plant keeps blooming, but the blooms change throughout the blooming period.

 For many of us, winter is a time to enjoy our indoor gardens. Orchids are popular indoor plants that often bloom at this time of year. Given reasonable care but not too much attention, orchids will bloom again and again, and their blooms can last for months. There are African violets, jasmines, kalanchoe and cyclamens as well as many bulbs that can be forced into bloom at this time of year. Amaryllis and paperwhites are popular, but it is also easy to find pots of tulips and hyacinths in a garden or grocery store.

 Over the years I’ve learned to enjoy the flowers as they fade and die as well. Perhaps it is my age that allows me to enjoy the beauty of these. Many flowers go to seed as they die, allowing for more flowers to grow even after they are gone. There is a loveliness to this that I appreciate. It is the story of nature, the story of life. We live, we fade, we die, and new growth uses our remains to nurture the next generation. How beautiful is that?

 In these days of disappointment, fear, and angst I have found myself longing for signs of spring. I stop to smell and enjoy all the flowers I see in shops, and yes, I bring some home, too. They remind me that even something that appears as fragile as a blossom can be tough. They persist and persevere and are much stronger than some may think. They are the past, present and future all wrapped up in pretty petals, and hey, they often smell great as well.

 If you have no real flowers to help you get through these cold days, check out the seed catalogs. I still get a few in the mail, but there are a lot online as well. Dreaming and planning our spring and summer gardens can be fun and rewarding as well. Try to stick with native flowers and get a double win.

 If the news cycle is getting you down, maybe go get some flowers to cheer yourself up. They won’t solve all the problems we face, but they can help us smile and feel positive, and that’s worth a lot these days.