SUDDENLY SOUTHERN
31 MAY 2005
Spring, spring, spring. Is any season more anxiously awaited? Even down here, there's a constant eye on the calendar and the weather to watch for all signs.
There are a few differences between spring here and back in Minnesota . First, there's the obvious: the start date! Although there was some late snowfall in the mountain areas, it was nothing compared to the cold that was clinging to the upper Midwest much longer than is fair to people who endure such a long winter.
Secondly, there is the difference in the visual clues. I'm not familiar with all of the flowers and plants down here yet, but for gardening friends back in Minnesota , I'll tell you what I can be reasonably sure of. My gardening in Minnesota was limited to zone 4 plants (and frankly, zone 3 plants thrived even better). Here, we're in a zone 7 and can even flirt with zone 8 with good hopes of success. (You don't know the zones? And you call yourself a gardener... )
The first floral eye candy I saw was actually right after the new year started (this happy sighting turned out to be a tease, but all the same - so pretty!). There were pansies blooming all over the place for a few weeks - mostly in landscaped areas like around mall entrances and so on. At first I thought whoa, they really get a jump on planting around here! But, in fact, pansies are apparently a winterl type flower this far south. These beauties were just responding to a long stretch of unusually warm weather. (70s in January - what's not to love.)
Next, as you might expect, came tulips and daffodils. What a thrill to see them so early! And the trees went crazy with blossoms soon after that. Something new to me was the pear trees that become totally covered in white blossoms, and they are ALL OVER the place. I'm not expecting to see any fruit on so many trees, but they sure were a sight to behold while they bloom.
Somewhere in here the pine pollen begins. There are so many wonderful things about the south. Pine pollen, however, is not one of them. It's thick and yellow and covers your cars and your grill and makes you have to wipe off your deck chairs before you sit. Ick. Pass the Allegra.
On many days, while walking outdoors, we started catching whiffs of a heavenly scent drifting on the air. What is that?
The next stunning color explosion came from azaleas. Wow! Last fall, Melinda and her husband Chuck spent many many hours planting something over a hundred azaleas in their yard. I confess to privately wondering about their sanity. Well, perhaps it wasn't all that privately. I might have let a, "What are you, nuts?" slip out. But now I'm a believer! The yards and woods have huge bushes that are so covered in blooms that the green disappears. And so many different colors! The visual feast is even more precious because it only lasts 2-3 weeks, and then you have to just be patient for next spring.
But, what IS that fragrance outside? Even Katie has noticed it from the bus on her ride home.
The magnolia trees have bloomed, too. Big white magnificent flowers against the dark glossy leaves. Some trees are pruned and shaped and part of beautiful landscaping plans. Some are just big and natural and gorgeous. And have I mentioned the wisteria? It grows like crazy around here! It climbs up 30 ft trees, and through the woods, and over fences. Those pretty pale purple blossoms - I had to ask what they were. I had never seen wisteria before.
These are just some of the flowers and trees I can actually name. There are so many more that I admire without having a clue! Lately some friends picked me up on a sunny morning, and I spent it at the biggest nursery I've been to. What a treat - so many of the plants were sitting outside in the fresh air. Shade lovers were arranged under big shady trees and there were paths winding around the whole place. People were pulling little red wagons, loading them up with their finds. I found a particularly fragrant spot in the rose bush section. I could have stayed there all morning.
What is that smell?
I have a "list" of requirements for my next yard: magnolia tree, mimosa tree (pretty!), wisteria, camellias, azaleas, hydrangeas (they turn BLUE here!) and whatever gives great shade. It's a start!
The third sign of spring I've noticed is... the bugs. Here they come. Three times I've seen a tame cockroach. It must be tame it apparently walked right in through my patio door and made itself at home. And that clever bug left before the exterminator came (both times), and came back to visit again a few weeks later (both times). Imagine that! The exterminator, whose services are included in my rent (which really should have given me a clue!), showed up after my first call looking for the "infestation." I told him I had spotted the pest in the kitchen. "The pest?" he said. "Just one?" Hey, it was big, though! "Miss, y'all ain't from around here, are ya. We got a right many big bugs here in the South." I've been warned.
The other day I was reading out on the patio, and I was half listening' to some sound in the background, and thinking, wonder who is using that weed trimmer so early in the morning. A few moments later, when I was actually paying attention and looked up, I saw the noise maker. A very big... very fat... very black... bee. REALLY big. And way too close.
Back to that mystery scent. We've noticed it, but it's never been while we're standing next to anything that looks like it could be responsible. And trust me, we've been sticking our faces into bushes just to be sure!
The mystery was solved a short time ago. A friend pointed out something growing wild in among the trees and other bushes near a field. Its flowers were pale and smaller, but the fragrance was unmistakable. I've been inhaling... honeysuckle! Lots and lots of honeysuckle. Add it to my list!
