The Intelligence And Stupidity Of Spring

Have you noticed your trees, shrubs, and plants perking up after the long winter? Well, some of mine are really stupid.

See that crabapple on the right? It is showing superior intelligence.

Here in Boulder, the month of March is generally our snowiest preceding an April where buds burst into brilliant spring color. But March has been warm; warm like May warm. The weather has the first two letters right, but that’s all. It’s the kind of warm that has butterflies bursting out of chrysalises and Boulderites hitting trails in shorts and T-shirts. Grocery stores are sold out of burgers, hotdogs and buns. Okay. I made that up, but it could happen.

Another week of seventy degree temperatures is predicted. Don’t get me wrong. I love this unseasonal weather, but I’m afraid a freeze could postpone flowering shrubs and trees until next year. It has happened before and it wasn’t pretty.

Here are some dumbass-pens.

I had always thought plants came out of their winter dormancy when the days stretched to a certain length. Most of my mine are waiting for longer days.

These hyacinth better bundle up.

But last week, I took a look outside and gasped. What? My lilacs are about to bloom. What are they thinking? They’ll freeze their buds off. It’s still March!

These stupid lilacs usually bloom in May.

We had snow until the second week in May two years ago and I did not pluck one apple from our four trees.

This year, my apple trees are resisting the temptation of these sun-drenched days. They aren’t being seduced by the rising temperatures. Their buds are tight and their branches are barren. I know they’re yearning to leaf out, soak up the sunshine, and take in nourishment from life-giving photosynthesis again. They are exhibiting very intelligent behavior. They learned their lesson.

Okay. So I get that they’re called snow crabapple trees, but c’mon. It doesn’t matter what they are called. Their buds will freeze off and die too if we get plunging temperatures and snow in April. It has snowed several times on or around Mother’s Day. This is Colorado after all.

So what am I going to do? Enjoy the warm spring weather and hope for an early summer. Oh yeah and I plan to drive to the grocery to buy some hamburgers, hotdogs, and buns before they run out. Since I can’t do anything about the weather, I’ll wear shorts, hike, and grill out!

Are you seeing signs of life in your neighborhood? Are you frightened of a spring freeze?