Photo Shoot: Spring Observations

Spring arrived a day earlier this year, March 19, because of leap year. Mark Twain, never at a loss for a good quip, said, “In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.”

To prove him right, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported last week that “Earth just had its warmest February on record.” By the numbers, the surface temperature was 2.52 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average of 53.8 degrees, the warmest February in NOAA’s 175-year global climate record.

NOAA keeps an eye on the world while I get my climate science on a micro level outside on the front steps. On a sunny day, the south-facing bricks warm up, providing a warm perch to daydream on spring afternoons.

There are only two steps, just enough room to stretch out for a sweeping view of the neighborhood. The arrival of daylight saving time coincides nicely with the end of the work day, making for some extra-long observations.

This is strictly “I saw it with my own eyes” science. Heading into the last week of March, I can report the pansy plant purchased last spring has survived winter 2024. Four yellow blooms are pushed up from the mottled leaves, which outlasted several cold spells.

The daffodils long ago planted against the house foundation are just opening. Out in the front yard, their slower-blooming cousins are still just green shoots.

When it comes to gardening, location is everything. The snowdrops are getting ready to call it a season. The young deer wandering through the front lawn at sunrise gave them a long look but thankfully moved east to the neighbor’s yard to graze on their fresh greenery. My contribution to them in early winter was the Rose of Sharon shrub, which they found particularly tasty until I fortified it with two circles of hardware cloth for protection. It faces an uncertain future heading into spring.

The biggest surprise on these first days of spring has been the small violets that pop up out of the not-so-well-tended front lawn. As kids, these were always our choice for a floral bouquet, picked by tiny hands and presented to mom on Mother’s Day.

Their shelf life was short in the tiny bone China vase on our dining room table. The gift was always welcomed. My recollection is the violets arrived later in the spring. But there are no written records in my front porch data bank to check back with, just memories of flowers and the hope that spring brings.

Steve Heaslip is the Times chief photographer. Contact him at sheaslip@capecodonline.com or follow him on X and Instagram: @cctphoto.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Daffodils. Pansies. Snowdrops. Violets. Welcome to spring