by Barbara BarkerAlthough this hasn’t been a snowy winter or a very cold one, it seems to have been a long gray winter, and everyone is anxious for signs of spring. I’m not sure what poet said, “If winter comes, can spring be far behind”, but I take great solace in that observation. The ground hog told us that it was going to be an early spring. I hope he was right. I haven’t seen my ground hog yet, but I hope he has moved and is welcoming in spring elsewhere as I write.
In Hanover in the middle of February you may have noticed two great splashes of yellow along the west wall of the Carriage Shed at the Stetson House. “What could be blooming so early?” you ask. “Surely not forsythia.” Witch Hazel is the answer; it is one of the earliest signs of spring in New England. In fact it blooms as early as December, but I first noticed it at the end of January. A lotion or potion made from the bark and flowers can be used as an astringent to relieve itching. I prefer to merely consider it an early sign of spring.
The Hanover Garden Club planted the attractive area between the Library and to the rear of the Stetson House and barn with native shrubs and wildflowers. They welcome you to discover the bloom of the witch hazel and other treats along the paths as the season progresses.
If you haven’t gathered your pussy willows yet, you’d better hurry. It’s almost too late. Put them in water and they’ll grow roots; plant them in a damp place, and you’ll have your own pussy willow bush in a few years.
My snow drops have been blooming since January. Their little white bells open up on sunny days, then curl up when winter asserts itself. But they are persistent and keep blooming through March.
The sap is rising and the buds begin to swell. The weeping willow takes on a chartreuse tone, and the swamp maples show pink. The skunk cabbage begins to break through the mud.
The snow crocus, a well know harbinger of spring, will bloom through spring snows and promises sunny days ahead. Snow crocus have been blooming by the back walk at the Stetson House for several weeks. For most Hanover people the early crocus at the old post office announced to the town, “Spring is here!”Do you think they still bloom even though they no longer have spectators I think they do. I checked and they were blooming their little hearts out. They love that south brick wall which holds the heat and draws them out of the winter depths like magic.
The brick wall on the south side of the Sylvester School has a similar exposure. In 1983 my fifth grade class planted crocus and daffodils in their own “secret garden, and I introduced my classes to the magic of spring. I think that garden still welcomes spring to children.
Following the bloom of the crocus is the dwarf iris, chionodoxas and squills. Finally as April approaches, my favorite, daffodils, raise their golden trumpets and herald the true spring. The daffodils will bloom at the schools, along the roadway, and in the yards all over Hanover. Some are the result of the “Trash for Bulbs Trade” sponsored by the Hanover Garden Club in the fall, when individuals, groups, and business people cleaned up the roadsides of litter and traded the collected trash for daffodil bulbs which they planted, and we all are rewarded with their bloom in the spring. The spring bulbs are not only beautiful but rugged, and we cannot help but admire their optimism.
Of course we mustn’t forget the forsythia. Everyone should have a bush from which to pick early to force their golden blossoms into early bloom in the house, and later to enjoy their wonderful mid-April flowering. In Hanover one of the prettiest shows of forsythia is on the corner of Oakland Avenue and Broadway
Late spring brings tulips, and the flowering shrubs and trees. Along route 139 in 1976 during the bicentennial year some businesses and individuals planted flowering cherry trees. Quite a few survived. Watch for them
The lengthening of the daylight hours signals to some birds to move further north. The winter residents begin their mating songs. Some robins have remained for the winter and get a jump start on spring. Others have just arrived and think they have discovered spring. The cry of the red-wing black bird is heard near the wetlands. The woodpecker taps out his signal to all that this is his territory; females welcome; males should move on. To some people one sure sign of spring is the first warm evening when the noise of the peeper frogs is heard from the swamps.
Overnight it seems the grass turns green, and the dandelions bloom. The alewives swim up the brooks to spawn in the fresh water. The shad follow a few weeks later and draw fishermen from all over the state to the Indian Head River. Other fish become active and fishermen dot the edges of the streams to try their luck. Optimism runs high.
Baseball players young and old feel the desire to get out and hit a few. Spring practice begins. Of course the return of the Red Sox to Fenway is a sure sign of spring for many. Hope springs eternal.
The March winds may blow; the April showers will bring May flowers. Life is pushing out of its winter sheath and all the world welcomes spring. Life renews itself and the cycle begins again.