Sighings for Spring — Birds Bugs Buds

I really have no right to complain considering this mild winter. But no matter – around this time every year I get desperate for warmer weather and flowers. Conveniently some plants are happy to accommodate my longing.

Indeed, abnormally warm temperatures can wreak havoc on botanical biological clocks, but surprising as it may be, late winter is a normal time to see some flowers and shoots.

Though they may not have brains like animal counterparts, plants are pretty smart and can almost “sense” the passage of time. It boils down to those temperatures, longer day lengths, and hormones like gibberellin and auxin that help plants break dormancy and grow.

I wish I were better versed in plant physiology to properly explain it all, but perhaps the real awe is just simply watching it happen every year.