A botanist assured me once that even here in New England, some flower is in bloom in every month of the year. Even in February. As if to prove the point, she pointed to a scraggly bit of chickweed struggling alongside a foundation. Sure enough, there were a few tiny white blossoms.
I have not found anything blooming in my snow-covered lot this February; if my snowdrops are blooming, it’s under twenty inches of snow where I can not appreciate them. But my body assures me that the annual homecoming of spring is near. I wake up earlier as more light comes in the window. The days last longer.
Every year about the middle of the month, the date varies; I tap my maple trees for their rising sap. It’s not time yet, but my supplies are outside the shop waiting for me to sterilize them. As soon as the daytime and nighttime temperatures seem favorable, I’ll take the drill, spiles, buckets, and hose out and tap the trees.
Every day I’ll be boiling sap and testing the sweet product. I think I do it as much to pace the coming of spring as to enjoy the maple syrup.
Oh yummy, maple syrup! I loved your “end of winter” hopeful story; I start browsing garden and seed catalogues, and sprouting seeds indoors around this time, for the same purpose, LOL.
Have you had trouble ordering from your usual sources this year? Several of my favorites have had so many orders that they have stopped accepting new ones until later this month. I had to buy from some dealers I’d normally take a pass on.
I have tried a couple new companies, and I ordered super early this time around, so the waiting time brought delivery to normal dates, hehe. I noticed, though, some of the varieties I got are now sold out!
Life indeed finds away every month. I like to do the same with birch sap. Add a few pine needles and boil for a wonderful enriching tea.
Fresh maple syrup? Yum….
We have the snow, at least two feet, and -38 here today, so nothing dares bloom. I think we should rename our months and make Feb Jan, as our deep cold is coming later that I recall in childhood. 🙂