It makes sense in a strange way, when you think about it, as the tumultuous weather rollercoaster we’ve had of late mimics those days of later winter and early spring. Such it was that the last time I was in Boston there were Japanese cherries and witch hazel – two early spring bloomers – dangling their flowers in the almost-December air.
As charming as it was to see these blooms greet the holiday season, it was also a bit of a mind-fuck. They aren’t designed to bloom right now. Will this ruin their spring show? Have they spent their beauty and energy now, when we may have needed them most, with only winter ahead? Only time, and the arrival of next spring, will tell.
Rather than worrying about what may or may not be, it is best to simply enjoy these strange out-of-sync bloomers – a boon or casualty of climate change or a freak blip in the weather.
They’re also a cheerful reminder that we are closer to the start of spring than we may think we are. After next week it’s only one more season away…
