Coming Out of A Long Cold Winter
A walk through the gardens as another long Northeast winter finally gives way to spring.
Waiting for Project Season
With just two more weeks of school left I'm incredibly itchy to get going on things here at 173. I look around and see so many things to do, but with papers due all the time, there's simply no sense in getting started on anything yet.
Every spring feels like permission to begin again. The porch and workshop windows start staying open a little longer, the evenings stretch out, and after months of looking out the window at snow and bare branches, the whole yard suddenly seems full of possibility. Winter has its own quiet beauty, but spring has always been the season that makes me want to build things.
The Faithful Forsythia
It's funny - every year no matter what date Easter is, the forsythia blooms either right before or on Easter day! This year the forsythia came into full bloom just a couple days before - always a beautiful and welcome sight!
Watching the Cleveland Pear Grow
One of the unexpected pleasures of keeping this blog has been photographing the same trees and flowers year after year. At first I thought I was simply documenting the yard. Now I realize I'm documenting time itself. Looking back at old pictures, I notice things I never would have remembered, the height of a tree, where the daffodils had spread, even which spring seemed to arrive a little earlier than the last.
And of course it's fun to watch the Cleveland Pear Tree that was planted back in 2013 continue to grow. As a reminder, here is how I brought that tree home, hilariously hanging out the back of my 2006 Nissan Versa!
And here it is, barely more than a twig back then:
Now, here in the spring of '19:
It's hard to believe that little whip of a tree has already begun casting shade on the front walk. Trees have a wonderful way of teaching patience.
The Cleveland Pear
Spring is my favorite time of the year for the Cleveland Pear. In the summer it's a nice green tree, in the fall the leaves stay on entirely too long but change colors just before dropping, and in the winter it's just another bare tree, unless there's some snow on it:
But for a few weeks every spring, the tree is stunning with little white flowers all over it!
My favorite book on nature:
Faith in a Seed by Henry David Thoreau
Spring Flowers Around 173
And then there's the flowers that start popping up all over the yard:
I've never been very good at remembering the names of flowers. I know where they live, when they bloom, and which ones make me smile every spring, but ask me their proper names and I'm liable to disappoint you. Fortunately, flowers don't seem to mind.
This one I know, at least I think - hyacinths!
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay. ― Robert Frost
Along the foundation...
And beneath the lilacs!
Speaking of lilacs!
Another season is just beginning around House 173. The flowers have made the first move. In another couple weeks, if all goes according to plan, the projects won't be far behind.
In a way, that's what early spring has always been around House 173, not quite the season of projects, but the season of anticipation. The flowers begin first, the trees follow close behind, and before long the workshop doors will be open again. For now, it's enough just to watch everything wake up.
Stay tuned!!
George
I've never met you. At least I don't think I have.But after reading House 173 for a while, I feel like I know exactly when your forsythia blooms, where your Cleveland Pear stands, and which lilac hides the flowers every spring.That's what I enjoy about these posts.Nothing dramatic happens.No walls come down. No furniture gets restored. No power tools make an appearance. It's simply someone walking around their yard after a long winter, noticing what came back.In a world where everything seems to demand excitement, I find that strangely comforting.It reminds me to slow down and notice my own yard a little more. - Guess the Neighbor!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the forsythia always seem to bloom around Easter?
Forsythia blooms are driven by temperature and accumulated warmth rather than the Easter calendar itself. Since Easter often falls during the period when forsythia naturally flowers in the Northeast, the two frequently coincide. Over many years, the shrub becomes a reliable seasonal marker that feels almost like nature's calendar.
Why plant a Cleveland Pear instead of a Bradford Pear?
The Cleveland Pear was developed to improve upon some of the structural weaknesses of the Bradford Pear, particularly its tendency to split as it matures. While no ornamental tree is perfect, Cleveland Pears generally develop stronger branching habits and still provide outstanding spring blossoms and attractive fall color.
Why photograph the same trees and gardens every year?
Because gardens tell their stories slowly. A single photograph shows what a yard looked like on one particular day. A collection of photographs taken over decades shows how trees mature, shrubs fill in, flowers spread, and a landscape gradually becomes home. Looking back often reveals changes that were almost impossible to notice from one season to the next.
What's the best part of early spring in the Northeast?
For many gardeners, it's not the spectacular blooms... those come later. It's the sense of possibility. Every bud promises another growing season, every perennial returning from the soil feels like a small victory, and every warm afternoon hints that workshop projects and evenings outdoors aren't far away.
Keywords
early spring garden, Cleveland Pear tree, forsythia blooms, hyacinths, spring flowers, House 173 garden, Northeast gardening, spring landscaping, flowering trees, seasonal garden journal
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