As I was finalizing thisbrApril issue of Natural Awakenings Chicago, I completed my ritual dailybrinspection of the backyard to see how spring is progressing. The Equinox isbrbehind us, and as the sun’s rays shine higher and more intensely, each tripbrthrough the garden brings more harbingers of the new season, as early bulbsbrblossom and native pollinator plants start to show small crowns of leaves atbrthe soil level. I’m still searching for the first green shoots of bloodroot andbrtrillium, but it’s still a couple of weeks until those spring ephemeral plantsbrbreak their winter dormancy and start to emerge.
brbr
Ahhh, but spring has justbrstarted in our Zone 5 growing area, and as we all know, weather in Chicago is anythingbrbut predictable. Just as we scurry inside to stay warm while the seasonbrwanders, the birds, insects and animals in our yards also seek shelter. Manybrnative bees and other insects are still hibernating in early April. Somebrbutterflies like swallowtails, as well as moths, may overwinter in chrysalis orbrcaterpillar form, burrowed under leaves or attached inconspicuously to twigs inbrleftover brush piles. Other insects have overwintered or taken shelter in lastbrseason’s standing flower stalks or leaf piles, and once our lawns start tobrgrow, flowering native violets, clovers and dandelions provide some of thebrearliest nectar available for the bees and other pollinators (and some are evenbrhost plants to butterflies).
brbr
While it may be tempting tobr“clean up” outside on a gorgeous spring day, many of the pollinators in ourbryards aren’t yet ready for the season. Rakes brand other tools can disturb hibernating insects, destroy their winterbrhomes and worse. In a recent blog post, the team at Xerces.org says thatbrwhile each spring is different, and there is no one rule to indicate when it’sbrokay to clean up the garden, homeowners can ask themselves a few questionsbrbefore they begin clearing the garden for a new season, including (and Ibrparaphrase): Have I put away my winter clothes yet, can I plant tomatoesbroutside, is my lawn growing tall and have the fruit trees finished blooming? Ifbryou’d like to read more, check out Xerces.org/blog/dont-spring-into-garden-cleanup-too-soon.
brbr
For our Earth Month edition,braptly titled People, Planet, Purpose, we’re taking a hopeful and enthusiasticbrlook at some of the important actions being taken by global farmers to nurturebrour soil and move toward truly regenerative agriculture practices. While soilbrhealth can seem a distant concern when going about our daily urban and suburbanbrlives, the vitality of the soil that grows our food, anchors our landscapes,brharbors myriad life and sustains the energy of the world’s plants affects usbrall. The soil ecosystem is critical to the survival (and thriving) of thebrhealth and future of all life on this planet, including our own.
brbr
If you’rebrplanning your spring projects, garden expert Melinda Myers offers greatbrsuggestions for planning and growing a backyard habitat to attract and support birds year-round. And while April may not start off as colorful as May, writerbrSheryl DeVore takes us on a tour of birds, blooms and insects to see this monthbrin natural areas throughout our region.
brbr
As always, I encourage youbrto make it a goal to step outside every day, observe and participate as ourbrlandscapes transition from winter browns to vibrant and blossoming greens andbrother colors of the season. Watch for the first migrating birds and green darnerbrdragonflies. Check the buds on your backyard trees and look for bloomingbrmagnolias and showy bulbs, as well as the quieter, ephemeral blooms of thebrnative prairies and woods. Hike a forest preserve, river or lakefront trail.brTune up your bike for an early evening ride or simply sit in silence and watchbra spring sunrise or sunset. Sample and enjoy each of the 30 days this monthbroffers.
HappybrSpring!
brbr
