Nature in SPRING: Part One
Nature in SPRING: Part One
connecting with the seasons
It never occurred to me that there were two different calendars concerning the seasons. If it weren't for selecting The Wild Handbook by Emily Thomas and James Weston Lewis, I wouldn't have looked into when the seasons officially start.
On the meteorological calendar, Spring always starts on March 1st and ends on May 31st. Each season represents three months of the year. This makes a lot of sense to the logical part of my brain as if the seasons are all wrapped up.
However, astronomically, the dates are split across months. For 2024, the Spring Equinox starts on the 20th of March and ends on the 20th of June. Still, it is three months of the year, yet being split would take some getting used to. I would love to be in touch with the astronomical calendar; seeing others' rituals and celebrations on the equinox makes me smile.
By reading this book, I'm aiming to connect with nature more. In doing so with the seasons, I hope to find activities that resonate with me and incorporate them into my life.
To ease the logical side of my brain, I'm using the meteorological calendar for my experiment. There were so many activities I wanted to try for spring. It wouldn’t be spring without a declutter. I started with the digital detox.
Digital Detox
In the latter part of 2023, I had an audit of my technology use, including my phone use. Yet, with fresh eyes, I did another overhaul of my phone and digital content.
I didn’t count the number of apps I removed, but there were a few. These were those I weren’t using, ones I wanted to start using only when on the laptop, and those I was mindlessly scrolling on. I then spent another hour decluttering the content within the apps that remained.
I took this a step further by decluttering my laptop. I was at a point where I had 4 to 8 tabs open at any one time, left to restore each time I opened it up. I put these between the reading list and bookmarks bar or closed the tab for good. I now only have tabs open that I’m using. My focus has improved massively, which is not surprising.
Seeing I was on a roll, I went further and streamlined my home and digital life.
Daffodil Love
I looked at The Royal Horticultural Society website to learn more about Daffodils. Other than being yellow, I know nothing about them. They start to flower towards the end of the winter season in February, going right through the spring season. They could also be white! A test to see if I can spot white daffodils now. Have you seen white daffodils?
I also learnt that the daffodil bulbs are poisonous. They can cause stomach upset if eaten. They can be mistaken for onions. No eating daffodil bulbs, please.
Walking around where I lived, it was like my eyes opened for the first time. I saw loads of daffodils! Mostly, they were in people’s gardens, so I couldn’t walk in and take a photo. But I saw a lone one through a fence, along with some yellow daffodils. Not even a week later, I noticed that my neighbour had white daffodils right next to my front door. Have I been walking past with my eyes closed all this time?
Bird Spotting
Occasionally, I might go, ‘Ooo, look at that bird’. But they are to the common ones, usually Robins, Pheasants, Ducks, Geese and Swans, plus the odd blackbird. Other than that, my knowledge of birds and their song is limited. I have been more mindful of looking and listening out for birds. When visiting the public gardens and other outdoor areas, I have taken to sitting on a bench and listening to what I can hear.
When going on walks from home, I became more mindful of what was around me, including the birds. It was nice to see a Robin at the end of March.
Visit Public Gardens / Awesome Awe Walks
I have combined these two activities from the book due to some crossing over. I like to visit National Trust places and other green spaces. Some of these may have a formal garden, but other than that, I haven’t gone to a specific public garden, so I’m not sure garden centres count. Here are some of the beautiful places I visited this spring.
Spring Photoshoot
I’ve never been a flower person, and I’m still not. But I’ve been appreciating the flowers in nature this spring. I have no clue what some of these flowers are. Maybe I should change that, but I have chosen those that I liked the most.
March
I’ve loved taking on this experiment to reconnect with nature. I’m only one month in and cannot wait to see what the rest of the season brings. I suspect I’m getting close to the email limit. Knowing I have more to say this Spring and photos to share, I will spread my Nature in Spring posts.
Do you have any rituals you would like to do in the spring?
With Love
Tami xx