Back in August of 1897, the Hartford Courant newspaper had a branch office in Connecticut: The Hartford Courant of Connecticut. The editor was Charles Dudley Warner, a good friend of Mark Twain’s. It is thought that Charles Dudley Warner coined this phrase and not Mark Twain: Everyone is talking about the weather; however, no one is doing anything about it!

I like this phrase as it appropriately describes the comments, I am hearing about our strange weather events we are experiencing. I expect March to be also strange weather wise. Meteorologically March 1st is the first day of spring as meteorological seasons are based on monthly temperatures. The official astronomical first day of spring March 19, known as the vernal equinox, when day and night are the same length.

Enough talking about the weather, lets venture outdoors and observe our natural resources to tell us when Spring has arrived.

Did you know we have a shrub that is flowering now? You will know when you are close to this shrub by its delightful fragrance. This shrub has small, reddish orange to yellow flowers with a slight waviness along their length and curves at their tips. Flowers open on relatively warm and sunny days but roll up on cold days as a survival mechanism to avoid freezing damage. Did you guess the shrub?

If you answered Witchhazels you are correct! Witchhazels, or vernal Witchhazels, are shrubs that flower late winter and very early spring. The botanical name is Hamamelis vernalis. Try pronouncing that name fast. Sounds like someone chewing bubble gum! The Genus or first part, Hamamelis, translates from the Greek as “hooked fruit,” referring to the curling backward of the fruit capsule. The specific epithet or second word vernalis means “of spring,” referring to the winter flowering habit and the coming of spring.

There are many cultivars of Vernal Witchhazels depending on what color flower you are looking for. You may have to search among your favorite garden centers; however, you will be rewarded! Plants are typically upright spreading and rather loosely branched reaching a height of 4-12 feet, depending on variety. The flowering time tends to be late winter, usually in mid-February through March depending on the temperature and conditions of late winter and early spring. The flowers are so small and dainty that you could miss them; however, the fragrance is heavenly.

Designers, landscapers, or homeowners should put them close to an entryway or high traffic area to enjoy the fragrance of early spring,

Another early sign of spring are the sightings of the male Red Winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). Back when the Ohio State University Extension Office in Wood County was located on East Poe Road in Bowling Green, I would start counting these birds beginning in March. They would perch upon the guard rail on Poe Road on the outskirts of Bowling Green. The more birds meant the closer we were to warm spring weather. On Feb. 26 as I was traveling through West Millgrove, I saw my first Red Winged Blackbird of this early spring season.

We can all talk about the weather. Though we cannot do anything about the weather, we can appreciate the early signs of Spring by observing our outdoor natural resources.