First Spring Greens

Learn:

March. That beautiful transition month that we love to hate because of the unpredictable weather and our need for winter to give way to spring.

We take tentative steps outside to check if we can leave the jacket behind, and we watch eagerly for the return of the birds who are journeying back from far, far away.

One other sign of spring that brings us joy is looking for the first shoots of the flower bulbs we tucked into the soil last fall. Crocus, daffodils, hyacinths and tulips - one of my earliest memories is sitting on the brown-green grass, surrounded by yellow and red tulips in our front yard. They never smelled as good as the hyacinths, but they were way more fun to poke chubby fingers into.

Fall bulbs actually need the cold weather to flower properly. Once the soil begins to warm, the bulbs are triggered to convert stored starches into sugars. This signals the flower to begin sprouting upward to find the sun and begin photosynthesizing its energy for the next stage of its life.

Read:

A great book that highlights this period of brown, brown waiting time is “And Then It’s Spring” by Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Erin E. Stead. It’s a very realistic look at how springtime feels when we’re waiting for the magic to happen.

Do:

Whether you head out on a warm day with no shoes on or slip on your raincoat and galoshes, spring is a great season to head outside! If you have planted spring flowers, check them each day to watch their progress as they grow. For an added math boost, bring along a ruler and create a growth chart for the next month.