Signs Of Life In April

We love April, and not just because our first grandson was born on April 1. Sure, spring starts in March, but it takes nature a few weeks to get going. This year, March was cool and windy. That drove the madman crazy – no pea planting on St. Patrick’s Day. There are signs of life in April, and the peas are in.

This month has ushered in some better weather and the madman has noticed a lot of pansies for sale in his travels. We see these are being followed by the cheerful Easter blooms. While greenhouse grown flowers appear in garden centers, the woods throughout Connecticut are beginning to wake up.

Signs Of Life

The trees have been showing signs of life for a while, but they are so high no one notices them unless they are Pussy Willows, of course. Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) was the first to poke through the ground. Soon the skunk cabbage will be joined by our spring ephemerals. Now is such a nice time to stroll through the woods to appreciate nature. It’s one of the madman’s favorite spring activities.

Native Plants

A chorus of spring peepers accompanied us on our latest coffee-time stroll. Of course, they were quiet when we got close. In the wet areas that support the peepers, we found Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris) getting ready to open. We can’t wait to see their bright yellow blossoms. In drier areas, we came across the spotted leaves of what we call the Dog Tooth Violet (Erythonium americanum), a wild species that has been happily spreading in our back woods. An occasional Trillium stuck its head above the dead leaves. And the madman was happy to find his May Apples (Podophyllum peltatum) beginning to poke through. We found Sweet Violet (Viola odorata) in different stages of growth – some just starting, others blooming away.

A Non-native Error

Then there was the Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), a plant that taught the madman an important lesson. Don’t buy an expensive plant before you do your homework. He wasted quite a few dollars on a non-native species not suited for our conditions.

There are lots of other spring ephemerals showing signs of life now, these are just the ones we have recently found in our yard. While looking for these flowers, don’t overlook the mosses which are greening up quite nicely. And don’t forget to look up.

You can see yellow buds of Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin) and pinkish buds of native High Bush Blueberries. Pretty soon other native shrubs and trees like Serviceberry (Amelanchier), Red Bud (Cercis canadensis) and Dogwood (Cornus florida) will begin to bloom. But we digress, just get out there and appreciate it.

Speaking of appreciating nature, April always hosts two important holidays for the madman. First comes Earth Day on April 22. Some suggest we celebrate the earth for an entire month instead of just one day – that’s how important our planet is.

Celebrate Earth Day

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) suggests we spend an hour celebrating the earth on Earth Day. The WWF lists 48 different activities you could participate in during your hour. The madman particularly likes Exploring Your Local River, Lake, Stream or Wetlands.

“Spend an hour exploring a local river, lake, stream or wetland and discover the incredible ecosystems that depend on these freshwater habitats. Observe the plants, animals and insects that thrive in and around the water and take note of how the area supports your community. Reflect on the importance of protecting these waterways and consider how you can contribute to their health. Utilize nature apps like seekAPP by iNaturalist to identify any living thing in your local ecosystem – plants, flowers, insects, fungi, birds and fish. Make it a challenge and see how many species you can spot in one hour.”

The madman fully understands that you may not want to tromp around in a swamp like he does, so check out the other 47 suggestions here. Just do something, after all it is up to all of us to protect our earth. Just in case you look at the list of suggestions and can’t find one to suit you, google “Earth Day 2025” and get ready for your head to explode. So many different groups offer so many different ideas that even the couch potatoes out there will find something to do.

Plant A Tree

Three days after Earth Day is National Arbor Day. Although this holiday doesn’t have the romanticism of Earth Day, its message is still important. Trees are crucial to our environment. Although this holiday started as a tree planting day in Nebraska, it has evolved to include more than just tree planting. Many communities combine tree planting with environmental awareness and spring clean-up programs. The madman still likes the tree planting part. And he says “if you’re just planting one tree, make it an oak.”

Celebrating these holidays should give you plenty to do this month. Of course, we hope you have to celebrate between rain showers, because you know what April showers bring – May flowers, but that’s another whole post.

I think I’ll bring the madman some hot chocolate, looks like he’s lost somewhere in the Voyage of the Beagle. Hm-m-m-m.