rhythmic order

I never know whether to sigh or laugh when someone uses daffodils as an example of how "warm" our winter is this year. Granted, we have had a very warm winter, but daffodils ALWAYS bloom in January. It's what leads to the old southern tale that after the first daffodil bloom there'll be snow in 2 weeks. This year was unusually warm, and many daffodil shoots started poking their head out of the ground in December, but this beautiful flower reminder us that winter isn't forever always come in January. And the rest of the cycle continues.

January - Daffodils bloom
February - Tulips, crocuses, and camellias start growing/blooming
March - Trees (dogwoods, Bradford pears, etc) begin to bloom.



 

April -Usually by Easter dogwoods are flowering and fruit trees begin shooting out their leaves and flowers. Then you know it's seasonally spring (even though it's "officially" spring March 21). Plant the summer garden at the end of this month.
 May - amaryllis bloom, iris grow and some bloom



June - Irises and Gladiolis bloom; beans, cucumbers, and squash are ready for picking; blackberries & blueberry season begin at the end of the month





July - Okra, Tomatoes, watermelon and cantelopue start coming of the vine; corn, peas and beans are ready; many cucumber and squash vines dry up in the heat; Gladiolias keep blooming





August - okra and tomatoes continue to produce; the rest of the garden is finished and it's time for your winter crops (lettuce, collards, turnips, etc); Fruit is ready for picking (apples, pears, and at the end of the month, grapes); Magnolia trees start flowering






September - fruits are ready
October - everything starts dying
November - Nut season!
December - plant bulbs and trees; otherwise chill! :)




 
And that is a southern growing season.