Monday, March 21, 2011

Spring has arrived!

Happy Spring!
I saw these crocuses displaying their colours 2 weeks ago even before many other plants had even started pushing the soil up!
Diego and I went for a long walk yesterday and although it was a bit nippy in the wind we found the signs of spring all around us.
We made it to the waterfront spring has been underway for a couple of weeks now. As soon as there is enough light (usually early March) the microscopic plants (phytoplankton) that drive the highly productive ocean system here off of Nova Scotia came to life and started multiplying. This is why the water in the photo below is greenish. Normally (now that we have sewage treatment!) the water would be crystal clear in the winter.
Once the phytoplankton get really abundant then the very small animals and larvae of bottom dwellers and fishes called zooplankton "appear" and begin to feed on the phytoplankton and each other! If you look closely at the photo you will see little round balls with two training tails. These are called ctenophores (or sea gooseberry). They are voracious predators and always appear after a week or 2 after the spring bloom starts. Eventually, the phytoplankton get grazed down by the very abundant zooplankton, which then also attract larger predators (krill, larger fishes) then eventually the whales arrive to dine on the feast that Altantic Canada has to offer.
Now that Spring has arrived to both land and sea, it will soon be time for planting in the garden! Above are the first awakenings in our garden. I can wait to have our very first chives!

4 comments:

  1. It's so wonderful to see these pretty flowers and new green shoots. It's truly amazing that out of the recently frozen ground such delicate beauty can push through to the sun above. Enjoy! Mom

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  2. Seeing all these spring posts of crocuses is making me ever-so-slightly jealous! This is our first spring in our new homestead and I had hoped to find some pleasant, early blooming surprises... No such luck!

    Oh well, we'll just have to plant our own for next year!

    In other news, I do see lots of garlic poking up that we planted in the fall!

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  3. Happy Spring to you too Alli. I love chives in my egg salad sandwiches so as soon as I'm able to chop up a few tiny little sprouts from the garden... a sandwich is made.

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  4. I love how I often learn a little something whenever I visit your blog! Happy spring to you, Alli!

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