When a warm and charming afternoon in early April coaxed the fuzzy buds on the magnolia tree in my front yard to burst into glorious blooms, my spirits lifted and I held my breath.
Miss Magnolia was the name my kids and I gave the tree when they were small. We’d lie on our backs on a carpet of pale pink blooms, watching the sky through the branches of the majestic and fragile tree above us.
Her sturdy boughs have patiently endured the indignities of legions of climbing children, but the arrival of a hard frost has been known to snap the fragile petals off her branches, bringing an ephemeral blooming season to a swift end.
But this week, as Illinoisans prepare to shelter-at-home for at least another month, nature seems to be cheering on her weary humans with the arrival of magnificent, long-blooming magnolia trees, extraordinary tulips and breathtaking birdsong.
In the interest of due diligence, and to ensure that I’ve not become delusional from too much chardonnay and social distancing, I reached out to the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Boyce Tankersley, who assured me that my musings about the especially lovely spring are spot on.
“It’s not only the blooms on the magnolias that are lasting much longer this spring, but cherry trees, daffodils and snow drops just seem to be hanging on forever,” said Tankersley, the garden’s director of living plant documentation.
“For the past three to four weeks, it’s been bloom, bloom, bloom, which has made for a magical spring,” Tankersley said.
The endless blooms can be attributed in part to this spring’s temperate weather, bringing a mix of warm and cool days. Temperatures never becoming frigid enough to do damage, nor hot enough to scorch the delicate petals, he said.
And it’s not only the trees and flowers that are splendid this season.
On a recent afternoon, Tankersley, a self-described amateur birder, noticed a male goldfinch perching on a tree in his backyard, making an appearance he said was earlier than normal.
“The birdsong has also been magical this spring, which could be a matter of us noticing all of this beauty because many of us are working from home, and we’re able to catch our breath, take a walk and observe everything around us,” Tankersley said.
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Researchers have also noted that air pollution across the world appears to have decreased in recent months. The loss of species seems to also have slowed in some regions where industry has ground to a halt, Tankersley added.
“We’re not doing as much damage to our world right now, but unfortunately, so many people are no longer able to make a living,” Tankersley said.
Indeed, Tankersley is hopeful that this unexpected and catastrophic moment in time might present an opportunity to, “start doing things differently, with folks who make long-lasting policy decisions starting to become better stewards.”
I, for one, am both inspired and saddened by our earth’s capacity to heal and forgive so quickly, to deliver endless magnolia blooms and cheerful birdsong to humans, lifting the gloom and bringing light to these days of darkness and despair.
Of course, only time will tell if we show our appreciation for nature’s gifts this surreal spring of 2020, when life returns to “normal,” whatever that may be.
Twitter @kcullotta