Crocuses
If you’re like me, the sharp shifts between bitter winter cold and deliciously warm summer that have taken place over the past couple of weeks have left you annoyed and exhausted with the city by the lake. Even if you enjoy the winter cold, the snow and the silver-gray days, those first teasing days of spring awaken a longing that doesn’t quiet down easily.
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The wish to leave the house in nothing more than shorts and a cute blouse, to abandon heavy winter coats and layer after layer of warm insulating clothing is fed by each day with a high over 50 degrees, stoked by conversations with friends living further south where they mention 70-degree temperatures while they shiver in sympathy as you chat idly about the chilly northern spring, weather.
Still, it’s not all bad.
Slow down a moment as you hurry through your short walks to the car or the local corner store. I know you’re freezing, but just for a moment, look down for those gem bright blooms shooting up through the earth and see the emerging amethyst petals of the crocus coming out to welcome spring and remind you the summer is only a few short weeks away.
The crocus is another of those early spring flowers that you’ll find blooming throughout Chicago. Hearty and vibrant, crocuses come in rich royal purple, warm golden yellow, or perfect summer blue. These beautiful spring flowers represent youth and gaiety. Like the daffodil, these little flowers are deceptive in their delicate appearance. They burst forth with great energy and can resist the near-freezing temperatures of early northern spring.
These delicate, diminutive flowers not only herald oncoming spring but help it along with their sweet, rich perfume wafting out to call bees from their hives and summon other slumbering pollinators from their months-long hibernation.
Look for crocuses growing in the parks, natural areas throughout the city, and many of Chicago’s unique and diverse neighborhoods, including my own, Woodlawn. If you don’t want to have to hunt for them, find these petite, gem-bright beauties in the Chicago Botanic Garden or the Garfield Park Conservatory.
