I sing of spring today — and why not?
The winter showers have brought the flowers, birds and animals out as March turned into April. All I have to do is walk down the block to stop and see the loveliness in the front yard of Jay Schoenau and Marilee Reynolds on Foothill Street in South Pasadena.
I find bright orange poppies, irises, black-eyed Susans and flowers I can’t even identify that put me in mind of stopping and marveling at a painting at the Norton Simon Museum.
And, for those who have muttered that the rain seems to have spoiled several weekends, this is our reward.
Take a drive on Buena Vista Street and the wisteria dangles in purple magnificence from the second story of a white home. Better hurry because wisteria blooms usually last only last about a month.
Right now, it’s full of gorgeous blooms, and it is one of my favorite things about spring in our town.
“It’s a wonder of nature. I love it,” said Denise Mathews who lives in the Buena Vista Street home with her husband, Chris. “Some years, we’ve invited two other couples and we put up a table in the front yard and have dinner while looking at the blooms. It’s our own ‘wisteria appreciation day.’”
Barbara Eisenstein, who said that the annual sunflowers that usually bloom in the summer have kept their flowers through the winter and spring in the Arroyo Seco Woodland and Nature Park.
What could be more springlike than the sound and sight of birds? We are seeing more of some varieties who have taken advantage of the food supply and foliage. That’s according to Darren Dowell, who is in charge of the bird-watching field trips for the Audubon Society of Pasadena.
“The habitat is looking better than before and the birds have responded positively to that,” Dowell said. “The songbirds have been very active and there are more birds. It’s exciting to see.”
Meanwhile, back on Foothill Street, Schoenau, who took out his front lawn about 10 years ago, said that the rains over the past two winters have produced flowers that are “superbly better than normal.”
“We’ve had maybe twice as many poppies as we had last year,” said Schoenau, whose home won a Golden Arrow Award, for its use of drought-resistant plants a few years ago.
“People come by while they are walking their dogs and tell me how lovely it all looks and it makes me feel good.”
I’ve watched over the years as Schoenau spends hours each week tending his garden, which now features plumeria, native grapevines, an olive tree and manzanita.
We went into his backyard and he started pulling tangerines and lemons off his trees and handing them off to me. I didn’t have pockets big enough to carry them home.
Those fruits too are thriving, Schoenau said, because of the abundant rainfall.
Eisenstein also has a profusion of poppies in her yard, which is also a Golden Arrow winner, but what I wanted to know is how is the nature park in the Arroyo growing this year.
“The poppies came up early this year and there are lots of them,” Eisenstein said. “We had a cool winter so we need a few more warm days and other flowers in my yard are really going to pop.
“It’s been quite a year, hasn’t it? In the nature park, it’s really looking beautiful — more beautiful than in previous years. The buckwheat, sage brush and sunflowers are all greener.”
The rains over the past two winters and this spring have done their job. The golden currants are flowering now, and the persimmons with their red, scarlet, pink or blue blossoms are budding and just waiting to show their colors.
Cobweb thistle is all over the 4-acre park and are just about to burst with pink flowers. There are even more mushrooms to be seen.
“This is the year, and now is the time,” said Eisenstein, who founded the Friends of the South Pasadena Nature Park and is the author of “Wild Suburbia: Learning to Garden with Native Plants.”
“The park is much greener than it is normally this time of year. The blue elderberry is going to start blooming pretty soon and the black walnut is leafing out. Everything looks really good.”
In case you didn’t know, you can enter the Arroyo Nature Park at the 100 block of Pasadena Avenue and there is a lower entrance west of the park’s golf course driving range.
There’s a great chance to get acquainted with the park during a plant exchange and guided tours on April 6 from 1 p.m.-4 p.m., sponsored by the city, South Pasadena Beautiful and the Friends of the South Pasadena Nature Park.
Eisenstein mentioned that she’s seen more birds than usual, and Dowell said that on his Audubon bird watches, he’s noticed that the storms have the habitat in South Pasadena looking better than before.
“The birds have responded positively to that. The songbirds have been very active,” he said. “This is the best birding I’ve seen in 20 years for small song birds.”
The warblers and jays — year-round residents — have taken advantage of the water-enhanced greenery, and what Dowell calls “vagrants” that migrant long distance north and south are veering into the San Gabriel Valley this year.
“They have liked what they see and stayed on for the winter,” Dowell said.
“We’ve seen chestnut-sided warblers, which are rare for this area. The chestnut-sided warbler is very small with white color below and green above.”
Climate change has caused some birds to expand their range into our area, such as the vermillion fly catcher or the desert cormorant.
The South Pasadena Public Library has been a harbinger of spring, with its sustainability-themed programs that began in January and continue through May. I complimented them on the installation of the colorful seed catalog where patrons can “check out” seed packets. Already 582 packets of seeds have been checked out (no return required) as of last week.
Eisenstein took the stage in February, actor and author Ed Begley Jr. spoke earlier this week on his passion as an environmental activist; and Matt Teutimez of the Gabrielino Band of Mission Indians will discuss native flora and Indigenous land practices at a library talk on April 16.
Yes, spring is definitely in the air.
Alas, if you are one of those people who have allergies to tree pollen, spring fever is not a pleasant thing.
And, for you gardeners, get ready. This weather has definitely brought out the weeds, as well as the flowers.
Into every nature lover’s life, a little rain must fall.
Editor’s Note: For updates on the Arroyo Seco Woodland & Nature Park, check out the website at weedingwildsuburbia.com. For information on local and area birding, visit the Audubon Society at pasadenaaudubon.org.
First published in the April 4 print issue of the South Pasadena Review.
