Spring Arrives Early

For someone who was born and raised in Northeast Ohio, spring does not truly arrive until late-ish May. Yes, there can be a few lovely days in breezy, unpredictable March. April is an up-and-down kind of month...warm, frigid, sunny, snowy...a month of extremes. May—a real teaser—opens with a shiver but typically concludes with days that make me think I might—maybe, probably not—become a person who loves to garden.

That’s Northeast Ohio.

But on the coast in North Carolina, spring springs much sooner. It is amazing.

Azaleas begin to pop in March with Wilmington’s North Carolina Azalea Festival (April 12-16, 2023) showcasing the spectacular pink, dark pink, pale pink, orange-y pink blooms. Snowdrops. Irises. Daffodils. Tulip trees. Roses. Everything is awash in color.

And the temperatures! 60s. 70s. Even 80s. This is unheard of in Northeast Ohio!

The days and days of Carolina blue sky also would be an anomaly “back home.” Where I come from, it is lake effect everything—snow, sky, rain, weather—primarily driven by Lake Erie. Don’t get me wrong. I am glad for Lake Erie. And some gray days are wonderful for curling up with a cup of tea and a good book. But...November through February are guaranteed months for that soft, dove gray sky that settles like a shroud over everything and everyone.

Still...springtime is a time to celebrate—no matter where you make your home. It’s just so much easier to appreciate the season when it cooperates with the splendor of the Carolina coast.