My circadian rhythm is off and all is not right. This year more than any other, truly feels weird. Daylight hours remain consistent for the time of year but nothing else is consistent with how it would normally be.

The back lawn, normally covered with at least a foot of snow and sometimes a lot more is green. I can find green leaves in the garden. Some shrubs are showing signs of swollen buds. Bulbs are starting to show some foliage by the house. There are puddles in the road. It rains more than snows. Pruning that normally happens in April is going to happen next week. The Robins are still here. The Swans are still hanging around. My down coat has not left the cupboard. The creeks are rushing.

To give winter credit we did have one very short spell before Christmas and there are still a good number of weeks before March 21st, the official beginning of Spring where normal winter patterns could return. However, it is likely we humans will have to adapt to many more changes as temperatures climb and precipitation comes in irregular amounts and forms. Climate changes, concurrent with world order changes, are creating a sense of discombobulation for me so I look to the garden for consistency and regulation.

In picking the foliage for this week’s ‘In a Vase’ I couldn’t help but think about how clever plants are about adapting. Every green leaf I picked had some sort of adaptation to help the plant preserve itself through difficult conditions.

Hellebore leaves. The sharp serrated edges prevent the leaf from being eaten by vermin, allowing the leaves to continue providing food to the plant. The thick, leathery waxy surface shields the plant through inhospitable conditions and enables water conservation.

Lamb’s Ears, Stachys byzantina. The wooly warmth of surface hairs insulate the leaf, enable water conservation and deter wildlife from consuming the plant.

Arum italicum, Arum Lily. The waxy surface prevents the leaf from drying out while roots are frozen or experiencing drought. Snow, ice and other foreign bodies slip off easily.

Ivy, Hedera helix. The same principles apply to its survival techniques but Ivy also has the adaptation of woody stems that spread and produce penetrating roots.

In conclusion, adaptation is key to survival in these times of change and adapt we must. I think some of us may have already developed thicker skins and sharper tongues!