Spring is in the air!

Islamabad

Spring is in the air and after the cold winter, what a welcome season it is after a cold winter, revitalising the body and mind! It is the time of new beginnings - fresh buds bloom, animals that have hibernated during winter awaken and those which migrated begin to return - the earth seems to come to life again. Farmers and gardeners plant their seeds; gardens are revamped, cleared out and made to look as beautiful as possible; there are flowers everywhere. It gladdens the heart and soothes the mind to see so much beauty in our surroundings and makes us wish spring could last forever!  

Some of the trees and bushes which are in full bloom these days are the yellow jasmine; the ‘gul mohar’ or ‘flame of the forest’ and of course the different fruit trees – including the ornamental cherry – most of which are full of pink, white and mauve blossoms. After the denuded look of most trees of winter, their new and splendid appearance is a joy to see dotted around green areas; in gardens and growing along the roads, while the best display is to be seen near the Rawal Dam where they grow in profusion. 

These days even the flowering weeds are a sight for sore eyes as their flowers grow in profusion all over untended land and open spaces – the dreaded yellow dandelion making a splash of colour with its bright yellow flowers – but it becomes quite a nuisance for gardeners when it seeds, as they are blown far and wide! 

Apart from the foliage, the clear sky; fluffy white clouds; forbidden kites floating in the breeze; birds chirping while they are busy building their nests; the gentle breeze all add to the chars of this season, so it is to be enjoyed while it lasts.    

And here is some prosaic information. What most people call ‘spring’ relies on the astronomical definition of the word. Spring is generally considered the period between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. Defined by the angle of Earth's tilt toward the sun, astronomical spring relies on equinoxes and solstices to define it. Equinoxes are special days during the year when day and night are almost equal. There are two equinoxes, one in the spring and one in the fall. The spring, or vernal, equinox occurs around March 20 in the Northern Hemisphere and around September 22 in the Southern Hemisphere.