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Like most of you, I really look forward to spring. The first warm day makes my blood run quicker. It sparks within me some kind of physiological reaction. I feel energized and suddenly have a million ideas for things to do. In short I suffer from that most common of maladies, spring fever.

The spring of 2002 was very interesting in the Northeast where I live. My wife called it “the Fast-forward spring.” That April we had an amazing week-long heat wave that caused many plants to bloom simultaneously. Temperatures were in the upper eighties and low nineties. Even more conducive to rapid plant growth was the fact that we got rain at night and the days were all sunny. It was truly exceptional.

One fascinating thing we noticed however was that while the nights of frost that followed the heat wave damaged some plants, other plants, trees, and bushes did not mature and flower early and thus avoided any damage. In observing this phenomenon we discovered that it was the native species that remained unfazed by the warm air and the perfect rain-at-night-sun-each-day cycle.

There are lessons to be learned from the varied reactions of the plants to the fast-forward spring. It’s useful to reflect on some of those lessons.

Here is what I learned:

1. 1. Don’t take the snowplow off too early. Just because it’s warm today doesn’t mean it won’t snow tomorrow.
      
   2. Tulips last a lot longer when the weather is cooler.
      
   3. If you spend all your energy at one time, you’ll have less to give later. A big flashy start isn’t nearly as valuable in the long term as anticipating problems and planning your output accordingly.
      
   4. Just because the ground was hard near the pond last week doesn’t mean you can mow there this week without getting stuck.
      
   5. The young and the beautiful can often take a lesson from the old and established.
      
   6. When you’re completely off balance and one wheel is in a groundhog hole at the bottom of a steep hill, you need a powerful tractor to pull you out.
      
   7. Bloom where you are planted. Moving somewhere else may take you out of your element.
      
   8. If you’ve been moved somewhere else, don’t follow the first sunny idea that comes along.
      
   9. Potholes appear in the driveway when a deluge comes. Drive slowly or you’ll make them much worse.
      
   10. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
       
   11. Sometimes a birdhouse works as well for a mouse as for a Wren.
       
   12. Keep your balance. When strong winds blow, you need your foundation more than ever.

It is often tempting to follow the latest blue-sky idea, buy from the hottest new vendor, and follow those with the most bright flowers. It’s important to remember the value of established plans, long-time partners, and practical effectiveness. To do otherwise may result in great loss the next time frosty conditions arrive.