Spring is in the air! Well, almost in the air. Surprising snowstorms hindered any warm weather and excitement one might be feeling about the new incoming season. However, the weather has not hindered devoted gardeners. Though many flowers were destroyed, some are still blooming despite the unfortunate weather.

“The winter weather hasn’t hurt our plants too badly,” junior Grace Cohen said. “The magnolias really got it though. The day after it snowed, the petals turned brown and fell off. However, most of the other plants are still in the very early growing stages, so I’m hopeful they will be just fine.”

Though the weather has postponed gardening, gardeners nevertheless are eager to carry on with their springtime planting rituals. Gardens come in many different varieties, as there are endless possibilities as far as what to plant is concerned.

“My family has both an herb garden and a vegetable garden,” junior Taylor Kloha said. “We have many and various herbs, including basil, parsley, sage, coriander, thyme and rosemary. So far in the vegetable garden we have radishes, lettuce, broccoli, & cauliflower. Later on this season we will add asparagus, rhubarb, corn, sweet potatoes, and cherry tomatoes. And of course we have many flowerbeds through out the yard. I keep a small collection of irises in various colors and shapes.”

Though gardens can be used to grow valuable produce, many consider planting a garden simply for its beauty.

“I have a couple different gardening spots in the backyard,” Cohen said. “We plant impatiens in the flowers pots around the patio every spring. It’s a tradition of sorts, all the orange and purple impatiens symbolize the start of a new gardening season. We have a butterfly garden in the back corner of the yard. Lots of coneflowers and of course butterfly bushes. I love sitting in the hammock watching the butterflies land on the surrounding plants.”

Though springtime is appealing to the eye, the sinuses take a hard blow.

“I have occasional allergies, especially when the cherry tree blooms,” Cohen said. “It releases tons of pollen which literally covers the cars and the driveway, tuning them green. I’m not looking forward to that.”

Kloha added that though she is not as allergic as she once was to pollen, such as that of the pear tree, the smell is still horrible.

Besides the joys of gardening, spring cleaning is also a common ritual that takes place. This is the time when people leave the lethargy of Winter behind and begin anew.

“For the past few years, every time we haven’t gone anywhere for vacation, it’s been manual labor city,” freshman Chandler Kropp said. “Two years ago we did the garage and the gutters. Last year we redid my sister’s room.”

Spring cleaning involves more than just manual labor. It also involves shedding ones skin, so to speak.

“Spring cleaning involves tidying up inside and going through my winter clothes, donating the ones I don’t wear at all anymore, storing away the rest, and getting out my summer clothes,” Kloha said.

Whether one is working in a garden or working on one’s house, everyone can agree that the flowers are the most beautiful and beloved part of the season.

“I love irises and snow drops and crocuses,” Kloha said. “I get really excited when I think about planting them. One can never have too many spring bulbs.”