For this assignment I will be exploring how plants survive, and/or return after, winter. At first I thought of exploring how perennial plants survive underground and return year after year, but I’m interested in comparing the life cycle of different plants, such as those that die off each year, perennials that come back each year, and how that compares to the lives of deciduous and evergreen trees.
The reason I chose this topic is because I have a great interest in plants. As a child my mom had a large vegetable garden in the backyard, and two small flower gardens - one for me and one for my sister. She did most of the caring for all the gardens, but we were allowed to choose some of the flowers planted in "our" gardens. The first plant I was personally responsible for was a grafted cactus in my bedroom. It died within a few months.
As an adult, I started growing my own gardens at home, when I had the space, or at least in pots on a balcony. I always had some houseplants, but over the years my collection has multiplied. When I bought my first home in 2015, there was an area by the deck where the grass wasn't growing well, so I changed it into a perennial garden. Year after year I've watched the plants "die" in autumn. In the spring, I watch with anticipation for the first signs of life. In mid-April, my daffodils emerge and flower first. The bright green foliage and yellow flowers stand in stark contrast to the shades of brown in the soil and dead leaves around them. Other plants follow slowly, then gain speed. Each year the garden is similar, but different. Some of the plants return each year in the same spot and take up more area each time. Others begin emerging further and further away from the original plant. Where I once had organized plants in different areas, I end with a mixture - a fern has popped up in the middle of the bee balm, and the Maltese cross tries to stake a claim under the deck stair.
In May, I fill open spaces with annual plants that will only grow for this year. Every year I underestimate my perennials' ability to fill those gaps. In the autumn when all the plants turn brown and appear to be dead, the annuals actually are, but the perennials are somehow still alive under the soil. The leaves that died in autumn won't be back, but new growth will always come back in the spring.