All the wonder of springtime is hidden in the bud of a waiting flower; and when you come on millions of them at once – well, you just hold your breath and give yourself over to the marvel.
~ Amy Mack (A Bush Calendar, pg. 104).
(Winter’s) resting time is over, and millions upon millions of little buds are justing waiting for the signal to busrst into flower.
~ Amy Mack (A Bush Calendar, pg. 103).
Even though it’s been the coldest, most wet July I remember, I ventured into the woodlands in search of winter buds. I wasn’t disappointed as buds were bursting forth, waiting for the hope of spring.
Early wattle buds had begun to dust the bush with gold, and spring hung in the air as their sweet fragrance danced around me. I could hear the whisper of humming bees feasting amongst the blossoms.
My senses were engaged as Amy described, “every sense responded to the fascinations of the season, and my eyes and ears and nose were keenly aware of the delights around me.”
As I wandered, I was charmed by the bud of a Scented Sundew as it nestled in the plant’s leaves. It reminded me of how we cradle and comfort our babies in the arm, and of how God says he comforts us.
As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.”
Isaiah 66:13
A Tall Sundew captured my attention as it clung to a stalk, its hairs glistening with sticky sap attracting insects it intended to trap.
Its bud hung delicately on a slender stem and I wondered how it weathered the winter storms.
I was hoping to find the first flowering orchids, like the Greenhood perhaps, but I came upon the orchid bud of a Caladenia instead. I was satisfied as I remembered how profusely they bloomed last year and I anticipate the promise of their blushed pink petals waltzing in spring breezes soon.
The bells of the Correa promised to ring as their buds waited for sunbeams to break through the dark, heavy clouds and pop them open.
On my way home, I noticed an Almond tree. Its roselike, pink buds stood to attention, waiting to flower. I wondered if there was a signal they were attuned to that would open their white blossoms?
I wonder, what buds and promise of spring you will notice in your area? Don’t let the gloomy, weather keep you inside. Refresh your soul, as I did mine, searching for the signs of spring in winter buds.
Isn’t there a special charm about all buds? They hold the poetry of the future folded in their tiny sheaths, and a joy of expectancy that no fulfilment of opened flower can surpass.
Amy Mack, (A Bush Calendar, pg. 104).
Your senses may be sleepy after winter’s resting period, so remember to look intentionally, engaging all your senses. Smell the air by breathing deep (don’t if you have allergies). Gently touch velvet or sticky buds, and listen to birds waking, preparing for spring’s courtship season.
See past the mundane to the marvelous by being attuned to wonder and awe. Learn to ‘see’ again, uncovering spring’s mysteries. Watch God unfold His secrets to you, and as you stand in awe of the details, remember that He cares for the details in your life too, no matter how small or insignificant.
Simply, share the magic you encountered with your family by discussing your sightings and wonderings over a cuppa of hot chocolate.
Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy.
Psalm 100:2
Follow the seasons through a year-long study of nature alongside Amy Mack in A Bush Calendar and A Handbook for A Bush Calendar.
Amy Mack is a favourite Aussie author who captured the Australian bush through the seasons. In this guide, we walk alongside Amy as she identifies wildflowers and observes nesting birds throughout the year. We can choose to investigate Amy’s nature finds with field guides indoors or explore a local park for wildflowers and wildlife while recording our own sightings in a year’s cycle.
Listen to bird melodies while enjoying an outdoor breakfast or take a sunset walk and collect nature treasures to journal. Learn to identify birds with song and field marks while bird stalking. Observe wildflower’s bud, blossom, and seed while examining their flower and leaf arrangements.
Capture birds and wildflowers within a nature journal with sketches and paintings, or a nature scrapbook with photographs on a weekly basis. Alternatively, explore the bush once a month and create a Penology Wheel to record your sightings.
A Handbook to A Bush Calendar by Amy Mack is a year’s nature study curriculum that is flexible; explore indoors or out, weekly or monthly. The guide features poems from C.J. Dennis and optional literature from Nuri Mass and Amy Mack. Explore the outdoors with living books.
