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There are few things we Swedes obsess over as much as the turning of the seasons.
And perhaps it's not so strange that people desperately count every measly flower and other signs of spring...
... in a country where you can have a spring as cold and reluctant as the spring of 2013 has been, so far.
But now it's here for certain. And that gives us a chance to take a closer look at some of our earliest spring blossoms -
- and how they work.
First, let's rewind to early February, when snow blankets the garden.
Already, the Japanese witch-hazel is in bloom. For a long time it's the only sign of life in the garden -
- besides the birds... and the squirrels.
But as March arrives, things begin to happen.
It is now March 4th, and spring is starting to show its face. Behind me, as in most of the city's flowerbeds -
- little winter aconites, of the buttercup family, color the ground bright yellow.
The winter aconite and the snowdrop are two of our most well-known spring flowers.
They insist on sprouting as soon as the snow starts to melt, and you might wonder why they don't just wait until later.
But there are great advantages to flowering as early as possible -
just as the first pollinating insects, like queen bees and bumblebees, emerge from hibernation.
If you're first on the scene, you won't have to compete with other species for pollinators.
Also, light is in great supply, because there are no leaves above to provide shade.
But it takes a bit of strategy. There isn't enough time to grow from seed to flower for when the snow melts.
Instead you need to be perennial, and well prepared.
The key to the snowdrop's success - as in many of the other early flowers - is this: its bulb.
A bulb is in fact a clump of one or more subterranean leaves, which have been transformed into a storage organ.
It survives the winter, while all parts of the plant that are above ground die.
After flowering and spreading its seeds, a bulbous plant spends the rest of the growing season gathering solar energy -
- and storing it in the bulb, to survive the next winter.
The winter aconite isn't a bulbous plant, but it has these root nodules, which perform the same function.
It is now April 9th. The Agardh Pond is free of ice, the ducks have returned,
and the hills and lawns are strewn with brightly color crocuses. And - are those daffodils over there?
But the Salix Pond is still frozen over. Here we find a population of spring snowflakes.
The snowflake is reminiscent of the snowdrop, and they do belong to the same family, but the snowflake blooms later.
Come mid-April, the garden is full of color, and humans are not the only animal to enjoy the flowery splendor.
Here, a Small Tortoiseshell...
... and a European Peacock.
In the greenhouses, the Victoria water lilies are starting to grow,
and one of the king quails seems to be brooding eggs. Perhaps there will be little chicks eventually?
Those flowering plants that grow as trees often spread their pollen not with insects, but with the wind.
In which case, it's a good idea to flower before the leaves come, so that the wind can blow freely through the branches.
And so, trees like hazel and birch pump the air full of pollen at this time of the year -
giving rise to some mixed feelings among those of you who have allergies.
And so we've reached the end of April, and the amount of sights to see in the garden has increased exponentially.
Here are some springtime tips.
If you like daffodils, you should definitely check out the pergola, which curves around the northern part of the garden.
Here you'll find an astonishing variety of Narcissus flowers, that have only just started to bloom.
The mandrake is also in bloom. Also known as mandragora, it's worth noting just for its cultural significance.
Perhaps no plant in history has been surrounded by as much folklore - partly because of its roots, which may look a bit like little people.
The mandrake has had so many medicinal and occult uses that simply owning the plant in medieval times was enough to be accused of witchcraft.
It was also thought to be capable of producing lethal screams, which may sound familiar to those of you who've read Harry Potter.
Hello?
Scilla, one of our most popular spring flowers, is very plentiful now.
According to this leaflet, there are at least five different species here. If you want a challenge, come down and try to find them all.
Forbes' glory-of-the-snow seems to be the most common...
This must be a Lucile's glory-of-the-snow...
This is either a Siberian squill or a two-leaf squill, but uh...
Or is it a hybrid squill? This is harder than I thought.
Well, that's it for Botaniskt, and it's time for me to say goodbye.
Let's wrap things up with a spring montage that can speak for itself.
Bye! I'll see you in the Gardens.
MIND THE SPRING FLOWERS - STAY OFF THE GRASS
Thank you for watching!