Green-up Time
“It’s coming green-up.” -Bill Dwyer
The winds of winter taper;
Calm reigns on hills and lea.
A fulsome warmth comes creeping
In subtle ways toward me.
“It’s coming green-up!” Springtime!
The birds return again;
The tender grass is peeping forth;
Pregnant limbs their buds begin.
“Hallo!” we shout as in the sod
We plant seeds of sustenance and hope;
Another cycle has begun—
’Tis Spring! Again we cope
With all the work it takes to till
The garden patch and farm
We still rejoice at nature’s signs:
“It’s green-up time!” “It’s warm!”
—Ethelene Dyer Jones April 27, 2016
green up, green-up time noun Springtime.
1976 Dwyer Southern Sayin’s 23 = springtime. “It’s comin’ green up.” 1991 Haynes Haywood Home 56 Springtime, just at green-up time, was the time for making popguns and willow whistles….It’s the time when buds come on the willows and elders along the branches and creeks and their bark gets loose.
—Dictionary of Smoky Mountain English
Green up time has certainly arrived in Brasstown. Each year I try to pinpoint the exact day the world is green again. Although I notice it increasing day by day I’m always surprised to suddenly look out the window and see the wall of green that arrives in late spring.
Last night’s video: Details for Purchasing My Cookbook: Celebrating Southern Appalachian Food.
Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox
All green here in northeastern Kansas! We had some bitter cold a couple of times this Winter and I lost a few plants. My roses sure had lots of dead wood when I trimmed them last week, but they are already perking up. My white lilacs bloomed a couple of weeks ago and the fragrance was intoxicating. I agree with the pastor; how can anyone not see God’s hand in the wondrous variety and beauty of nature?
All green-up here in N Alabama. Now if we could just get the temperatures to coincide with the color, it would all be good. Received the cookbook from Jim yesterday – looks like a winner. The cast iron will be getting a work-out in the coming weeks…
Love spring. Everything turns green (if not in a drought) and new life begins. New calves in the pastures! We are finally getting our snowbanks melted and soon to see green grass here in Northeast Montana. Enjoy your posting of great poems like above. Our safe time of no frost is the first full week of June, so many garden things have to get started inside. Hope you have a bountiful garden this year.
Sweet poem!
Definitely green up time here. I also had been noticing each day looking out my kitchen window and all of a sudden just like overnight, everything is green! It’s like having fireworks in the Spring!! Husband has also been cutting the grass.
It has been greening up here in SC PA for two or three weeks and I absolutely love it!! My lilac bush is in full bloom, azaleas, and dogwood tree blooming too. Most of the fruit trees blooms are spent but oh my were they stunning two weeks ago.
Wanted to say congratulations on your cookbook!!! I will be ordering one next week.
When we lived in the woods up on the Cumberland Plateau, by June the forest had essentially “marched” toward the house! How I miss it.
Here in Central Florida we’ve been seeing the Greenup for a couple of weeks now. I absolutely love it and appreciate your comments Charline.
I spent the first four decades of my life on a farm in Alabama and I can easily appreciate what you are saying.
I love seeing all the trees & plants come to life and green up every spring!
It’s hard to comprehend how that anyone can witness this awesome transformation of NEW LIFE each year and not see God in the canopy and beauty of His creation!!!!
Enjoyed the poem by Mr. Bill Dwyer
Whoohoo for green up time! Even here on my Idaho mountain green up is coming. The snow drift in front of the house has melted down to a foot high and is only about 40’ long. The glacier ( it’s not really a glacier, I just call it that because there at the corner where the creek runs, it’s a low spot and always very cold. In the summer it’s lovely and cool) down at the creek is almost gone too! This weekend it’s supposed to be in the low eighties so I’m thinking it will take care of those last bits and bobs of winter. This is the darnest country for getting hot without any warning and you suffer until you get used to it. Usually doesn’t happen until the 4th of July though. Early this year.
I’ve always thought that if God had a favorite color – it had to be green as he created a gorgeous green back drop for the rest of his creations to live in. It is as normal as breathing and doesn’t shout. It envelopes you with life but remains second in importance to the other little pops of color here and there. It is humble color but so supporting. I love green and watch it slowly growing without making noise. I don’t know when it finally is – it just greens up. Unlike autumn when I can feel the first cool wind in an evening walk – I know immediately autumn is here. Spring grows silently, patiently, beautifully. It comes in every shade of green possible and indicates new life – chances to renew and live a better life. Remember Kermit’s song on Sesame Street – It’s Not Easy Being Green? Perfect song for green. Now I’ll google it and listen again to that old song from Kermit.
Tipper, I think you and I both get taken by surprise each spring because a significant part of the rapid change happens at night. The energy to expand buds and unfold leaves is already stored and doesn’t need to be created by sunlight. And cool and damp nighttime conditions are gentle on tender plant parts. They get the maximum amount of time before daytime temperatures reach their max of hot and dry. Anyway, that’s my theory. I’m sure you have seen overnight change in your garden. And don’t they say it is possible to hear corn grow at night?
Ron-I think you are right 🙂
Green up is a miracle that we get to see every single year.
I know exactly what you mean- the specific day and date it all greens up we will remember except every year it happens a little at a time until BAM- you look outside and it’s green and beautiful one day! As you know, I feed stray cats and I have to walk up a hill in the woods to reach the spot. I’ve noticed GALAX ( thanks to you) and lots of pretty wildflowers pooping up and out while I’m there in the early mornings. I found myself yesterday just walking around and praising the Lord all day for the beauty and His Love. My seeds are coming right along. In at night, back out of day…
Green has exploded in my neck of the woods!!!
Dogwood and Easter…I have yet to see a dogwood tree that has the trunk that will be able to be used to make the Cross. For a while, new dogwood trees could not be found. As I remember, it was something to do with a blight or something, but my Husband found one at a local store and got it for me for our anniversary. It is a beauty, that is for sure and something for me to dwell on as it grows. Oh the joy of yet another spring to enjoy. We are so Blessed to be alive and have the freedom to enjoy. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s read. God Bless
praise God for green up, things are really green here, God bless you friends of Appalachia, thank you Tipper for sharing and caring ,
My favorite time of the year for over 70 yrs. And as a child, green has always been my color!
I too like to see the trees and grass beginning to green up. In my area this has been going on for over a month now. I have already cut mine and some family members grass , about a total of 6 acres , several times during the month of April. Easter has just passed a couple of weeks ago and one of first things that I always look for during green up is for the wild white dogwoods to bloom. I have read the story titled “The Legend of The Dogwood” and although it may be fiction, anytime I look at a dogwood tree, I am reminded of Jesus being crucified. I sometimes pick a bloom and look and compare it to this story.