I’ve been dipping in and out of Turning of Days: Lessons from Nature, Season and Spirit. Her reflections on nature, the changing of the seasons and the way these lead her into reflection on scripture are impressive. I’ve really enjoyed her writing and her approach but ultimately it’s been hard to connect because her place is so different to mine, because the way we experience the changing seasons is intimately tied to place, even when the plants of our neighbourhood contain a good proportion of introduced species.
Like many places round the world the four three monthly seasons don’t really fit with the climate in Melbourne. Melbpourne is notorious for its four seasons in one day. I did some research into indigenous calendars and found that the people of the Kulin Natiion, had between six and eight seasons. These were marked by changes in weather, plant and animal activity and the movement of the stars. The seasons were roughly tied to lunar months, but because the markers were changes in the environment the beginning and end could vary. The Melbourne Museum lists seven seasons, with the roughly corresponding months:
Luk Eel Season (March): eels are ready to harvest, manna gums are flowering.
Waring Wombat Season (April-July): Cool, rainy days follow misty mornings. Highest rainfall and lowest temperature. Lyrebirds perform their courtship displays, wombats come out to bask in the sunshine, with no fruits available the soft hearts of tree- ferns become a major food source.
Guling Orchid Season (August): Cold weather is ending. Orchids and Silver Wattles are flowering, it’s koala mating season and the male koalas are bellowing.
Poorneet Tadpole Season (September – October): Temperatures rising but the rain continues. Flax-lilies are flowering, pied currawongs calling, myrnong flower indicating they are ready to eat.
Buath Gurru Grass Flowering Season (November): The weather is warmer, and lots of rain. Kangaroo grass is flowering. Nowadays, this time unsurprisingly corresponds to hayfever season in Melbourne. This is when the most severe pollen days occur. Victorian Christmas bush is coming into flower, brown butterflies are flying.
Kangaroo-Apple Season (December): Changeable, thundery weather. Kangaroo-apples are fruiting, Wedge-tailed eagles are breeding.
Biderap dry season (January-February): Hot, dry weather. Tussock grass is long and dry.
I think it would be an interesting project to make a phenology wheel and track the seasonal changes in our garden and local area.
What are the seasons like where you live?
Comments
4 responses to “Seasons”
We definitely have four distinct seasons where I live in Canada. Hot summers, cold winters, wet springs, and generally absolutely gorgeous falls. I will say that winter seems to last the longest – from November to April and fall (my favourite season) seems to start and finish in a matter of weeks!
This was interesting. It’s funny that I’ve always thought there are only four seasons… but why? i love the breakdown of seven different seasons in Melbourne. Here in South Florida it’s tempting to think there are only two seasons- the summer is hot and steamy, with frequent thunderstorms. Winter is slightly cooler and dryer. But I wonder, if I paid more attention, if it could be divided further. Like May-June is when the man-o-wars wash up on the beach, etc. Might be a fun project.
I am personally a fan of seasons. I appreciate the passing of time by going through the four different seasons each year – each one has its loveliness.
Northern California does have four seasons, although they’re much more muted and blend together more than the seasons I experiences growing up in Germany.
I can imagine the seasons in California would be a bit less intense than in Germany.