The (typically) sudden and strong bloom of phytoplankton in the spring in temperate and sub-polar oceans. In the winter, the ocean waters are mixed, i.e., the water is circulated from the bottom to the top of the ocean because the water is relatively cold (and thereby have the same density) throughout the water column. In the early spring, the upper water layers therefore have enough nutrients (circulated up from bottom waters) but phytoplankton are unable to thrive because they are circulated down to depths where there is not enough light for them to survive. However, as the ocean becomes warmer in the spring, the warm water will tend to stay at the top, stabilizing the water. At this time, the phytoplankton are kept in waters with enough lights and with abundant nutrients, and their population numbers explode. However, the phytoplankton use up the available nutrients during a relatively short time (a few weeks to a few months), and their numbers dwindle in summer.
Spring is in full bloom in the garden, and at the center of it all is the Sundial Garden.
As summer marches on, the Winterthur woodlands are alive with the blooms of native and hybrid daylilies and the delicate whites of joe-pye-weed and bugbane.
At Magnolia Bend, the whites of the oakleaf hydrangeas and astilbes are paired with the pink blossoms of rugosa roses and the pale yellow of coreopsis.
After a long, dreary winter, and during the even worse "mud" season, hardy spring bulbs can be used to provide bright and cheery color in the landscape.
Soil preparation: Hardy spring bulbs need soil with good drainage where there is no danger of water standing on the surface of the ground through winter or spring.
Spring care: Certain practices in the spring after bloom will affect the growth and development of bulbs for the next few years.
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