Spring, summer, fall, and winter. That covers it, right?

Not by a long shot.

The more I have gardened, and observed, and become attuned to nature’s rhythms, the less satisfied I have become with our clumsy, generalized words for the seasons.

Four measly divisions?! It’s like trying to describe all the colors in the rainbow using only the terms red, blue, and yellow. There are so many more events and milestones that deserve to be noted throughout the year–and celebrated.

The Chinese have an ancient calendar based on 24 seasons of the year. I first learned of it in Nancy Ross Hugo and Robert Llewellyn’s scrumptious book, Seeing Trees, from Timber Press. This traditional, agriculture-based calendar divides the year into 24 “solar terms”, as follows:

Feb. 4: The Beginning of Spring
Feb. 19: Rain Water
Mar. 6: The Awakening of Insects
Mar. 21: Vernal Equinox
Apr. 5: Pure Brightness
Apr. 20: Grain Rain
May 6: The Beginning of Summer
May 21: Lesser Fullness of Grain (Kernels fatten)
June 6: Grain in Beard (Kernals become ripe)
June 21: Summer Solstice
July 7: Lesser Heat
July 23: Greater Heat
Aug. 8: The Beginning of Autumn
Aug. 23: The End of Heat
Sept. 8: White Dew
Sept. 23: Autumn Equinox
Oct. 8: Cold Dew
Oct. 23: Frost Descends
Nov. 7: The Beginning of Winter
Nov. 22: Lesser Snow
Dec. 7: Greater Snow
Dec. 22: The Winter Solstice
Jan. 6: Lesser Cold
Jan. 20: Greater Cold
I think the Chinese calendar does a much better job of conveying exactly where we are on the calendar at any given time than does our Western version. But I would take it a step further.

After many years of notetaking in the Ohio Valley, I have concluded that while the landscape changes little during about 10 weeks of winter, the remaining 42 weeks of the year are distinct enough to each deserve the title of a “mini-season”, different from all others. I would argue that there are 43 seasons in one year.

For example:

How can you ignore the arrival of the first winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)? The calendar says it’s still winter, but it is clearly a turning point, and it fills our hearts with hope. I like to call this moment “The Arrival of Sprinter.”