Some observations from the garden

Friends of mine have been noticing with me that the season of flowers and plants appear to be rushing through their allotted time faster than in the past. One friend told me she is always sad to see the Queen Anne's Lace to bloom because it signified for her that school would begin again... and winter.
Because we endured such a long winter and cold spring (even our garden catalog company wrote to me today about it) it appears to me that every plant is rushing to keep up once it has been given the chance.
The June-bearing strawberries were still producing big juicy fruits in early July this year. I bet a few are out there even now lurking among the leaves. And I noticed on the white board I keep by the back door this note: "first potatoes bloom 6/12/12." [or for others 12/6/12"] Well, here's botanical documentation because this solitary, potato bloomed beginning yesterday 8 July, and fully opened today, is nearly a month behind a year ago.
I love the humble potato plants and have thought a hedge of them all in bloom would look lovely. The white butterflies feel the same. This stalwart volunteer, pictured today, lives alone in a raised bed since last year. It must have been hiding when I gathered its relatives in the fall.
~~ But I am distracted. The point is that everything seems growing at a catch up rate as fast as possible. If that is so then my beloved winter squash will not have enough warm growing days to produce before first frost arrives.
And what can it mean that the Queen Anne's Lace is already blooming for over a week now in early July? Does this presage an early arrival for winter 2013? Yesterday I went out to the lavender mound and discovered the lavender spikes are fully open. I always gather them when closed so they last in the wreaths and linen closet. Now, that jump into full bloom was only a matter of a day or a day and a half. Are they, too, catching up after being held back by the long cold spring? Perhaps...
I am learning that by observing how nature operates right around me I can know how the world is changing, the globe is warming, and the seasons altering too. Garden journals from years and centuries ago reveal this to be true.
I think I am inspired to keep a written journal of this garden and weather observations in a notebook not just on the erasable white board in the garage.