It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind
blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.
                                           — Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

How well we Ohioans understand Dickens’ observation. As this issue lands in your mailbox, it may be 60 degrees and sunny, or 30 degrees and sleeting — on the same day.

March is a month with a multiple personality disorder: Sometimes it thinks it’s spring, other times, winter. Take, for example, St. Patrick’s Day, when parade marchers and spectators could be wearing overcoats one year and shirtsleeves the next.

But at least March offers glimpses, however fleeting, of balmier, greener days ahead. For me, the first harbingers of spring are snowdrops. I start hunting for the tiny flowers in early February — probably too early for the Ohio microclimate in which I live, but I can’t help myself. Their appearance means crocuses, daffodils and tulips are on their way.

Seeing sunlight as I drive to work in the morning and home in the evening is another spirit lifter. So are the signs around town for Lenten fish fries and the annual newspaper stories about, first, the Cleveland Indians’ equipment truck leaving for Arizona; second, the start of spring training; and finally, Opening Day back in Ohio.

There are still those cold, gloomy March days to contend with, however, so Ohio Magazine decided to look for spots that offer a sense of spring (see “Break Away,” page 40). Contributing Editor Jill Sell writes about oases of green across the state, including Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, pictured on this month’s cover. After visiting for our cover shoot, Art Director Lesley Blake had one word to describe this Victorian gem: “gorgeous.”

Jill also writes about the indoor garden delights of Cincinnati’s Krohn Conservatory and the Cleveland Botanical Garden’s Glasshouse, as well as outdoor gardens where spring flowers will begin to appear later this month. Wildflowers are one of Jill’s particular interests. She suggests the March 25 Arc of Appalachia Preserve System’s “In Search of Snow Trilliums” hike for those of us eager to get our spring wildflower viewing under way.

There is an abundance of ways to enjoy early spring in our state. Take some of our suggestions or discover your own spring breaks in Ohio — go to our Facebook page and let us know what you find.

Just remember to pack sunglasses and ear muffs, sunscreen and mittens. And grab an umbrella for good measure.