Winter will bring a blooming bounty

U2's “Beautiful Day” filled my ears Wednesday as I hiked through Carmel Valley with headphones on. It was a joyous moment further sweetened by the shoots of new grass making my sneakers wet.

I can't remember seeing a greener shade of green.

To varying degrees, San Diego has received rain on 12 days since Dec. 11. Coastal bluffs are laden with moisture, making them susceptible to collapse. Big surf is eroding the shoreline. Check out San Elijo State Beach.

The upside is that we're experiencing an eye-catching “green up” as the the wet spell invigorates plant life.

“The sand verbena are really taking hold in Borrego Springs,” said Jim Horacek, manager of Armstrong Garden Centers in Del Mar. “The ocotillos are doing well, too.”

The grassy banks along Interstates 5 and 8 have become green belts again and will soon be carpeted with daisies that could last well into spring — longer if the rain continues.

Something else is happening that I wouldn't have noticed if Horacek had not pointed it out.

“Hummingbirds are collecting material (silk) from spider webs and using it to make nests,” he said. “They know that there will be nectar to come.”

But it's not like this is San Francisco, which has received at least 17 inches of rain since Oct. 1. As of Friday, San Diego International Airport has recorded 4.57 inches, Oceanside has received 5.95 inches, and Ramona as recorded 7.61 inches.

Nature gives us so much from so little. The question now is: Will San Diego get a lot more rain? The kind that produces a “super bloom” of wildflowers in the desert? Can't wait to find out. We can worry about weeding the garden later.

gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com