16 Things All Southern Girls Know and Love About Spring in the South

By Anna Aguillard
February 13, 2017
Credit: Getty/James O'Neil
Southern winters might not get too cold, but our summers get real hot, real quick—so we savor the springtime weather, spring flowers, spring fruits, and spring vegetables while we can. Between the derbies, outdoor luncheons, and music festivals, some of our all-time favorite events happen during the spring—and that’s not to mention the lazy time spent lounging on a breezy porch, or riding around the neighborhood on our cruiser bikes. Here’s what we love most about spring in the South.
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The Races

Credit: Getty Images/Joseph McNally

There’s only one time of year that we can don our wide-brimmed hats and sip on sweet Mint Juleps. We’re already counting down the days until this year’s Carolina Cup and Kentucky Derby.

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Fresh Vegetables

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Asparagus, carrots, beets, fennel, mint, peas, and all kinds of leafy greens come in season in the Springtime. We love using the season’s bounty to brighten up our vegetable side dishes, like this Lemony Green Bean Pasta Salad.

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Juicy Fruits

Credit: Photo: Greg Dupree

Namely, strawberries (but lemons and kumquats also peak during the spring). Maybe we get so excited about strawberry season because it gives us a reason to whip up a Strawberry Dream Cake.

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Bright Blossoms

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The list of flowers that bloom in the spring is practically limitless. Some of our favorites include peonies, hyacinths, dahlias, tulips, roses, cherry blossoms, daffodils, azaleas, Japanese magnolias, and dandelions.

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Crawfish Season

Credit: Greg Dupree

Across Louisiana and Mississippi, it’s not springtime until the first batch of boiled crawfish is spread out over a newspaper-covered table. And when we’re not enjoying them freshly boiled, we’ll take ‘em in bisque, dip, and étouffée form.

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Music Festivals

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Spring is the setting for some of the South’s best fests, including New Orleans’ Jazz and Heritage Festival, Atlanta’s Shaky Knees Music Festival, and Gulf Shores’ Hangout Fest.

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Outdoor Luncheons

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

Nothing soothes a Southern girl’s soul like sipping sweet tea under a shady tree, gossiping with the gals.

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Instant Springtime Upgrades You'll Love

When the sun begins to shine a little longer, we love brightening up our homes to celebrate the colors of spring. You don't need to totally renovate your home – try these quick and easy spring upgrades that add instant life to your current decor. From livening up your dining room with a fun, patterned tablecloth to adding white slipcovers to dark furniture, a fresh, clean house is just what the new year calls for.

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Happier Holidays

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Memorial Day, and Mothers’ Day all fill the spring season with excuses for casual and colorful celebrations.

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Starting Fresh

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

Spring Cleaning might seem like a daunting task to some, but a closet refresh is exactly what we need once a year.

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Sundresses and Sandals

Credit: Robbie Caponetto

Southern girls live for sundress season. It’s a good thing we just cleaned out our closets – all the more room to fit a few new, breezy sundresses and sandals.

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Outdoor Drinking and Dining

Credit: Robbie Caponetto

This activity combines every activity near and dear to a Southern girl's heart: eating, drinking, and socializing. The minute restaurants turn off those outdoor heaters, you can bet we’ll request an outside table. Why even ask?

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Porch Parties

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

Our porch swings were made for springtime perching.

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Cruising

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Aka, driving around with the windows rolled down, blaring “Cowboy Take Me Away.”

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And, Really Cruising

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On a super-cool, retro-inspired bike that will turn heads (and corners).

Get the Huffy Cruiser Bike on amazon.com.

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Baseball season

Credit: Robbie Caponetto

Give us a cup of boiled peanuts, a ball cap, and a sunny day and all is well.

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Spring Break Vacations

Credit: Robbie Caponetto

Long after we've graduated from school, come April each year, we Southern girls find ourselves planning a road trip down to white sandy beaches or up to a relaxing lake.

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By Anna Aguillard