I love spring.
I love just about everything about this season. Spring is full of promise and of new life. You can’t help but be more cheerful and cast off the pall of winter.
The days get longer, the rain clears away the last of the snow and washes away all of the previous season’s dirt and mess. The birds begin to sing again and the long branches of the weeping willows start to turn a glorious shade of yellow.
Eventually, the ground starts to warm up and the first hardy souls begin to show signs of life. Slowly, little green sprouts get bigger and bigger before tiny white blossoms open to the sun. At least once during their growth these brave little Snowdrops are buried with Old Man Winter’s final breath of snow, but they always stand tall and show their faces again as he is beaten away one last time.
The purples and yellows of the crocuses are next, adding bits of colour to the garden. Their appearance is always my cue to bring out the garden rake and start gently clearing away the cozy blanket that last years’ leaves have provided to keep my bulbs and perennials safe through the winter.
There are other signs of spring at my house that are perhaps not so usual. Maggie, our faithful canine companion, starts asking to go outside to lay on the deck instead of finding a warm sunny spot in the house. But what seals the deal is the first day she chooses to lay on the grass. At that point, I know for sure that there won’t be any more snow and that spring is well and truly here – even if the calendar doesn’t say so yet.
This year, that day happened this weekend, a full week before the spring equinox. I looked out in my back garden and there she was – eyes closed, but face tilted up to the sun, relaxing on the lawn!If that wasn’t enough to convince me, today when I left the house for work (why don’t we get March Break as grownups!?) in the rain, I realized that the driveway was covered in little tiny earthworms. Even they’ve woken up.
Something else has woken up too. Unless a really bad golfer has started playing in my garden at night, the divots I’m seeing are caused by a racoon or two having a feast, digging up grubs. Ugh.
But I’m not going to let that discourage me. We’ve changed the clocks, so there’s more time to enjoy being outside after dinner, which means I’m more likely to walk more. I see the beginning of signs of daffodils sprouts starting to emerge from the warming earth. Red-tinged tulips leaves will be next. By late April or early May, the garden will be bursting with colour. Trees will be showing off their flowery best and birds will start nesting laying eggs. I’m excited already, just thinking about it.
It’s spring!
