One warm day this week flipped the switch for Spring.  By 4:00 that afternoon, it seemed that all of the trees on the street had burst into bloom; big showy pink flowers on the Magnolia tree down the street; big white flowers on the Apple tree next door; dark pink blooms on the Cherry tree across the street; and tiny yellow pedals on the Forsythia bush in the corner of my back yard.

My perennial gardens have come alive.  Over the course of 10 days, these naked beds of  hard soil have filled with foliage.  The Daffodils are in full bloom.  The leaves of Irises and Lilies stand tall in round bunches. The Geranium create mounds of shapely green leaves.  The Wild Ginger and Blood Root are in full bloom in a dark corner of my yard.  The Hostus are poking through the soil.  It is magical!!

The world seems full of wild life once again.  The Robins have returned with their mournful songs at dusk.  The Tiny Chipping Sparrows with rusty red caps have set up home in our front yard once more.  A bunny seems to be living in our backyard.  Chickadees and Juncos have been visiting our little backyard water garden.  We saw a Beaver on the river two evenings last week and a Great Blue Heron and a Green Heron this week.

After a long cold winter with hard ground, bare branches, and quiet skies, the world is alive with colour, scents and sound.  Each time I look out the window, there is some new treat for the soul.  It is like a miracle unfolding in slow motion.  Would Spring be as sweet without the Winter?  If it were Spring all year long, would we notice the new flowers?  Without the long dark nights of winter, would we appreciate the glory of Spring?  I don’t think so.