What qualities of nature are you attracted to? Is it the happy faces of pansies or the scent of roses and jasmines that appeal to you? Is it a mass of tulips or a single hybrid lily?

What colors remind you of springtime?

Do you prefer to hike through high grassed meadows, flowered fields or shaded woods?

Do you have any spring rituals? What may they be?

If spring is your favorite season – why?

Birdwatching is a simple delight this time of year. Maybe you have even seen a nest in a tree. What are natural pleasures that make you smile in springtime?

I gardened today. I weeded, cleaned up leaves and twigs left behind by the winds. I watered the dry earth, revived the parched plants and ruminated. I reminisced. I recalled years of gardening tasks and moments – digging, pruning, blessing new transplants, shrieking at earthworms and tamping down living, lush, dirty soil with my bare hands. Sacred hours and quality time in our gardens, that is true bliss. Ultimately, be grateful for every breath you take, and every waking moment.

My experiences and my relationships are priceless.

I treasure springtime and the rebirth of our living planet.

THINK ACTION: If you love to draw, maybe sketch and color a flower, a shrub or a tree. Do you enjoy photographing buds, blooms and insects? What colors do you prefer in the yard and borders? Use more of it in your landscape this year. If you don’t own a patch of land, could you join a community garden or share a plot? Borrow a friend’s neglected stretch of backyard? Have you ever tried container or raised beds? Why not place a few herbs and African Violets on your windowsill? Like cooking, gardening is a way to teach the young in a playful manner. How could you involve them in your next project?

Everyone has had letdowns with plants. Don’t allow that to defeat you from trying again this year. Disappointments and lessons learned are a part of life and gardening. Make sure to enjoy the season anyway, get your hands dirty (wear gloves) and take pride in your victories, however small or large. There is great satisfaction and pleasure in watching a bud appear and consequently reach full bloom. With this in mind, what a fabulous pastime to share and pass down to children.

We labor in our garden plots in April whether we weed, shop, choose, plan, transplant, water, mulch or sprout seedlings. We set the scene for summer with hope filled toil, no matter how small-scale our territory or where we are located.

Meanwhile, the roses we pruned in January are in full bloom. Pruning times depend on your climate zone. Furthermore, every landscape has its own microclimate zones. For example, below a slope will most likely be your dampest spot and could be up to ten degrees cooler than the rest of your yard, a great place for ferns and ivy. But, don’t expect sunflowers or most flowering types to survive those conditions. Likewise, an area with partial sunlight and shade might be too cool and moist for a succulent.

Vegetation can be quite finicky. Various plants enjoy solitary situations. Others prefer to be in a community of varied species. Still, a few need to be staked like tomato and bean bushes.

Then again, every zone has its easy to raise seedlings, foliage and flowers too. Morning Glories are a weed in my garden. Purple plumed Mexican Sage – a gigantic, grassy, overgrown mess right now, needs to be controlled. Freeway Daisies flower even if I forget about them. Honeysuckle blossoms, spread and climb without a care. Nevertheless, I admit, as a dedicated gardener, I still kill easy to grow plants, out of pure neglect or unknown reasons, like geraniums.

Bulbs surprise, springing up since we often forget where we have planted them in the fall and don’t see them till warm days arrive. Daffodils, also known as jonquils, sweep the road paths along the mountain roads near my home, in swaths of yellow, green and white. Teeny yet fragrant purple and white Hyacinths are common first tubers to sprout, often bursting through an unexpected snowfall in most of the continental states. When your spring bulbs’ blossoms wither, rather than chopping off their stems, bind them into a braid or a simple twist with raffia or tomato ties. As a result, the underground bulb gains renewed strength for next year. Set annuals, such as pansies (if you live in a cool zone) or petunias (for warmer climes) between the knob corms (bulb seeds). You can cut back the stalks once they look dry and brittle.

Springtime Gardening

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” – Cicero

Daisies, lilacs, tulips, daffodils, lilies, hyacinths, ranunculi, roses, poppies, sweet peas and freesias!!  These are a few of the flowers that bloom and headline the scene at springtime.
After a monochromatic winter has kept us inside with dry heat, I urge you to get outside, appreciate the fresh breezes and smell the multicolored blossoms. In April, wherever you live – color, fragrance and new growth permeates. First, explore the wildflowers on hillsides, between crevices of rocks, lakeside, near river beds and alongside highways. Notice the pops of color. For instance, ice plants, burst at the seams with fluorescent fuchsia and pink-violet by the seashore. Second, breathe in the perfume. Freesia bulbs, jasmine vines and sweet peas scent the outdoors with their delicate, pastel blooms.