Spring is sending out its invitation to us. An invitation to notice and participate in all the beauty that is emerging around us. It begins subtly with snowdrops and crocus and builds with reticulated iris and the earliest daffodils. The main event of many plants blooming at once is weeks away, but anticipation is building.

While I strongly believe in the importance of being outside in all seasons and noticing what each has to offer, spring has a special way of beckoning us closer. The weather (though erratic in March) levels out in April and May. Instead of bracing for cold, there is a welcoming feeling of the sun on your face and the breeze at your back. The gardens begin to awaken from their winter rest, having been well-covered with a heavy blanket of snow this year. Each new leaf that emerges feels like a promise kept. Warmer weather has returned just as it does each year, despite the cold extremes of winter that seemed to say they would never leave.

As the garden awakens, it draws me in to notice little details. Like this cellophane bee on the snowdrop (Galanthus) flowers outside the Rose Garden. These bees are native ground nesting bees and only live as adults for one month of their lives. And we have the invitation to notice and appreciate them while they are with us.

I also love noticing the truly electric blue of the Siberian squill (Scilla siberica). This photo is not color enhanced. If you are in need of spring flowers, I recommend adding squill to your gardens. They bloom early and their foliage is easily covered with growing perennials during the rest of the season.

I would like to invite you to recall that just one month ago we still had a fair amount of snow covering the property. It felt at times that spring would be delayed and it would be a long time before we saw flowers. However, the snow melted and the flowers returned and all of this has lit a tiny fire of hope in my heart.

The following series of photos were taken weeks apart in the same spot. So much has happened in one month!

May these photos encourage you until you have the chance to walk among the daffodils again. They are budded and ready to bloom. We will be surrounded by their cheerful faces before we know it!

Here is a photo from mid-April 2025 to show you what is to come. Happy Spring!