The Flowers are Here

 Last spring, with the pandemic devastating lie as we know it, we found solace in seeing life emerge in our garden. In a year full of sorrow, depression, anger and loss, the cycle of nature brought solace. Each year, as winter fades away, the blooming buds mark the coming of spring and hint at the colorful landscape it is to paint. 

For awhile, the flowers helped us through the uncharted waters (for my generation) of a global pandemic, promising once again that, one day, sorrow will end and joy will reign once more. 

A year later and the pandemic is still holding the world at bay, but it would be unwise not to observe how far we have come since. Vaccines are being rolled out, the world is slowly opening up and we are coming together, hopefully, as a stronger and wiser species. Undoubtedly, there is still a long way to go and it would be a betrayal to the lives that were lost, the sacrifices we all made and the dedication of our medical workers and scientists if we let down our guard early. 

And yet, we have seen a rebirth of life. This spring, as the flowers begin to bloom once more, I am reminded that things will get better yet if we give it time. For that is one o the most valuable lessons offered by nature. Patience will get us past struggle. Even when the warmth of late March and early April starts, the flowers are still tepid in their response, for a sudden frost would be a fatality to them. Once the threat of a frost is gone for sure, they delight the world with their beauty.


 
The Hyacinths (above) and the Brunnera Queen of Hearts (below)
Our first bloomers this year were the hyacinths, followed by a Brunnera Queen of Hearts. Last year, and to a lesser degree this year, some of our flowers were casualties to the cottontail squatters under our shed. Ce' la vie, rabbits have to eat and to them a flower is a flower. We spread a critter repellent around the flowers to protect our work, but we bare our fur-bearing friends no ill will. Luckily, the eastern cottontails don't like hyacinths so they've been largely been untouched. 

 



                                                     An Eastern Cottontail visiting our garden

Our eyes next are to the tulips, the daffodils and the grape hyacinths, the symphony of spring.



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