Wednesday, April 1, 2009

New Beginnings- Signs of Spring!

"For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come..." (Song of Solomon 2:12)

I do believe that Spring has sprung. I think that Spring must be my favorite season of the year for the same reason that I love to watch a Sunrise. It bears witness to new life and second chances.

After the slow fade of Autumn and the appearance of total death on a naked landscape in Winter, the emerging signs of new life are uplifting! Out of the earth come all shades of green and riots of color as Mother Nature spreads across the barren gardens where only last week all seemed lost. With warmer temperatures and gentle rains, and a few sunny days, second glances allow second chances. Sure enough... patience has done its work.

Today, I know it is SPRING, because the first mowing has taken place and Kobe testifies that it is an awesome event. He goes and rolls in the clippings. I am convinced that we need to coincide this event on March 17th each year to let him wear the color Green well, in honor of St. Patrick's Day.















Hostas are absolutely one of my favorite "green" additions to have in the gardens and they are shade loving plants, so that is a plus for me! (we have lots of trees!) There are many different varieties I have added over 17 years, but this variety is always the first to pop through the ground. They will get to be 4 times this size by the time they are fully spread.















The Dogwood out back has lasted well through the Winter. Our yard was covered with these beautiful trees when we moved here 17 years ago, but time and disease has taken its toll on many, and we are grateful for any that are still standing and gracing our yard with such snowy beauty.















The azaleas are just beginning to pop open and will continue to do so through the end of April. It's fun to watch the different colors appear as the weeks pass. The pale lavender shade is always the last one to appear. Below is one of the very first!
















This is an example of the Helleborus plant or as we know it in its more common name, the Lenten Rose. This one just happens to bloom pink, and the most common is a pale green tinted white. It is a beautiful flower mixed in an arrangement, and it comes back year after year, bigger each season!


















This little flower is what I call a snowdrop. It is a hearty little plant and obviously grows in just about any nook or cranny. This one appeared this year growing up through an antique plow in our back yard. I sure didn't put it there, so I presume a little bird dropped a seed. Kurt liked its location, and wanted me to get a photo. :-)
















Lamb's Ear is an old favorite of many, and truly feels as soft as a lamb's ear when you rub your fingers across the foliage. It makes an attractive filler between rocks and on slopes and adds an unusual shade of green to the mix.



















Here is a really unique addition to our yard filled with the many wonders of God's creation. A little bird built her nest last Spring in our Ivy Trellis at the start of our front sidewalk. As she was nesting, she found silver strands of Christmas Tree icicles left in the yard from when we had dragged the tree for curbside pickup after the holidays. She obviously wanted to add some bling and personality to her house, and added quite a bit!! I don't think this little lady is a minimalist! It was so hilarious that I didn't remove it last summer, and there it still sits, waiting for that particular Robin to come back and repossess, or for a new female who likes some sparkle and uniqueness in her nest. :-)




















Of course, I can't leave this post without revealing the sacred and precious little spot of earth in our backyard where all of the furry beasts that have been a part of our lives and left us are now buried. Most special to me obviously is my little Annie Grace, the Silky Terrier girl I had to let go of last June. She has a place of honor, being the first canine to enter these sacred grounds. There are chickens and a little dusty colored bunny. No kitties so far. (13 years old and counting...)
















And I will end with this little signpost in our front flower bed where all who are brave enough to enter the gate (which warns "Beware of Dog") may see this wonderful little truth.















The garden is the Giver because it continues to give beauty and joy year after year,
reminding us of the fact that life is full of new beginnings and beauty if we will just look around and see. The garden is the Gift because it is a part of the original Creation Paradise that God formed with His own mind and heart for His most precious creature to enjoy. Us! And it is still returning each year, as every new Spring arrives, filled with the renewing hope of second chances and abundant blessings.



God is Good.



God is Awesome.

Blessings and Pleasures of Spring to you...





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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Actually, Dusty is over next to the Dogwood, in front of the compost fence. =) The plaque just got moved.