Bloomin’ Update 39: Spring Awakening!

/ Kevin

Climbing Hydrangea

I am so distracted these days, and spring is to blame.  There’s the smell of freshness on the breeze, the chirps and calls of birds in the morning, and the daily display of fifty shades of green.  All I want to do is work in the yard: clean the beds, rake the lawn, bring out the terracotta pottery, inhale deeply — but I do have a day job that demands much of my time and a post to write.

Writing, though, is near impossible.  Spring stimulates all of my senses, and each time I step outside, I am overwhelmed with words, feelings, and adjectives.  Rather than write them down, they swirl inside my head as I become lost in the intoxicating world that is spring.

And so, I surrender to those who have already placed their words on paper, words that illustrate the beauty of the gardener’s most magical season.

Hyacinth. "Can words describe the very breath of spring?" -- Neltje Blanchan, nature writer

Hyacinth.
“Can words describe the very breath of Spring?”
— Neltje Blanchan, nature writer

Hydrangea. "April hath put a spirit of youth in everything." -- William Shakespeare, Sonnet XCVIII

Hydrangea.
“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.”
— William Shakespeare, Sonnet XCVIII

Hosta. “Spring drew on . . . and a greenness grew over those brown [garden] beds, which, freshening daily, suggested the thought that Hope traversed them at night, and left each morning brighter traces of her steps.” -- Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

Hosta.
“Spring drew on . . . and a greenness grew over those brown [garden] beds, which, freshening daily, suggested the thought that Hope traversed them at night, and left each morning brighter traces of her steps.”
— Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

Peony. "It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart." -- Rainer Maria Rilke, author

Peony.
“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”
— Rainer Maria Rilke, author

Maple. “It is a very beautiful day. The woman looks around and thinks: 'there cannot ever have been a spring more beautiful than this. I did not know until now that clouds could be like this. I did not know that the sky is the sea and that clouds are the souls of happy ships, sunk long ago. I did not know that wind could be tender, like hands as they caress -- what did I know -- until now?'” -- Unica Zurn, author & painter

Maple.
“It is a very beautiful day. The woman looks around and thinks: ‘there cannot ever have been a spring more beautiful than this. I did not know until now that clouds could be like this. I did not know that the sky is the sea and that clouds are the souls of happy ships, sunk long ago. I did not know that wind could be tender, like hands as they caress — what did I know — until now?’”
— Unica Zurn, author & painter

Hyacinth. "Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world." -- Virgil Kraft, author

Hyacinth.
“Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world.”
— Virgil Kraft, author

Daffodil. "When spring knocks at your door, regardless of the time of year or season of our lives, run, do not walk to that door, throw it open with wild abandon, and say, ‘Yes! Yes, come in! Do me, and do me big!’” -- Jeffrey R. Anderson, The Nature of Things

Daffodil.
“When spring knocks at your door, regardless of the time of year or season of our lives, run, do not walk to that door, throw it open with wild abandon, and say, ‘Yes! Yes, come in! Do me, and do me big!’”
— Jeffrey R. Anderson, The Nature of Things

Autumn Joy. "Despite the forecast, live like it's spring." -- Lilly Pulitzer, socialite & designer

Autumn Joy.
“Despite the forecast, live like it’s spring.”
— Lilly Pulitzer, socialite & designer

Daylily. “It was such a spring day as breathes into a man an ineffable yearning, a painful sweetness, a longing that makes him stand motionless, looking at the leaves of grass, and fling out his arms to embrace he knows not what.” -- John Galsworthy, The Forsyte Saga

Daylily.
“It was such a spring day as breathes into a man an ineffable yearning, a painful sweetness, a longing that makes him stand motionless, looking at the leaves of grass, and fling out his arms to embrace he knows not what.”
— John Galsworthy, The Forsyte Saga

Columbine. “I hear the sounds of melting snow outside my window every night and with the first faint scent of spring, I remember life exists.” -- John Geddes, A Familiar Rain

Columbine.
“I hear the sounds of melting snow outside my window every night and with the first faint scent of spring, I remember life exists.”
— John Geddes, A Familiar Rain

Magnolia. "Always it's Spring and everyone's in love and flowers pick themselves." -- e.e. cummings, poet

Magnolia.
“Always it’s Spring and everyone’s in love and flowers pick themselves.”
— e.e. cummings, poet

While you’re out in your garden, what quotes are running through your mind?  Something from a book or a poem?  Maybe a line from a movie or a song?  Feel free to leave them in the comments section below — and always, happy gardening.

37 thoughts on “Bloomin’ Update 39: Spring Awakening!”

  2. I think it is more emotion than words swirling in my head as spring fever is in full bloom even if my garden is not. You have captured my feelings perfectly. Lots of spring cleaning to do but hard to concentrate. And those April showers keep me inside more than I would like. But our weather is warming a great deal this coming week so spring will show all her glory. Not sure I will be able to concentrate on my day job.

    Reply

    • Hi Donna. It’s amazing what a little bit of warmth can do to a spring garden. Something new is always appearing. Glad to hear you’re having some April showers — we can certainly use some of those on Long Island. Happy daydreaming. 🙂

      Reply

    • Hi Karen. It was a slow start here as well, and things only just started to warm up a bit — although the nights are still a bit chilly. Hang in there!

      Reply

  4. when we were digging the bamboo out we couldn’t help but sing a few lines from the Chitty chitty bang bang song ” Me Ole Bam boo ” 🙂
    Loving the sight of the hosta and the magnolia – ours is late this year what with the late and hard winter we’ve had, but it will be flowering soon!

    Reply

    • Hi Claire. I really enjoyed your bamboo post. The magnolia here seemed to have nothing for the longest time — then, with a bit of warmer weather, buds appeared and bloomed. One day was especially warm, and one of the blossoms started to wilt and drop its petals. I thought I was going to be robbed of a spring display, but the temps cooled down, and now the tree is covered. Hope you have a lovely spring show of flowers in your part of the world. Be well!

      Reply

    • Hi Laura. I am so sorry to hear that. Spring has to be in your neighborhood eventually. It’s mid-April and it can’t keep snowing. At least, I hope it doesn’t. Hang in there.

      Reply

  7. “Springtime is your time, is my time, is our time and Springtime is love time.
    Viva sweet love!”

    Never could remember the author but I learned that in 7th grade English class 100 years ago and have never forgotten it. I’m thrilled and rejoice daily seeing things break out of dormancy to add green to the drab landscape as winter loses its grip on the garden. The Hellebores/Lenten roses I planted the past few years are jam-packed with blooms + dozens more buds so they’re really living up to their potential after taking a few years to get established. Daffs are also blooming and hostas slowly poking up through the mulch. Oh, here’s another one from 7th grade English class: “Spring is sprung. The grass is riz. I wonder where the birdies is.”

    Reply

    • Hi Eileen. The first quote comes from poet e.e. cummings — but you’re second quote brought a huge smile to my face. Thanks for sharing! Enjoy the blooms.

      Reply

  8. Springtime is you time etc. is by poet E.E.Cummings, born 1894,died1962.
    Spring is Sprung etc. is attributed to Ogden Nash but there are many variations. It is also known as the Brooklyn and/or Bronx National Anthem.

    Reply

    • It seems like you and Eileen were in the same class. 🙂 It’s interesting how it became known as the Brooklyn or Bronx National Anthem. I wonder how that happened.

      Reply

  9. I like Zurn, but Anderson made me laugh. No quotes for you today; sadly, I’ve barely had time to linger in the garden. I threw some sweet pea and Spanish flag seeds into the ground and ran back inside. I’m hoping they don’t take it personally.

    Reply

    • Hi Debra. Peonies are among my favorite spring flowers — I’m sure I’ll be out there taking their photos. Speaking of photos . . . Love the new avatar. 🙂

      Reply

      • Thank you, Kevin. It only took me two years to include a photo at the insistence of a friend. LOL! We can’t grow peonies in our “too warm” climate, and when I see them in a flower arrangement, usually a rather expensive one, of course, I just swoon! I’ll look forward to yours! 🙂

      • You’re braver than me. 🙂 I always wrestle with the idea of making my icon more personal. It might be time to take the plunge — but I’d rather take photos of peonies. 🙂

  14. You have such beautiful plants in your garden, Kevin, and lovely choice of poem and prose! Our autumn leaves are just turning. I think of what a wonderful haven the garden can be – enjoy this very special season, cheers
    Flavia

    Reply

  17. Lovely photos! Spring is my favorite time of the year – it’s like morning with everything waking up. Summer is a profusion of blooms and heady fragrance and fall, especially here in the Smokies, is gorgeous with the fiery colored trees, but spring is like that first cup of coffee in the morning.

    Reply

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