Spring is by far my favorite season, because each week seems to bring forth new visual delights. Bulbs, trees, and bushes planted many years ago still surprise me each spring. They are steady friends, showing up in the middle of cold, rain, and even snow.  They withstand tortuous winds, unrelenting sun, and even the occasional nibbling rabbit.

Grape hyacinth light up a forgotten patch of the yard, which during the rest of the year, goes unnoticed and unappreciated. 

 

Redolent bushes, with friendly names like "Carol Mackey Daphne" turn a walk way into a perfumed garden, where in my imagination, Tinkerbell-like fairies take up residence for a few weeks.

Tulips, appearing first in early March and continuing through the end of May, pop up in places that I both remember and have forgotten. Did I really plant some there?

 

And there?

And there?

 



When I run, my route takes me past a neighbor's house where a large crab apple tree creates a canopy over the sidewalk. While the fall brings messy apples fallen to the ground to be avoided or else smashed underneath my shoes, the spring brings gorgeous pink blossoms that are fit for any young girl's room. I feel special jogging underneath the extended branches with masses of flowers.

I have more to look forward to before the spring is done. Soon, the irises will grace the area just outside the door leading to the garage.

 

And the strawberry plants will reveal their red treasures, one by one.

 More spring, more beauty, more joy….