April in San Diego
“To be interested in the changing seasons is…a happier state of mind than hopelessly in love with spring.” – George Santayana
Much as there is beauty in each season (and some people say that San Diego has no real change of seasons since the climate is pretty steady throughout the year) I still LOVE Spring!!! longer days, sunny days, sporadic rainy days that clean the air and brighten the sky… the anticipation of summer around the corner. Bulb flowers are everywhere- tulips, freesia, ranunculus, hyacinth, daffodils– in gardens, or sold by the bunches instead of by the stem, affordable and delicate, with palettes of bright to pastel.
As I make the hospice arrangements each weekend, donations from Trader Joe’s continue to be the mainstay. I find the usual standards of alstroemeria, chrysanthemums and gerbera daisies, but the bulb flowers are there, included in the boxes. Even though they are dehydrated, once the stems are re-cut short and put in water, those flowers forgive neglect, start to hydrate, and- if you didn’t know it before, you know it now- they even grow AFTER they are cut!!! the life and energy of the bulb is still in their stems! Tulips are the most dramatic, growing in length by 6- 8 inches after you cut the stems and place them in water!
Spring is here, and it’s time to celebrate! get yourself some tulips, and watch them move & grow toward the light. My advice? oh yes, fall hopelessly in love with Spring!
This is beautiful, Diane. I am writing this on my new smart phone as I sit here on the couch. I have much to learn. Spring is beautiful here in the desert, also. Thanks for sharing your depth of feelings to describe this season of new life and how to enjoy it.
Yes, the desert manifests Spring in a different kind of beauty! I’m so glad you are there to celebrate it!
Gosh darn-it girl – you write better than anyone else I know!! Your so expressive and it almost feels like prose or poetry. I LOVE reading this – and as you know SPRING brought my yard to life big-time this year.
Spring up here is unbelievable! So many perennials, just invisible a month ago leaf out so quickly! Our tulips are late this year, just getting started. But despite the deer nibblers, quite a few have naturalized. Yay for spring!
love that you are having extended tulip weather~
Happy Spring, my friend!