Ephemeral Spring Blooms

In honor of the last day of winter, and the coming spring, today’s post is about gardening.
I came across this post to the Denver Botanic Gardens blog recently, and it made me reflect upon the wonders of the ephemeral. The post, The Importance of the Ephemeral, discusses how bulbs like tulips work and how/why they developed as ephemeral. It’s a quick and interesting read, and it made me think about why I love these ephemeral spring blooms.

Tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, I love them all – but would I love them as much if they bloomed throughout the year? Probably not. Of course the blooms themselves are lovely, but their ephemeral nature is why I love them; they bloom for a short time, and they have a distinct association with a certain time and place. Without that association, without reminding me that the seasons are once again changing, I don’t think these ephemeral blooms would hold the same sway over me.

I’ll enjoy all the tulips, and hyacinths, and daffodils for the brief period of spring when they bloom, and remember them fondly until the same time next year. I hope you will too.

Happy (almost) spring everyone!

Is it spring yet?

Okay, so spring isn’t here quite yet, but I’m starting to think about my spring garden and am doing a little routine maintenance.
Recently, I pruned my roses to approx. 12″ to promote healthy spring growth. A few of the older roses were pruned to 20″ to add height in my summer garden. I left the mulch mounded around the roses though, as we’ll certainly see freezing temperatures for a while.
I also pruned my maple tree’s new growth, nipping any stray branches growing towards the interior to allow for the tree to focus on outward and upward growth.
Early blooming hyacinths and tulips are beginning to break through the ground.
I love the signs that spring is coming!