Spring?

Spring is a confusing season in the mid-west, at least for me. I am a dyed in the wool California girl. No apologies, none. As I sit here in late April I can hear the thunder that has been announcing yet another storm to worry about. The thunder has been continuous for the last twenty minutes. Spring? I don't know. This is another in a fairly long list of potentially dangerous weather patterns. However, the above picture is of a pretty little dwarf cherry tree visible from the back door of my home. Lovely, but doomed as the flowers are already fading and when the cherries appear so will the birds and I will be unable to stop the madness. Sorry, carried away because I also live in a part of town that is frequented by Japanese beetles!!! They like my Rose of Sharon, cherries, blackberries, hibiscus, and crab apple.



The Lilacs were pretty this year though, because I did not get to do fall clean-up last year, they were not as abundant as usual. The scent was lovely.



This of course is pink dogwood. The flowers you see represent about the number of blooms I have seen each year for the eitht years I have lived here. Two to three blooms seems about it.



But this year!! The whole tree was covered. Even the storms and winds could not diminish the abundance. Don't know what happened but going with the flow for now. This picture was taken a few days ago, but still beautiful.



This Japanese Maple has long been a favorite of mine. The beetles like this as well. Now I have a service to keep me from losing it every year. I get emotional about my flowers and trees. At the base of the maple is a large Knock Out rose which resists pests and in this case seems to come back overnight.

The last two pictures are Anemones or Wind Flowers if you will. I have taken great care to exclude the weeds that still predominate the beds though between Therapy for Dale, grocery shopping and rain drops, I am beginning to make some head way and hope to have my usual display, though somewhat reduced. I have always thought of gardening as a very personal therapy. From the birth of a disabled child forty-five years ago to this last year watching my husband navigate his way through his toughest health challenges ever, I have longed to get my hands back into the soil. I hope you all have something that helps bring balance back into your life.

Now, as to whether there is Spring in Missouri, the jury is still out. However, for what it is worth, my own eight year observation suggests that it does come, but hurry to enjoy it because it is definitely fleeting. Sometimes I think the natives here just trying to be optimistic.