Spring has been a little strange this year. It was unseasonably cold and then we had something of a warm spell, fooling us into thinking that spring had arrived. But… the cold re-appeared and some of the trees and shrubs that bud were in danger of losing their blooms as we had some late frost.
Finally, the weather seems to have settled down and spring has arrived. Here in Indiana, we try to have our pots and beds planted by Mother’s Day – but this year we were in jeopardy of not making that deadline. Finally, last week-end, just before we celebrated our mothers last Sunday, we were able to get most of the plants in. We have a master gardener and her husband who have assisted us for the past four years or so and one of Janet’s spring highlights is to go shopping with Andrew and design the various flower pots on the decks and porches.
I feel pretty out of it this year with my lack of mobility but it was great fun to see the front of the house finally start to come together for the summer. We also have a perennial garden out back, with a walkway down the center, and that has really taken off this year. The yellow iris, one of my favorite flowers, looks awesome and everything is starting to grow and expand to fill in the bare spots in the garden. Being from Chicago, I don’t expect iris to bloom until the Memorial Day week-end, so I still get surprised when I see them pop a week early here in central Indiana.
We also filled the hummingbird feeders and have every hope that we will soon be visited by those colorful little creatures. The regular assortment of birds is already in residence and we have already seen goldfinches, cardinals and many other birds on the feeders.
We have put out the summer furniture and cushions as we get ready to fence the yard for Hank. It is clear that he already loves our lot and it is amazing to me how much more calm he is after he has spent an hour or two running around the yard or laying in the sun as Janet and I enjoy the mass of color in the we see from our lower patio. And I can’t help but be reminded of the things my grandfather taught me about the seasons and how spring is the time of new birth, color and the promise of growth and summer.
It’s so special to see how fast things grow when they are planted in the right places and even though every once in a while we have a perennial that doesn’t come back from the dead of winter, those instances are becoming more rare the longer we live here and the more things get established in the yard. We still have some things to do, such as setting up the lower fountain and getting the grills ready for the summer, but so far, we are thrilled with the splashes of color and the excitement we experience each spring.
Our verse for the evening is from the Song of Solomon. This book was written by David’s son, King Solomon, and is really as series of love poems, usually referred to as the most risque book of the Bible. But our verse has to do with the appearance of the spring. We are told, in Song 2:12, “Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.”
My encouragement tonight is that God created the beauty of the earth for us to enjoy and protect for future generations. My prayer is that in the busyness of life this year, you will stop and “smell the roses” as we enjoy what has been created for us! Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…