Sweet Sweet Spring

When I was growing up, I don't remember Spring being an especially exciting time, nature-wise. I remember rain, daffodils, and then the leaves appearing. Pennsylvania is rampant with Dogwood Trees, as well, and those were beautiful, but as far as other flowering trees, they're just not sticking in my memory. And, even after living in Michigan for 5 years, the flowering trees never stuck out to me.

Then we moved to Ohio! Flowering trees are on every corner here, and are overflowing with blossoms, both fragrant and stunningly beautiful. Forsythia, Weeping Cherry, Snow Cherry, Magnolia, Crape Myrtle, Crabapple, Redbud.... I've never seen anything like it, and each year seems to get better and more abundant! Bulb flowers, though blooming everywhere here, take a backseat to the trees... The picture above is one of tons of magnolia trees in Goodale Park next to the candle shop.

So maybe my memory is a bit cloudy and I wasn't able to appreciate nature's beauty on a horticultural level, but I pray that I am continually surprised and delighted year after year here once Winter recedes and Spring takes over and the trees explode! I also pray I can stop buying flowering trees for our backyard...it's only so big! :)