Let's Talk About...Spring Flowers

Ok. You know how they say, "April showers bring May flowers?" Well, it is May and for color-deprived Coloradans, May can never come too soon. Suddenly trees have a welcome aura of green and then the parade of flowers begins. First the crocus, then hyacinth, then daffodils and tulips. We are currently at the iris stage in the lineup with peonies on deck. They will soon be followed by daisies, roses and everything else batting clean-up.

Instant lift to the gray winter spirits!

Mother's Day traditionally signals the end of overnight freezes, so they say it is then safe to plant your flowers.

Have you been to The Flower Bin recently? The line to get into the parking lot is a parade of its own. I braved the crowds the day before Mother's Day with everyone else because, well, tradition is tradition, and I had to get my flowers in the ground exactly on Mother's Day.

So, there I was in our backyard, enjoying an afternoon of contentment with the warm sun on my back, hands in the earth, motivated by my vision of an array of color to look at from my kitchen window.

But let's be real. Three hours later, I am covered in dirt and sweat and surrounded by plant containers and mud. The pots are pretty, for sure, but why do I never remember to water them after I put them on the porch or across the yard? Terracotta pots filled with dirt, plants and gallons of water are unbelievably heavy. I wonder if that is why my back aches.

However, there is a certain spring satisfaction surveying the results. But we all know there is a price for all that visual stimulation. And I am not talking about the price of the soil, fertilizer, and plants. I am talking about that endless watering harness you just strapped to yourself.

You may not have noticed, but Colorado is dry. So dry that you must water your pots almost every day. For over three months. That is a commitment to Mother Nature you made when you swiped your credit card at The Flower Bin.

It may be a price you gladly pay in May but are equally glad to cash-out in September.

But with color and a job well done, spirits are uniformly lifted. So, do you sit back on your newly placed outdoor furniture and relish the moment? Perhaps, but the next day, I find myself continuing my ongoing gardening frenzy.

Today, for example, I re-learned the joy of the simple hoe. Remember the massive windstorm we had recently? I thought all my mulch flew to Kansas. Then I got out the hoe and, miraculously, there was fresh mulch under that brown/gray mat just waiting to be turned. It looked fresh, fluffy and beautiful. What a difference a simple hoe makes!

Now that spring is back in your step, I urge you to get out, enjoy the colors, the dirt, the changing landscape and discover joy in the mundane as well as the extraordinary.