It's finally here ... Spring! The sun has returned, the skies are blue, and there are actually buds coming out on the trees (this is an old picture from last year because it's hard to see the tiny buds, but you get the idea).
Yesterday I spent some time over at my daughter's house watching them clean out the garden beds and do some concrete repairs to the front walk that had taken a beating from the shovels, salt, and relentless cold. My youngest granddaughter had been selling plants as part of a fundraiser at school for a local urban garden project and I purchased two for the front of their house (I am a huge supporter of urban gardens). After the front bed was weeded and mulched, my #1 granddaughter, who started learning her gardening skills from me at the age of 2, put the new plants in - cosmos for their pretty yellow, and some tiny green and white ground cover for contrast . Even though I did not actually get my hands dirty, it was a joy to watch the next generation pick up the baton ... or in this case, the trowel ... and carry on the gardening tradition. It was my little way of doing my part to welcome spring, and to celebrate Earth Day with my family.
Mother Teresa advised us not to try to do great things but to do small things that make great changes. Supporting our local urban gardening groups and passing on my love of gardening to another generation are my small things, but in the end they make our world a more beautiful and peaceful place to live. Welcome, Spring.
And so it is.
