I love the color green, especially right now. All of our snow has finally melted away and the grass beneath is starting to perk up. Although there are frigid temperatures still ahead and more than likely some more snow before it's all said and done, there are more and more days when the color green starts to show itself off in different shades on the trees, shrubs and grass. Luckily, our Irish friends and relations have chosen the month of March to show off the color green as no others can .... in shamrocks.
Shamrocks are known as trifoliate plants, meaning plants who have leaves divided into three leaflets. They are included in the group of plants know as wood sorrel or any of the various plants of the pea family. It is said that St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, chose the shamrock as a symbol of the Holy Trinity of the Christian church because of its three leaves. For me it has a place of honor in the month of March not just because of St. Patrick's Day, but because by mid-March those of us in the colder climates are in dire need of something green we can fixate on, to get us through the next few weeks until the green shoots of the daffodils, snowdrops, and crocus start to peek up through the warmed, soft soil. The shamrock brings us that lovely shot of green and with it the hope that, perhaps, this year spring will come just a bit earlier and we will be surrounded again by all the lovely shades of green in Mother Nature's paint box.
And so it is.
