Signs of Spring

After a long, cold, snowy winter, I am quite sure everyone is eagerly looking for a break in the weather. In fact, one might even call it a "spring break". The signs of Spring are all around; the crocuses and daffodils are popping up, MLB season is underway, and the professional golfers are playing at The Masters. For most of us, these are the signs indicating that Spring has sprung, and boy how rejuvenating that can be. However, as we have turned the page of the calendar to April, the attention to outside activities captures our focus, and that only means one thing. The indoor tasks now will probably have to wait for a rainy day or be resumed later in the Fall.

When I was a kid, Spring meant that it was time to change from snow sports to field sports which meant putting away the toboggans and sleds and start thinking of baseball or getting out the golf clubs. However, for my mother it meant that it was time for planting. Oftentimes, my mother either went to Knapp's or Cherry Hill nursery to start the annual ritual of beautifying the yard. She'd have us unload bales of peat moss and what seemed like an infinite number of flats containing pansies, petunias, and geraniums. Occasionally the plants didn't make their way to the ground right away, but once we received the "final" ultimatum, we had little choice but to start digging. Mom was the field lieutenant, and we, including my Dad, carried out her landscaping strategies. I must say, however, she always was the benevolent taskmaster, so if we were successful in our efforts, the "yard boss" would reward us through her work for food program. Eventually, she gave each of us our own area of the flower bed to groom and cultivate which has proven to reap huge returns for all of us.

Yes, Spring is a time for planting, yet the results of the hard work can sometimes take more than just a season to realize. However, with the proper instruction, the right mix of nutrients and care, then followed by a generous dose of sunshine called TLC in this case, the end result can certainly yield a beautiful garden. Thanks Mom for having such a "green thumb" and the patience to help cultivate the in residence gardeners to their full potential!