7 Things I Love About Spring

Today is officially the first day of spring. After a long WET winter, I’m not sure you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who wasn’t looking forward to some aspect of spring. As a gardener, I’m almost giddy about it. I spend most of January begging and pleading with the ground to unfreeze so I can plant some seeds outdoors already! I look forward to spring every single year. The season holds so much promise. With the changing of the weather, the blooming of the flowers, the vision of a full, lush garden.—there is so much to love about spring. Here are my top 7:

The gardening: Of course this is at the top of my list. I spend all winter planning my spring garden and prepping seeds indoors, so when the weather starts to change I want to throw open the shutters and scream, “It’s time!” Of course I don’t have shutters to throw open, but if I did, I totally would. When the world is cold and frozen, I daydream about digging in the dirt, harvesting fresh produce, watching little seedlings sprout up. Spring gardening might not see the biggest yields, but spring gardens definitely hold the most promise.

The flowers: I love fall for the beautiful leaves and winter for the white blanket of snow, but the blooms of spring just might take the cake.  When those flowers burst through the ground and sprinkle the landscape that has been bleak and barren for months with color, I can’t help but smile. Spring flowers are so refreshing, so bold and so freakin pretty. I like driving around to look at them, kinda like some people drive around to look at Christmas lights. It might be the contrast of the blah winter scenery, but seeing all that color just puts me in a better mood.

The weather: By the time spring rolls around I’m so over the cold I can barely stand it. I don’t want to turn the fireplace on. I don’t want to wear a heavy coat. I don’t want to curl up under a blanket. I’m over all of that. I just want to open the windows and let the fresh breeze in. And I want to be able to sleep with those windows open without freezing to death. And I want the sunshine that comes with spring. That glorious sunshine beating down on my face as I work in the garden. There are few better feelings in the world!

The outdoors: I don’t let the winter months keep me cooped inside. I’ll still bundle up and venture out to take Lucy on walks, but I certainly don’t look forward to it.  In the springtime, you can’t keep me inside. I’ll spend every waking second outdoors. I’ll take longer walks and enjoy every second of it, eat meals outside or even drag the laptop out and work from my back patio. Springtime is not too hot and not too cold. Makes for the most perfect outdoor weather!

The longer days: I pack my days. I sleep very little, so when I’m up, I’d love for the sun to join me so I can get my laundry list of outdoor chores done. As winter fades and the days begin to get longer, my to-do list happily grows. Those longer days mean more productive hours for me, and that thought makes me happier than you can imagine.

The BBQs: Coleslaw, baked beans, grilled everything. Yum! I absolutely love BBQ season. It means less chaos in the kitchen because the main protein is cooked {and often eaten} outside. It also means I get to pull out some of my favorite BBQ recipes I’ve kept locked up in the winter {because something doesn’t sound as right about Peach Ginger Glazed Chicken or Dijon Potato Salad with Green Onions in the dead of winter while there’s snow on the ground!}.

The smells: Speaking of BBQ, walking outside and smelling those grills and whatever mouthwatering recipe they are cooking is awesome. I also love the smell of fresh cut grass and then, of course, there are the flowers. Those smells all mingle together and make spring a great season for your sniffer!

What’s your favorite season? Are you a spring lover, too?

If so, what’s your favorite thing about spring?

~Mavis