Spring is Busting Out All Over!!!

Well okay, just the forsythia and daffodils right now, but I am completely motivated and energized by the sight of those yellow blossoms.

I just love SPRING!

It's a good thing I feel so energized, because spring actually means a LOT of work around the house. For example, there is our front stoop, which desperately needs fresh paint, colorful potted plants, and a new welcome mat.

Then there is the front yard, in desperate need of pruning and leaf-clearing:

Another view of the front yard:

And yet another view of the front yard, under the plum tree:

And the overgrown nandina on the side, which also needs clearing and pruning:

This is the back of the house, more leaf clearing and pruning:

And this is my deck! Even more work, it needs to be cleaned, the new deck furniture I bought needs to be assembled, etc...

I am not usually one to be motivated by the prospect of hours, days, even weeks of work! So what is so energizing about spring? Honestly, I'm not really sure.

Spring is all about new life, regeneration, and beauty, and I just love being part of it. More than New Years Day, I have the sense of new beginnings. More than New Years Day, I commit to resolutions and follow through on them. I WILL make my deck an outdoor sanctuary. I WILL protect my peonies from powdery mildew this year. I WILL train clematis to climb up my arch. And so on.

And massive rewards are just around the corner! Look at this flowering plum tree!

Look at this grape hyacinth!

All around my yard, plants are pulsing with life, pushing their way though the dirt (how I love the red tips of my peony buds), ready to explode with color. The next two to three months will literally be a parade of blooms, and I can't wait!