Reward

If September through December was a long stretch of digging, and March was all just anticipation, then April has been the beginning of the reward. We are immersed in views of brilliant flowers, with green tulip buds still everywhere waiting for a few more days of warmth and sunshine. The daffodils, more blooms by the day, are just a living force of color, and the shocking orange-red Praestans Fusilier tulips are so tiny (they start blooming at about 5″ tall), and then they keep opening more blooms until they have five on the same plant – something I’ve never seen before. They’re spectacular. I have five patches of them along the walk, and they’re so attention-grabbing.

Here’s the view from the master bedroom – it’s a great way to wake up, and every time I go by during the day, or to the path, or to the family room, they all sing out, a riot of growing things in amidst the blue and the rocks and the mulch.

All of the re-leveling and rocks were expensive, sanding and repainting the chairs took eons, and then there was so much hard work of all the choices and planting and mulching, but this side yard just resonates to me. I’m very invested in it, I loved it even in the winter when nothing particularly changes, but watching it wake up again is such a pleasure.