The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring, Tra-La!

Spring flower from late March at MMU. A peek into the future as the northern world turns brown.

November is slowly closing in, although this has been a long, pleasant fall in Iowa.

A bit of a cool rain is forecast over the next few days, and that, plus recent frost, may encourage the last of the trees to finally surrender their leaves—but in my yard, the maples and tulip are still hanging on to a fair amount of foliage, and the pears have yet to acknowledge autumn in any serious way.

On my commute, the Ash are all bare, but there are plenty of colorful maples and burning bushes left, and lots of lilacs have yet to turn brown.

From the bike parking rack at MMU I can look north across the valley that I cross on my commute and see fairy leafy-looking hillsides.

The November time when it all turns brown is coming soon enough. I actually enjoy the look of the stark bare landscape—you can see the hills in woods that are hidden in summer—but the brown scenery is a pale substitute for summer glory.

So this year, Audrey and I planted flower bulbs. Hundreds of them. I put lots of clumps of crocus in my front and back yards, hoping for that first splash of spring color that will herald spring. In addition, daffodils, tulips and hyacinth are planted at the bases of trees in my yard.

Along my commute, there are several years that are especially resplendent with flowers—one in particular at E Avenue and 42^nd Street. There is also a yard near MMU that used to have lots of crocuses in the lawn, although I think they may have been killed by weed spray last year.

Oh well. As the trees finally surrender the final leaves and the earth strips of its leafy cover, it’s nice to think that come spring, there will be the welcome signs of green and color.

So thank you, anonymous gardeners who plant your flowers between Bowman Woods and MMU—personally, I’m looking forward to the flowers of spring. Tra La!