Hello my friend,

On the farm this week, we got another hint of spring with warmer temperatures. One day, I left the house with only a quilted zip-up vest for a cloak.  There have been many days during this pandemic, though, I must admit, I didn’t leave the farm, and sometimes, the house, only on rare occasions this past year. Sometimes, I didn’t actually get out of my nightgown until noon. Truth. I had no place to go during this sheltering in place year, so who cared. Lol. 

 Yet, the other night, it being dark already, raining cats and dogs, it occurred to me that I had planted some crocus bulbs (mid-December), and I wondered if they were up yet, induced by the warm weather.  Yep. You heard me right—planted in mid-December. I know, I hear you saying, “But Sherry, those spring-flowering bulbs are meant to be planted in the fall for spring flowers.”  And I get that. I swear.  

I ordered them in time to do just that—fall planting.   But the truth was, I couldn’t decide where to plant them. Such a dilemma.  All my current flower beds are saved for zinnias and roses mostly. So, with not knowing “where” I needed to dig another flower bed, I put them somewhere while I decided, and just like my mother, I put them somewhere I thought I’d remember, and then, just like that—wait for it—I couldn’t remember where somewhere was. Ha! Ha! (I’m blaming this tendency on mom! And she blames the tendency on her mother. Lol.) Know what I mean? 

 Well, my story unfolds that in mid-December, I can reflect on the time because I wrote a blog post, I Can Hardly Wait for Spring! About my crocus planting. In my blog post, I wrote about digging a small flower bed close to the sidewalk near our front door so that when they come poking their little grassy green shoots through their winter’s blanket, I will see them immediately. It is always a delight to see the first signs of spring, is it not, like the red-breasted Robin and the Crocus, reminding us that spring is so close that you can almost reach out and hug her. 

A few days back, after seeing someone’s post of their crocuses up and flowering.  I dashed outdoors to check my crocus progress.  I was hopeful. Yet, disappointed. Darn. As you guessed by my reply, the answer is mine had not yet come through the ground.   I wondered. 

Maybe, I planted them too late. I put them 3-4” down under the soil as the directions told me.  Maybe they need months of sleep to be able to come up. So not sure.

Crocuses don’t need full-time spring weather to come up.  I know, because I’ve had them before, and a blanket of snow beautifully surrounds them with their delicate, colorful petals of goldenrod yellow, creamy butter, lavender, purple, or white, as they forced their way up at just the right time of the year snow or no snow.   Do you have crocuses in your flower beds? If so, then you know how exciting it is to see them after the winter subsides.  

As I was writing this story, it still not being light yet. I decided to grab my phone flashlight and check for progress. I slipped on my boots, and at the edge of the sidewalk, in the light of the moon, I checked.  I shone the flashlight on the patch of soil I dug months ago.  I crouched closer. OMG., is that it? It is. Barely visible.  A tiny crocus head was poking through the ground. 

Well, as you might guess, and any gardener, past or present, know the elation I felt.  And that is how I roll. I love seeing new life, new beginnings, especially during the doldrums of winter—it breathes life into me. And a small patch of crocuses was worth every penny. The delayed planting only makes my story even better. Ah! I smiled. Spring is coming.  

So, reflect here for a moment on the seller’s internet description and see if it is so true “Generations of gardeners have delighted in seeing delicate-looking crocuses peeking through the snow in late winter and early spring.” Would you agree, like me, they are right? We welcome spring when we see the crocus—such delight.  

So, here’s the thing…If you once gardened but can’t anymore, but would love to, may I suggest buying a bouquet of cut flowers for the table. I have a $10 bouquet of pink tulips on my table now. Or force a bulb in the house—I have an Amaryllis in my windowsill.    It brings me joy to see its progress each morning. I’m hoping for a bloom real soon. May I add, Kroger’s has tulip bulbs right now in a vase of water!  Buy them. Watch them grow. You won’t be sorry. You’ll be reminded of God’s goodness every day that spring is on the way, and I assure you it’s worth every penny. Take Joy! 

Sherry is a regular columinist to The Brown County Press and Seasons Magazine. She shares her farmhouse memories and recipes from her life and on the farm sprinkled with peace, love, and joy! Her book My Farmhouse Journal: Memories and Recipes is available on Amazon.