Spring is Finally Here!!

Well, I am happy to say that spring has finally arrived here in Denmark! The new leaves on the trees are growing larger with each passing day and the colours around our garden are just fabulous! I've always been so inspired by the perseverance of the bulbs and perennials. Year after year, they survive the harsh danish winters to make their welcome re-appearance. They bring such a wonderful feeling of hope. Here are a few of my favorites! Grape hyacinths, pansies and last but not least, miniature daffs! I planted them in a little porcelain dish and keep them out on our patio so they'll last a little longer!

These Kejserkrone (or translated to english: Emperor's Crown) appear each spring, bigger and more beautiful than they did the previous year! Earlier, I wasn't quite sure of their name, but a friend of mine just informed me that their latin name is fritillaria imperialis! (Thanks, Lee Ann!) They are so pretty...they remind me a bit of the Bird of Paradise with its little tuft on top! Unfortunately, their flowers do not last very long, so they have to be enjoyed in the short time that they're in bloom.

Here is a beautiful danish native plant, the Anemone. It grows wild in the forests of Denmark and the abundant flowers resemble a fresh dusting of snow between the stately beech trees. The delicate blooms are star-shaped and have inspired poets, artists and nature-lovers alike. These anemones were transplanted from the forest to our yard and we hope that they'll quickly spread throughout the garden! I remember my mother lovingly describing the anemone to me when I was a child. Mom was so fond of those beech forests with their carpet of white anemones, and living in Canada, I knew that she missed the danish springtime very much. This time of year, we like to take a picnic basket and spend a day in the forest. I always pick a big bouquet of anemones and think of my Mom.

Spring is really such a special time of year, not only for it's subtle, delicate hues but for the beautiful memories it awakes in me....