Reawakening in Technicolor

Reawakening in Technicolor
            The blooming of flowers each year, even after the harshest winters, is one of nature’s kindest reassurances that things will be alright, that life will go on. Daffodils poking through the snow at Easter were my proof that spring might finally arrive during my snow country childhood in Upstate New York. Lilacs then filled the air with the heavenly smell of late spring. Apple blossoms meant we were going to see apples in late summer.
            Every year in San Francisco as winter marches toward spring, I watch for big, bold blossoms in pink, white, and shades in between. Rivaling plum blossoms, the other winter stunners, magnolia trees dazzle the eyes with their showy, giant petals.
            We see them on city streets and at random spots around Golden Gate Park. San Francisco’s Botanical Garden, though, offers a huge variety of magnolias for visitors to marvel at, even providing visitors with a map showing where specific magnolias are located around the garden grounds.
            I can’t resist highlighting the magnolias every year. There is a comfort in knowing that the short-lived beauty of these annual blossoms will show up again despite rain, drought, or personal or political turmoil. It’s peak magnolia season now, so check out this week’s archive hike Magnolia Stroll – San Francisco Botanical Garden.
            Other spring blooms that capture my heart but have not started blooming yet are cherry blossoms. This week my new essay about loss and renewal, “The Cherry Tree,” appears on The Renaissance Garden Guy website. Thanks to John Stamos, the Renaissance Garden Guy himself, for the invitation to contribute pieces to his site.
            “The Cherry Tree” is a piece that had me in tears as I wrote it and each time I went in to edit, so I didn’t give it as many edit passes as I should have, but I hope readers will give it a read and see if it strikes a heartstring about people and things they’ve loved and lost, and how we sometimes fill empty spaces. Feel the positive force of those annually re-emerging blossoms, and keep putting one foot forward!
 
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New this week:
Hike Notes 46: Magnolia Stroll – San Francisco Botanical Garden