Spring in the air!

After almost six months of long, cold and wet winter, spring is finally here!!!  Although, officially in the Pacific Northwest, winter was supposed to have ended nearly a month ago, winter didn't seem to let go without putting up a fight. So for most of us, April didn’t feel like spring at all until last weekend! For people in the west, the transition from winter to spring is most eagerly awaited, as it not only means more sunshine and light, but also allows freedom to explore and enjoy the great outdoors. Only after I came to the US did I realize the value of sunshine all year long, something we Indians, esp. the South Indians take for granted!  In this side of the globe, people really make hay when the sun shines!:-)

Spring also signifies blooming of flowering plants and the trees regaining their foliage. As we had taken Abhay to a tulip farm over the last weekend, I read the book “Planting a rainbow” by Lois Ehlert today. A great book to introduce your toddler to the vibrant world of colors or your pre-schooler to the colorful world of gardening. If you enjoy gardening and plan to involve your little one too, this book is for you! A child talks about how every year, she and her mom plant a rainbow in their backyard. A rainbow made up of orange tulips, red carnations, yellow daffodils, blue morning glories, purple asters and green ferns! The rainbow that is planted during fall, blooms in spring and continues to delight everyone through summer. When summer is over, it’s time to bid adieu to their rainbow garden and await its return in spring of next year! So, Spring is in the air, the soil is fertile and it’s time to get those gardening gloves out and plant a rainbow garden!