The birds are singing, the sun is shining, and the flowers blooming. Spring is in the air. Spring is probably my favorite season. As the sun warms the earth and me, the greenery starts to flourish there is a promise of more warmth to come. The ground becomes alive with color from a long winters nap. Living in my RV it means running water! Woohoo! That makes me excited!
Just a note…I do not think these plants are called Buttercups but that is what I called them when I was growing up.
The grass goes from a cold brown to a vibrant green. Buds start to appear on the barren branches as the foliage starts to flourish in the sun’s magic. The early flowers like daffodils and tulips light up the landscape with color. I love the beauty of a tulip tree. It is a messy tree when it is done but what a pretty smell along with gentle beauty it adds to the landscape.
Growing up in Niagara, the smell of spring is blossoms. The fruit blossoms that cover the landscape give off a fragrance that just makes you smile. Niagara is fruit country. Including but not limited to apples, pears, cherries, peaches and of course grapes with some of the best wineries in the world in the area. The promise of fresh fruit in the air. There is nothing like biting into a crisp apple right off the tree or the juice of a fresh peach running down your chin to please a fruitful palate. Make sure to visit the numerous roadside fruit and vegetable stands as they come into season.
If you like wine Niagara is the place to be. Pellar Estates, Jackson Triggs, and Chateau des Charms just to name a few are all award winning wineries. Even Wayne Gretsky has a Winery in Niagara. I am told the wine is as good as his hockey skills. A special treat in Niagara is their Icewine. Inniskillin Wineries is said to have a wonderful assortment of award winning Icewines. A sipping tour can keep you going all day but I would suggest a designated driver.
Spring also brings the most fragrant flower and my personal favorite, the lilac. It grows on a bush but those bushes can grow to the size of trees. Appearing in a variety of colours, my favorite is purple but I am sure you guessed that, the colour is as vibrant as the fragrance. If I am in the area I will always take a walk through the Centenial Lilac Gardens in Niagara Falls.
My love of lilacs comes from my childhood. We had a few lilac bushes on our property and come spring my Mom would open the windows and the sweet scent of lilacs would fill the house. When I raised my girls, the neighbour had a huge lilac tree, close enough to fill my own house with that beautiful aroma. For me it was always the official sign of spring. Even living in the van, if I can find a wild lilac tree you know there is a flower coming down the road with me and filling the van with the smell of spring.
Take a walk through an orchard in bloom or a stroll through a lilac garden and breath in the smell of spring. Do not forget to pick a dandelion and put it under chin to see if you like butter. Lol.
Off to find a wild lilac bush. Thanks for coming along on my Chipmunk Adventure.
See you next week
🐿