Monday, April 15, 2013

April Showers...


April Showers…

“April showers bring May flowers.” Remember that old saying? Well, here we are in April, experiencing a variety of showers from the drizzle today to the downpour a few nights ago. The early bloomers are drinking it up while the soil is warming up and loosening for Spring planting.

It’s nice to have the illusion of predictability that the saying implies, especially as the seasons have been a little different lately – hardly any snow in winter (at least not around my backyard though some places had whopper storms that slammed them with feet, not inches) and eighty-plus degrees before Spring had a chance to take a deep breath. But plants are not relying on the saying to do what they do. It has as much to do with where they are growing, whether they are annuals or perennials, when they develop their bulbs or seeds. Even so, rain does bring warmer temperatures and moisture that stimulates plant growth and energizes the earth.

If we look deeper into the saying, however, we can see that it is as much about us as it is about rain and flowers. It hints of sunny times following clouds, of the value of patience, and of keeping a positive outlook even when things seem dark and dreary. Sort of a prompt to our growth as well. Not a bad way to start the season, whenever the season starts for you.


And a look into the origin and symbolism of the saying:

No comments:

Post a Comment