Every spring, I experience many “This is Actually Happening” moments in my yard.

I may have watched the movie American Beauty a few too many times, but I say honestly that sometimes there is so much beauty in my front and back yard, it hurts. And at this time of year, beauty doesn’t come in a showy or full package. There is beauty in what pokes out of the soil. Beauty in how easily everything multiplies and morphs. Beauty in how nothing becomes something, roots become flowers, flowers become fruit. While all this beauty happens around me, I simply stand back with proud green thumbs and admiring eyes and take it all in.

Most of my posts on this blog are written, personal essays. So in the spirit of spring and the changes it brings, I thought I would share what I see in my yard. These photos might be basic and boring to some, or a lot of work to others. But to me, well, given that they got their very own post, it isn’t hard to tell I think these garden moments are something special.

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I love lilies. They are my all-time favourite perennial. I have at least a hundred lilies spread into nearly every corner of my yard. I received lily bulbs from Botanus in the middle of May of this year. I planted them shortly thereafter and about 10 days later, like magic, they popped out of the soil to show their crowns. Wait two months and poof! — amazing near-black lilies will appear.

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I planted Black Eyed Susans last year that were annuals, meaning they only live for one growing season. But low and behold, what do I find this spring?  Last year’s Susans decided they liked where they were living. They went to seed and these three girls decided to surprise me and join me for another summer.

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As soon as the snow melts, you can count on the green leaves of Elephant Ears. And it is always the first flower in the entire garden. This plant is a beacon of hope after every long, dreary winter.

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I started with one fern. And they told two friends, and so on and so on. Every year they grace me with more.

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My Evans Cherry tree. Where you see spent flowers, in early August I will harvest delicious sour cherries, enough to enjoy for an entire year. How can one tree give so much?

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Larger than life rhubarb and it isn’t even June. All I see is pie.

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Like every thing in the garden, it’s about the promise of something more.