It’s been particularly cool this spring in Niagara, Canada. Cherry Blossoms have barely budded and the lilacs are still tiny pods waiting to burst forth.
As I wander around my garden, I can’t help but crave the colour and beauty of flowers. What do you do when you are craving flowers and it has been a long grey winter?
Don’t get me wrong, winter has its romance for me, but it is now May and I am ready for spring flowers and all that comes with spring, both the rain and the sunshine.
My remedy was to take myself off to the garden centre, where there is always something blooming. You can see my little jaunt in this video. And you’ll also see the significant difference in the cherry blossoms and lilac trees between May 1st last year and May 1st of this one.
Of course nature is a great teacher and from her we learn patience. Everything, including spring will happen in its own time, and as Mother Nature deems possible.
I can’t wait to garden and celebrate in the joys of spring, but for now I wait. Especially this week, when it is all rain and unseasonably cool temps.
As you will see from these images, the forsythia bushes have just bloomed and the willow tree is barely sprouting. On the bright side, at least the grass is green and ready for cutting.
What is spring like where you are?
If you are craving cherry blossoms in Niagara and looking for places to see them, read my Cherry Blossom post by clicking here, https://lifewithalegria.com/2022/04/11/where-to-find-cherry-blossoms-in-niagara/
Life with Alegria 
I particularly liked the last year vs. this year comparison.
I would never have thought of going to the garden center. How creative! And the gifted bouquet was beautiful and so timely, it seems.
Just before I started reading your post, I brewed myself some green tea. While doing so, I noticed a QR code on the tea. Curious, I scanned it. The code took me to a page with a video of a chamomile field with nature sounds. It was brief – last than a minute, but it was pretty cool and made me think of you. Maybe you should collaborate with tea companies to have your nature videos help people unwind as they sip some tea.
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Thank you so very much Sam for thinking of me. How beautiful to see a whole field of chamomile. I do love tea too, and brewing a cup before reading a good book or watching some beautiful videos always feels like a luxury.
The idea on collaboration sounds like a good one. I do love nature and making nature videos that move others and myself to a more joyful and peaceful mindset.
Thanks for being here, and your thoughtful comment Sam.
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What a joy to watch your video, Alegria. 💗
The garden centre is a good place to remedy a craving for flowers – and it usually is free.
It has been my go-to, before, as well. So have videos and photos I took during other seasons or years.
My best remedy has always been to just go out in Nature as it is. Eventually, I would usually make peace with the present state.
However, I do understand one wishes for warmer temperatures in May, other than having snow, yet again, after an already long Winter.
Here, the later blooming Japanese cherry trees are wrapping up Hanami and the trees are beginning to unfold their leaves. Also, many wild herbs are coming back to life, like daisies, creeping charlie, and dandelion.
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Thank you very much Stefanie. I’m so glad you enjoyed the video. You’re quite right about the garden centre. I find myself wandering around the flowers several times during gardening season. The only issue being, I always buy things because they’re too beautiful to pass up.
Nature is always the best remedy. I’m certain that gardening will begin soon here and the warm sun will be out again soon.
I’m intrigued by the creeping Charlie. They are the bane of my existence as they flourish here in the summer between my plants and I’m always pulling them out. Here we consider them to be a fast growing, unwelcome weed. Not so there?
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Creeping charlie is considered a weed, here, by many, as well. I like to call weeds “wild herbs” as most of them have a purpose. Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea), for example, is edible. So are daisy and dandelion. And the bees love them, too.
I hear you regarding buying things in the garden centre. I guess, for once, only having a balcony is an advantage… 😅
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Thanks for the info Stefanie. I love that you call weeds, wild herbs. Here dandelions are considered weeds and people spray their lawns to get rid of them. I only see them as flowers and enjoy them while they bloom in spring. Then they disappear and the lawn is all green again. I knew they were edible, but did not know that about creeping Charlie.
Having a balcony is definitely the upside to keeping the plant budget safe. I might still find it hard though. 😆
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That’s a lovely video! I especially like the soothing colours of the water at the end, and what a beautiful bouquet of flowers! I love fresh flowers in the house but seldom have them here. Instead I sit in my little patio and smile at the plants. Not being very patient is probably one of the reasons I live in Portugal, but Spring comes, and then it goes…
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Oh the spring sunsets here are magnificent with soft pastel hues sometimes. And yes, I love fresh flowers in the house. Especially during the seasons when we have nothing in the garden. I’m so ready for gardening. Soon, it’s coming. Thanks for your lovely comment Jo! 🌸
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Spring is moving right along here in NY; flowers are in bloom. Maybe you need to pay us a visit 😊.
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Gosh would I love to Jan. I’m so ready for some sunshine and flowers in my garden. Or even just to begin gardening. Enjoy!
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Hang in there, I’m sure it’s just around the corner. Any day now 😊.
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Oh it’s coming. I can feel it! Have a beautiful day Jan!
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It will be there in no time! I can’t wait to get back to Sarnia and start some planting in my new garden!
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Yes I bet, but hang out on the beach for a bit down there, it’s still too cool up here. Next week looks promising though. So let’s hope.
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Beautiful video as always. And I love your remedy – wonderful. I also loved that you used the word “quell” – what a rich word that I hadn’t thought of in ages.
Our cherry blossoms have come and gone, the lilacs are in bloom and the grass is growing in Seattle. But we did have an unusual cold snap in April. But for this area, the green doesn’t stop for long! 🙂
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Your spring sounds fabulous Wynne. As for the word quell, when my young adult daughter read it, she laughed, and said, “Wow mom, that’s a weird old word. Who even talks like that?” 😆🤣😆 She knows the word now. My job is done.
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I love it! Always a teacher! 🙂
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Even when they don’t appreciate the teaching. 🤣
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