There are few machine noises these days, just the occasional car in the distance or neighbors working in their yards. The bird song has been astounding, as if they can now hear each other clearly and are no longer struggling to communicate through a wall of manmade sound.
The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear. ~Rumi
I was weeding near the ‘Snow Fountains’ Japanese cherry tree yesterday when I heard a loud buzzing sound. It was the first bumblebees of the season as they dove through the branches and nuzzled blossom after blossom.
“What a strange thing!
to be alive
beneath cherry blossoms.”
~
I love the quiet moments in my garden. Did you know that scientists have discovered that as we isolate and stop our frenzied pace, the earth itself has become quieter?
Spring holds hope for a new beginning and this year is no different, but perhaps it is more important and more longed for in these strange times. The sun shining through blossoms of the spicebush
and the light on the footpath 
seem to promise renewal and fresh beginnings at a deeper level – I hope so.
It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart. ~Rilke
The daffodils and Virginia bluebells are opening . . .
along with late blooming double hellebore ‘Rose Quartz’. 
Life is uncertain yet we can still be kind, still be thoughtful, still be loving. Each step in the garden reminds me that Mother Earth and her creatures are flourishing even as our human world is turned upside down. My greatest hope is that we will find a way to live in harmony with each other and with the earth. Many people are in desperate need now – I encourage you to do what you can in your own way to help, whether it is to call a friend or contribute to your local food bank. If you are in need, please reach out to others for help – we are all in this together.
If people did not love one another, I really don’t see what use there would be in having any spring. ~
Thank you for walking with me in the garden. I wish each of you gentle silence and peace of heart.
Listen to silence. It has so much to say. ~Rumi
All photographs and text ©2020 Lynn Emberg Purse, except where noted.
Last week, a freezing rain followed by snow turned the woods into a fairy land but bent to the ground many trees that had not yet dropped their leaves.
Grateful that our electric power stayed on, several friends were not so lucky and dealt with many cold days and dark nights. Alas, our white pines suffered damage from the heavy load and lost several branches, crushing a chair beneath them. Fortunately the Chinese dogwoods (Cornus kousa) and Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) trees sprung back up after being bowed to the ground. Resilience in nature is not to be underestimated!
composerinthegarden 