Spring?  What’s that? During the especially windy, especially wet winter, there were times when it felt like spring would never come.  But it did come, unhindered by viruses or governments, it returned right on time and beyond human control.

Thankfully, my autumn choices of flowering plants triumphantly braved the winter and heralded spring. The Bellis daisies and wallflowers flourished whilst most of the pansies simply persevered.  To my amazement, the primroses eventually reemerged despite slimy slug demolition last summer.  Some plants kept a few straggly blooms but these have emerged as my winter champions in West Yorkshire: cyclamens (in the southern US, we could only halfheartedly grow them as houseplants), which bloomed all autumn, winter and into spring; Bellis daisies–their “brushes” in various pinks, and wallflowers (undeserved metaphor for the shy and retiring) in multiple shades of mauve—all on the same flower; these were undeterred by hard freezes and day after day of 50 mph winds.

Cyclamen, one of my winter champion flowering plants

Bellis daisies and large pansy bloomed all winter

Mauve wallflowers–another of my winter champions

From late winter to the first hints of spring, to the casual eye my side border seemed only an overflow of weeds, but experience and hope told me that there would be much more.

My side border anticipating spring

Primroses and forget-me-nots in side border

Fuchsia–“Purple Supernova” long-stemmed primrose and orange tulips in side border

Experience and hope, tell me that God will again intervene in this long season of uncertainty and instability, bringing joy, peace and healing, with resolution.  Spring didn’t forget us.  Nor has God.

Which flower first gives you the hope of spring?