Reflections on My 39 Years in Umbria

While fall creeps up on us ever so gradually, spring explodes with little warning. As I was at the computer this afternoon, answering inquiries about 2008 Genius Loci reservations, Maurizio came in with a few wild violets, proudly giving them to me as if it were a full bouquet: the first wild violets, inspite of some snow and a colder than usual winter, here they are "on time" in all their fragrant beauty and with their bowed heads as if not to impose themselves on us.

Soon they will extensively carpet our lawns - today there are just a very few of the early bloomers, the sturdy few which precede the others.

the FIRST few wild violets

It is a clear, bright, sunny BUT cold day by our standards. Inspired by these first wild violets, armed with my inseparable digital camera companion, I toured the garden to find many others signs of imminent spring: multi-colored swollen buds on most shrubs, tightly wrapped new leaves aching to unwrap themselves, an array of tiny wild flowers barely sticking their heads up in the thick of the lawns and MANY fully developed wild violet plants with closed buds ready to burst.

the nearly opened yellow Mahonia (Oregon Grape Holly) buds

the brightly colored, spectacular, tightly wrapped-soon-to-open Photinia leaves against a blue sky

the graceful, lace-like Viburno buds

tight buds of the decorative Japanese Prugno tree

winter Ciclamini still gracing the garden since November!

The amazing force of spring, of rebirth, of renewal, of nature's cycles! Spring is here again!!!!!!!!!!!!