Need a little springtime?

Quote of the day: “It always amazes me to look at the little, wrinkled brown seeds and think of the rainbows in ’em,” said Captain Jim. “When I ponder on them seeds I don’t find it nowise hard to believe that we’ve got souls that’ll live in other worlds. You couldn’t hardly believe there was life in them tiny things, some no bigger than grains of dust, let alone colour and scent, if you hadn’t seen the miracle, could you?” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne’s House of Dreams

As January fades into memory and February is well underway, many across the United States are dreaming of spring. It’s been a challenging winter—cold, snowy, treacherous—for many.

Here in Minnesota, the snow lies deep, snow piled at the edge of streets in Minneapolis is making it difficult driving, below average temperatures linger into February, and memories of last year’s late springtime (last snowfall was May 1 last year) has lots of us hoping for an early spring this year.

The magic of planting seeds

Here are some ways to get through those winter doldrums

1. Plan to plant a garden next spring, even if it’s only a pot garden on your balcony.  Look at some seed catalogs and consider starting your own garden plants from seed in the house. There’s nothing like planning a garden to banish winter blues.
2. Visit a local conservatory or greenhouse.  Two of my favorites in the Twin Cities are the Como Conservatory in St. Paul and the Tonkadale Greenhouse in Minnetonka. Just breathing in the scent of green things growing nourishes my soul.
3. Take an art class through community ed, at a local art center, or online.
4. Get outside when the temperature rises to the teens or twenties.  Sunshine, fresh air, and the beauty of the winter landscape will lift your spirits, even if it is still winter.
5. Go hear live music somewhere to lift your spirits.

And of course there’s my favorite solution—gaze at beautiful springtime photos—to remind me that spring always arrives in it’s own time, and is always magical.

Here are a few springtime photos I’ve gathered together for your enjoyment.