Hello Spring

Award-winning garden designer Lynn Hill applauds the symphony of spring – the sounds and colours of nature’s vibrant rebirth.

A timeless proverb says, ‘April comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb’. I love this piece of traditional weather folklore. It carries an enduring charm and captures the essence of the season as the power of the sun begins to be felt, rising higher in the sky. The depths of winter become a memory as the days lengthen and the landscape bursts into life.

It is a magical time of year, bursting with colour and brimming with the promise of the summer ahead. Spring bulbs are a welcome sight and a joyful reminder that the season of renewal has arrived. Swathes of radiant yellow daffodils stand proud as tulips radiate vibrantly in the sunshine.

East Lothian is awash with the brilliant yellow of the gorse (Ulex europaeus) and its distinctive coconut scent. Our garden shrubs join the party, too, with Forsythia bursting into bright yellow flowers. Meanwhile, the flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) fills the air with its sweet fragrance. Its dazzling pink blooms are irresistible to bees as they flit from flower to flower, enjoying the welcome food source after the long, cold winter.

Cherry and apple blossom drape the trees in a delicate veil of petals. It is no wonder that blossom holds so much significance in many cultures. Their beauty is exquisite but short-lived – a reminder of life’s fleeting nature and an invitation to cherish every precious moment.

There is a lot to be excited about as new life emerges. For me, this sums up the wonder of spring.
The new shoots that pop through the ground. The buds that ready themselves to burst into life. Everywhere is the freshest of greens that only spring can bring. A colour that speaks of fresh new life, flourishing and full of promise, as it sparkles in the sun.

I invite you to take a moment for yourself. To breathe in the beauty of nature that surrounds us. To notice the buds and the shoots that welcome us to this new season and to marvel at this wonderful world we call home.

Until next time