The Glories of Spring

Spring brings with it some of the year's most gorgeous blooms and blossoms. Plump peonies. Astonishing anemones. Luscious lilacs. A dazzling variety of tulips. Who can resist?

We sure can't. Anymore than we can resist this groaner. If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?

Pilgrims, of course.

A note for the historically-minded. In the mid-16th century, Thomas Tusser, musician, farmer and poet, put his observations on farming, country life and human nature into rhyming couplets and published first A Hundreth Good Pointes of Husbandrie, followed by the expanded, Five Hundredth Good Pointes of Husbandrie. To him we owe the familiar observation on April showers among other sayings:

Sweet April showers do spring May flowers.

The stone that is rolling can gather no moss.

Naught venture, naught have.

Look ere thou leap, see ere thou go.

A fool and his money are soon parted.

Some respite to husbands the weather may send, but housewives' affairs have never an end.

Tulipmania

Tulipmania lives on! Today a mind-boggling 4000 registered varieties exist. This is one of our favorites. Fully open, it's almost completely flat. On its own or mixed with other flowers, it's a stunner. It must have a formal name but our supplier just calls it Leo.