Perennial People

Sedum

One of my favorite things to do at this time of year is walk around the yard and through our path in the woods to see what’s up–literally!  The perennials are popping up all over the place!  I love to see them peeking, pushing, poking, unrolling, unfolding, unfurling.  Each one is unique in color and form.  These cold-hardy plants made it through another winter of below zero temperatures and feet of snow.  Occasionally we have one that doesn’t make it–it could have been too cold, too dry, or too wet for it.  We take a moment for sadness at its demise but hold onto gladness that we tried. But mostly, it is an amazing process of re-birth as we remove the ‘dead’ leaves and stems from last year’s growth to make way for the new.  Gone are the hail-pocked leaves of last year, the slug or bug-eaten greenery, the sun-scorched, dog-trampled, drought-wilted, or wind-whipped foliage.  They begin again.  The new, tender leaves and stems are bright with their color and pristine in constitution.  Let me take you on a tour.

It rained last night!

Columbine

Fern

Bleeding Heart

Asters–with evidence of who ate them in the Fall

Meadow Rue with Daylilies in the background

Hostas just coming up

Hostas unrolling

Blue Salvia

Solomon’s Seal

This feeling of newness and excitement reminds me of starting a new school year or calendar year.  Whatever happened in the last year is behind us now.  We take stock, heal our wounds, make plans or resolutions, change up a few things, and go onto the new: new classes, new teachers, new things to learn and do.  We begin again.  And though we carry our scars, we are perennial people.  We are bright with hope and pristine in spirit once again.