My Favorite Things
Robin Schachat
This time of year, when we are being teased by occasional days of brilliant blue skies and sunlight that lasts into the early evening, I try not to look too hard at the motheaten snow that continues to adorn my front walk. Instead, I enjoy the fading blooms of the witch hazel along the driveway (always plant it somewhere you can see and smell it easily while the snow is in the way) and the bursting buds of the pussy willow outside the dining room (always plant it where you can see it from inside, because it bursts when the weather is cold). Indoors, there are forced bulbs that make spring a moment of NOW, not six weeks from now. The grocery stores offer us forced hyacinths so that our front halls welcome us home with their rich, sweet scents. If we had an extra shelf in the fridge or in a cold basement, then we might have forced tulips. No one can help but smile when we see those tulips blooming on the kitchen window shelf. But my personal favorite is spring amaryllis. Everyone plants them for the holidays, and they look smashing then mixed in with all the other decor. But now, when we are crying out for life in our gardens, to have those huge trumpets blasting “SPRING” in our homes is the best of all! Who needs tinsel and trees when you have amaryllis? And they get bigger and better every year with minimal care. And after a few years, they produce pups that will double your pleasure. What greater celebration could we ask for?
