By Johna Till Johnson
Window box on the Upper East Side, Spring 2017
APRIL is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
—T. S. Eliot, The Waste Land
Ah yes, “Dull roots with spring rain”!
Every spring, it’s the same surprise. We spend the winter yearning for sunshine and warmth. Yet when spring arrives, it’s usually wrapped in a cloak of dark clouds and cold rain.
It’s become a cliché: “April showers bring May flowers”—even though in New York, the flowers usually bloom in April (until they’re washed away by rain), and May is the month of green leaves.
But every now and then, even in the dank days of mid-April, a burst of sunshine appears. In this case, a window box, seen on the way home from the gym, with a riotous profusion of plants and flowers. A promise of brightness to come!
Vladimir Brezina (RIP) 
Johna Till Johnson
Wind Against Current 
You cannot beat spring flowers! Beautiful, Johna.
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Thanks Lois! It was a bad day… my favorite butcher (yes, an old school freestanding butcher) just announced it’s closing. And of course the cold and gray… so the flowers were welcome!
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In our region of North Carolina we have the most beautiful long springs I have ever seen. Slow and luscious! Beautiful photo!
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Where are you in NC? I’m hoping to travel through there next month…
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Charlotte area. What about you?
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And you would be most welcome in our home!
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Hm, Lumber River State Park. And thanks for your offer! May take you up on it in future…
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Wow, that is 2 hours from me. I’m actually near a town called Waxhaw. About an hour south of center city Charlotte. You’re on the route we take to the beach. Again, you’re always welcome here. Hope you are doing well. Still saddened by the loss of Vlad.
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What a cheerful sight on a chilly, gloomy April day!
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That’s a very strong king window box.
And, as always, I enjoy words. And TS Eliot’s!
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Fear not, Debbie! There will be many more words to come shortly–and not just mine, but Vlad’s :-).
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😁
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Thank you. It is particularly cruel today in Boston. Beautiful flowers were appreciated!
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Beautiful! We are a long way from blooming flowers in Alaska…I started seeds indoors in pots, and tiny marigold sprouts just appeared today.
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Early spring here, skunk cabbage succeeded by marsh marigolds in time for easter. A few days ago we were delighted by a carpet of trout lilies and racks of dutchman’s breeches along a side stream, wild columbines clustered on a rocky wall. Wonderful paddling for two superannuated farts…
When proud-pied April dress’d in all his trim
Hath put a spirit of youth in every thing.
Herring are running, ospreys are diving and the trees already have leaves. Not joking!
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I bet the osprey babies are out, even…. I was out on the North Fork of Long Island over the weekend, and there was an osprey nest with rather feisty hatchlings… “A spirit of youth in everything”.. indeed! Even us winter-hardened folk….
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Love your optimism!
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