By Marvin N. Miller

Throughout much of the country, spring has come with such speed that it has left folks questioning either what happened to winter or whether it’s already summertime. Indeed, if my neighborhood is to serve as an example, the crabapples that normally bloom the last of April or in early May were at peak bloom with a week of March yet to go and are only now subsiding, depending upon the cultivar. At the same time, shrubs and daffodils that normally bloom in March and in April are also in bloom right now!

Even the later blooming hyacinths and tulips are already showing color. On top of this, I have a spectacular display containing a new pansy that successfully overwintered here in Chicagoland that is blooming like there is no tomorrow. Neighbors have already been commenting favorably about all the blossoms.

The net result of all of this flower power has been a spectacular array of colors that has allowed Mother Nature to compete successfully with many of the brilliant new advertisements that feature the most vibrant colors seen in fashions and home décor in a number of years. Indeed, some advertising moguls have been writing about the explosion of color in ads for all sorts of products, but these pale in comparison with the beauty that this compressed spring bloom has generated. And a few local retailers outside of the horticulture industry, with whom I’ve spoken, have noted that customer traffic was way off; they’re attributing this to the beautiful weather that has their normal group of shoppers otherwise occupied. Indeed, if my yard is an example, the pot of gold is outdoors right now, as my yard currently displays every color of the “Roy G. Biv rainbow” blooming on one plant or another. Whether from the trees, the bulbs, the pansies, the wildflowers, or the perennials, it is hard to focus on any indoor activity right now.

As I pondered this vernal excitement, I can’t help but wonder what it might be like if this volume of color was the standard, rather than the exception, throughout much of the year. Who says we should just enjoy the calmness of spring’s newest green but avoid the splash of color, as many of my neighbors do? Why do we settle for monotones during a normal spring, even if the hues change from week-to-week as the season progresses? What makes a certain color combination right and another garish? When are bold colors considered appropriate but otherwise inappropriate? Where do these garden “rules” originate and how do these mores become the norm?

The truth is Mother Nature has once again reigned supreme. Any rule we may think we’ve instituted about staged blooms, appropriate combinations, seasonal variations, or the like has been thrown out the window. All of this color is doing its own thing, no matter how we’ve planned or what we’ve been accustomed to seeing in the past. Indeed, her royal highness has taken charge!

And what a glorious array of color we have to behold! Have a happy spring! Be sure to enjoy every blooming moment of it.