Many trees flower before they put out leaves. Those flowers drink in sunshine and provide pollen and nectar to the bees, birds, and other creatures who delight in visiting these early heralds of summer. Take advantage of this special moment in time to sit under a flowering tree or lean against her trunk. Grab a blanket or dress warmly and lay down on the ground to gaze at the sky through her blooms. What do you feel?

Watch the petals vibrate in anticipation of the bees who will soon come to visit. Such excitement and growth! Flowers change every day and they don’t last long so seize the moment. Spend as much time as you can soaking up this amazing, transforming energy while it lasts. What is ready to bloom in us? Let the flowers call it out. Send your dreams and ideas up to the flowers. No need to hoard them. Look at the flowers’ abundance, their joyful openness to whatever will come next. Some will go on to become fruits that ripen and provide nourishment, others will fall fearlessly and shamelessly to the ground sharing no less than their beauty with all who pass by.

Of course we can see plenty of ground flowers, daffodils, crocus, violets, and dandelions. They have their own energy. They grow from bulbs, roots, and last year’s seeds. Each of these flowers has their own special magic. Flowering bulbs can teach us the value of storing energy through the winter. Roots know how to hold on through all seasons. Seeds store their energy in small, seemingly lifeless packets that burst into life under the just-right conditions. Dandelions have the kind of staying power that defies any attempt to stop them. Watch them change daily as they push upward to the sun, fearlessly searching out the cracks in our city’s concrete and relentlessly reaching for the sky. Their roots, leaves, and blossoms have provided herbalists all over the world with healing tonics for ailing patients.

Tree flowers have a special magic. They have wisdom that comes from patience. Year by year t grow from seed to seedling, seedling to sapling, biding their time, sending down roots and waiting for just the right moment to burst into bloom. If a flowering tree has grown large enough to sit under, chances are it is as old as or even older than you. It could be older than your parents, grandparents, and even more remote ancestors. Let these flowers whisper wisdom in your ear as their petals kiss your cheeks. Breathe in their joyful courage. Breathe out fear, grief, and worries. Flowers have no time for them, and neither should we. Drink in their effervescent joy.

Stand out with color - Clean out some drawers and throw away drab, worn out winter debris. Pull out colorful shirts, ties, scarves, and hats. Put yourself on display and practice flowers shameless grace. Here’s a picture of me in my Spring colors. Send me a photo of you in your Spring finery.

Eat lots of greens – Eating spring greens helps us resonate with growth and change – Spring’s special energy. Lots of fresh greens and herbs become available at our farmer’s markets and in our grocery stores. Get the freshest greens you can buy if you can’t pick your own. Dandelion greens have the strongest energy. Brew fresh leaves into tea and sweeten it with maple syrup for a Spring tonic.