Are you feeling like winter will never end and it will stay grey, snowy, cold and wet forever? Here are 5 things that you can do to help put a little pep back in your step, reassure you that spring is, indeed on it’s way, and soothe your ache for all things fresh, green and bright!
WINTER GETS A BAD RAP.
It definitely is the least favorite among the seasons.
If you live in an area like I do, that has 4 distinct seasons, winter probably feels like the longest one.
As I’ve gotten older, winter has won itself over to me more and more. There are many things that I like about it, especially where we live, since we don’t get too much snow usually.
But by the time March rolls around and we get blasted with frigid temps again and maybe another dose of the white stuff, I am certainly beyond ready for the mild, cheerful days of spring.
SPRING REPRESENTS NEW BEGINNINGS
I think the most appealing thing to us all about spring is the warmer temperatures. Wearing our t-shirts and dresses, going out without a coat, and feeling more of the sunshine on our faces.
But there is something else about spring that is also very appealing and I think that is the feeling of a new beginning. All the plant come alive again, the grass starts growing, the birds have their babies, you can throw open the windows and let the stale winter air out of the house. It just feels like you can take a big, deep breath of fresh air and sing “the hills are alive with the sound of music!!!!” Heehee!
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FOUR WAYS TO MAKE SPRING COME SOONER VIDEO:
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4 WAYS TO MAKE SPRING COME SOONER:
1. PLANT SOME SEEDS
There is nothing that I look forward to more around this time of year, than getting my hands in some soil, planting those tiny seeds and watching the new life develop. It does wonders for your dreary winter mental health! Those darling little baby plants put a spring in my step! Have you ever started seeds indoors for your garden? If you are a gardener, you will know that it is a great way to get a head start on the growing season, and if you are not a gardener, it is still a wonderful thing to do to bring some fresh life into your winter home. You could plant some herb seeds or a few flowers inside and then move to a larger pot on your porch as the temps warm up!
I have a blog post all about how to start seeds indoors. What you need, and how to make your little plants happy and avoid some pitfalls. Find that here —> Seed Starting 101
I also have a video and post all about the varieties of seeds I ordered this spring and where I got them! —> My Spring Seed Order
2. DIFFUSE SOME CHEERFUL AND BRIGHT ESSENTIAL OILS
A wonderful, fresh scent can help to lift the mood and spirits in short order! Here are a few diffuser ideas to get a spring vibe flowing in your home:
- 3 drops each of lemon, lavender, and peppermint essential oil
- 2 drops rosemary and 4 drops lemon
- 4 drops each of Stress Away and Citrus Fresh ( Young Living blends)
- 2 drops peppermint, 4 drops lemon and 2 drops lemongrass
I love to use Young Living oils, and have heard very good things about the quality of these two companies, too… Florihana and Far & Wild.
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3. READ A SPRINGTIME BOOK
Another great way to feel like spring is coming soon, is to get lost in a story that takes place during the warm months. Read about where you would like to be! Wish you were near the coast and feeling the salty breezes? Longing for the hot, dog days of summer? A book can take you there! Here are a couple that come to mind that always make me dream of warm days:
Anne of Green Gables
Anne arrives at Green Gables in early June… When the orchards were in a “bridal flush pinky white bloom”, and the cherry tree at the train station, in which Anne planned to sleep if no one came to fetch her, was “all white with bloom in the moonshine”. Anne clasped her hands in delight as she and Matthew drove through the Avenue, whose apple trees arched over the road in one long canopy of “snowy fragrant bloom” and “the air was full of a purple twilight.” Ugh! You guys! I love to drift off to Avonlea in my imagination!
A New Song
This story also begins in the month of June. This is the fifth book in a series of stories about an Episcopal minister and his life in a small town in the North Carolina Mountains, called Mitford. The writing is some of the most heart warming and charming that can be found. I always set down my Mitford book feeling uplifted. There is the best sense of humor woven through out them, you will roll on the floor one minute and then get misty eyed the next. So sweet and fun! And clean! A New Song takes place in a small coastal community called Whitecap. Father Tim goes there to pastor a small parish. It’s the perfect story to take you to a nice, warm place and while you’re at it, try the other books in the series as well!
Tasha Tudor’s Garden
Have you ever heard of Tasha Tudor? If not, she was a very interesting lady that was known for her beautiful watercolor illustrations and for writing several children’s books. She loved to live a life that looked very much like a hundred years ago. This book describes her barefoot days out among her roses, goats, corgis and herbs.
It appears to be out of print or something because the price is high. Possibly check your library or eBay too!
Welcome to The Farm
A book written by Shaye Elliott who is a homesteader, blogger, crazy plant-lady gardener and such an inspiration! I love to flip through this book as I dream about the year’s garden and start to make plans. The photography is gorgeous!
4. BRING IN BRANCHES AND WATCH THEM BLOOM INSIDE
Otherwise know as “forcing”, this is the practice of clipping and bringing inside flowering branches that are still in the bud form, placing them in your warm home, and waiting for them to bloom!
It is something I look forward to doing every year around the beginning of March in my zone (US 7). It is really as simple as it sounds.
The main plant know for this around these parts is a Forsythia, also called a Yellow Bell. There are lots of plants you can do this with, but the bushes seem to do better than the trees overall. But it’s fun to try all different kinds!
The Forsythia is just gorgeous. Small, bright yellow blooms begin to appear on the branches fairly quickly after bringing them in. They are such a bright spot on my mantle in the blue mason jar right now! I just love it so much!
Here is a great little article about forcing branches over at The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
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How do you feel at the very end of winter? Do you have any tricks for helping spring along? Share with us down in the comment section! Thank you for stopping by today and remember to always Dig the Good Life!
Love,
We’re still going through the Anne series with a fine toothed comb and as far as Tasha Tudor went, I liked the Bogarts best, but you knew I would. The Girl of the Limberlost was another good one And the Gardener has the chicken coop/potting shed/playhouse all spruced up and the greenhouse is looking plumb sanitary and green things popping up BUT still more growing under the lamps and sometimes the fan. And of course, it’s raining again. One of my favorite things to do is put the mower deck back on the Craftsman (did it this a.m.) and start going from firewood hauling mode to grass mowing mode. The back yard already needs it in spots but it grows in a black dark night with no stars so nothing new there. And bush/tree trimming and general cleaning up. But all I am is yard and maintenance anyway so I stick to being out in my field of well trimmed weeds. As the neighbor said, ‘Well manicured weeds and well manicured grass is hard to tell the difference of ‘. I 2nd that. So watch out for the Tribe Of Mama. March flowers are already here so looks like April is going to have to do something uncouth. We’ll just watch and see.