Garden Fresh for Spring

I love spring bulbs.  Daffodils and hyacinths are my favorites.  Planting bulbs in October’s chill is hopeful.  We’re anticipating seeing those bright blooms after six months of cool (or cold), dark days.  And the smell!  Oh my goodness, there’s nothing like the subtle sunny smell of a bright yellow daffodil or the sweet aroma of a pastel rainbow of hyacinths.  When I was a child, we had daffodils lining our driveway and hidden among the natural areas in the yard; I still smile thinking of those yellow spots amongst the greens and browns.

Several years ago when we lived in our townhouse, we planted some bulbs.  There were so many!  We’d gotten a little bit crazy, and in the back in front of the raised bed were crocuses and tulips, and in pots, one on either side of the sidewalk leading to the front door, were hyacinths.  I was thrilled the first time I saw the first bud peeking up between the green leaves – thrilled, that is, until the snow buried the young blooms.  Obviously, they didn’t do well that year, and, frankly, I was a little disappointed when my mystery bulbs of promised “assorted colors” turned out just to be pink and lavender.  Don’t get me wrong; they were pretty before they got the deep freeze, and they did smell nice, but I’d hoped for more variety.

Then came the next spring.  I did not realize that these bulbs I’d planted so lovingly a year-and-a-half before were technically tubers and had multiplied.  Greatly.  And the colors I’d longed for had arrived.  Now, in addition to the pink and lavender, I had rich purple, white, dark pink, and yellow blooms, and each time I passed them, their sweet aroma with that hint of spice greeted me.  I was in love!

My bulbs didn’t survive the move and resettlement.  Trying to finish settling into a new home with a new baby and new routines just didn’t leave much energy for dealing with bulbs.  Other plants grace the yard, different blooms and colors, but I still look forward to the autumn when I can see the freshly mounded dirt under which my bulbs are buried and the excitement of the little green shoots giving way to riotous blooms of color come spring.

To sort of tide me over until that day comes, I found a lovely hyacinth fragrance that perfectly reminds me of those glorious flowers.  Some floral scents just don’t translate well into their fragrance oil counterparts, but this one is simply lovely.  Yearning for a bit of springtime?  Grab a bar of this gorgeous hyacinth soap to experience spring in your shower (especially for you folks that are having a white Easter).  If you like spring flowers, you’ll love this soap!