Slice of Life: A Scent Of Spring

Enter the greenhouse at Smith College this time of year, and your first reaction is to merely stand still and close your eyes. Close your eyes and breathe deep. Breathe in the scent of flowers of many varieties, all in bloom. Outside, although it is a sunny March day, snow still remains on the ground. A Nor’easter storm is bearing down. Winter remains, a stubborn creature. But here, in this glass enclosure, contained and curated, the bulbs for the annual show have come into bloom, and the result is a magnificent reminder for the senses that the season is in the midst of shift. Soon, there will be no need for a greenhouse enclosure. No need to wait in line with other people for the experience. No need to follow the crowd along a designated path. Soon, the sleepy seeds of the soil will be coming up in yards and flower beds and in random places not yet known. Soon, yes, but not quite yet.

Smith College Bulb Show

Peace (and Flowers),
Kevin

10 Comments
  1. Thanks for the wonderful sensory start to a Monday. . I’ve almost forgotten that the snow total prediction is climbing.

  2. I’ve been longing to visit a greenhouse or a flower show (or a tropical destination!) and actually was thinking of detouring to visit the Lyman conservatory on an upcoming drive to Ohio. Unfortunately, the timing doesn’t work out. Thanks for sharing the beauty here.

  3. Oh, I could use a flowers show like this to remind me that spring is not impossible. With all the snow in Estonia my imagination has trouble picturing spring arriving.

  4. Sometimes when March feels really long I head to a nursery or a botanical garden for exactly the kind of experience your post describes. There’s something about being in the company of flowers that lifts my spirits, even when I know I have another several weeks before those flowers show up in the outside world. Love how you capture the shifting season.

  5. A great reminder about using our sense of smell! I love the way spring smells…and fall too! They seem to be the “earthy” seasons, with aroma being pre-eminent!

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