Anticipating Spring

Winter has a way of stretching time.

Some days it feels like the cold will never end. The weather can’t seem to make up its mind—one day gray and icy, the next teasing us with a little sun before plunging back into the chill again. Winter can be long, unpredictable, and for those of us who grow flowers, it can test our patience.

But in the glow of the grow lights, something beautiful is happening.

The seedlings are doing beautifully this year. Tiny green stems are growing every day, leaves slowly unfurling as if they already know that spring is on the way. It’s always amazing to watch. You plant something so small—a speck of a seed—and before long you have trays full of life.

Of course, growing seedlings indoors comes with its own set of challenges.

For example, keeping them safe from the cat who think I’m making snacks or him.

Apparently, trays of delicate baby flowers look suspiciously like a personal salad bar. Or maybe just an irresistible jungle to explore. Either way, there have been a few close calls, some strategic rearranging of shelves, and at least one very firm “No.” So far, the seedlings are winning the battle… though the cat remains unconvinced that the seed station is not a playground.

Still, things are moving in the right direction.

Each tray of seedlings feels like a promise of what’s coming. Soon the days will stretch longer. The soil will warm. These tiny plants will move from their cozy indoor shelves out into the garden beds where they belong.

Rows of flowers swaying in the breeze. Buckets filling up with color. The quiet early mornings spent harvesting stems while the sun rises. It’s hard not to feel excited thinking about it.

For now, though, we wait.

We tend the seedlings, adjust the lights, keep watch for curious cats, and remind ourselves that every growing season begins like this—small, patient, and full of possibility.

Spring is coming and I can’t wait.