Spring is just around the corner -- a glorious season in my yard. Sprouts push through the leaf-crusted earth. Rainwater collects on the thawing ground. Trees are slowly budding, and the days are growing longer. It's time to shed the old and embrace the new. For me, this season's fresh energy is even more palpable than when the New Year begins.

I'm always eager to start wandering my yard on the warmer days, watching for plants and wildlife beginning to stir. The violets are greening and, of course, the pesky Creeping Charlie is always ready to take hold. Moss morphs from winter brown to more vibrant shades of green. I watch for crocus to pop up among the helleborus or Lenten Rose that's blooming already. Seeing daffodils come into flower is always so exciting. I have planted over 1000 bulbs, so my yard is a spring paradise.

Trees are also messengers of the spring. I have several redbud trees. A special one is the Forest Pansy Redbud, a wonderful species that retains red leaves all season. Redbud blossoms are among the season's first flowers I add to my cooking. They are wonderful on salads or sprinkled atop Jello or ice cream. My flowering trees (cherry, plum, apple, and dogwood) complement nature's spring chorus that sings of rebirth, hope, and beauty.

Bird songs affirm the season as well, becoming evermore vibrant and frenetic in anticipation of the mating season. I take time to put out all my birdhouses and try to locate bird nests in the yard so that I can track the progress of the broods. I also have to make sure that a bird doesn't nest over the backdoor or in the midst of other traffic patterns. I hope you, too, take a moment to check around your yard and celebrate all the harbingers of spring.