Spring Eternal

Spring is a feast spread before us. Whether we notice the signs of its arrival or not, it comes back each year, with a riot of blooms, a sudden swathe of warm sunshine cutting into the still-nippy air, noisy cacophonies of birds. It also brings a barrage of pollen, blanketing tables set outside, settling on our cars, invading our eyes and our nostrils and making us sneeze. It's pretty hard not to notice, and it does a good job of putting on a show, just to get our attention.

These lovely tufts of white blossoms are from flowering tree called White Pear. When in full bloom in early spring, the flowering is so dense one can get completely lost in its branches. It is like a pretty bride.

 

When they line a street like this, their splendor is hard to ignore. A single flower offers no great beauty, in fact it is pretty basic--like one you would draw in a science class. Yet together, the masses of flowers become spectacular, giving the tree a frilly pristine quality, like a piece of lace or embroidery. What a perfect tree for spring, pretty, frilly and pure. For it is in spring that we are suddenly struck with that fever that takes hold of us and drives us to clean out our homes, let the air in and bring in something new.

White is a perfect color for spring because nothing else looks as clean and crisp, and is a perfect foil for all the colors that can come in. Renew your bed in soft, white sheets for the season. Nothing can be simpler yet luxurious. 

Citrusy, clean scents echo the freshness of spring. Swap winter's headier scents for something light. Bath & Body Works White Citrus Collection (www.bathandbodyworks.com) blends lemon, grapefruit, waterlily and ginger flower in a modern interpretation of classic citrus.

Left: Not your grandmother's lace. Martha Stewart Collection Trousseau bedding, www.marthastewart.com 

 

It is said that spring fever strikes when the days lengthen and the temperatures begin to climb. For some reason, beings become restless, distracted, impulsive and suddenly given to lovestruck spells and amorous behavior. Scientifically, our bodies secrete less of the hormones that make us sleepy and more of the ones that keep us awake and energetic. It's an evolutionary thing. 

Consider the Cherry Blossom tree with its delicate pink blooms proclaiming a shy kind of romanticism. The way the soft, slight pink graduates into deeper and redder shades in the flower interior and leaves is a beautiful composition. A decidedly feminine tree, it is the kind that makes us think of our little girls and one still hidden inside us.

Left: Nothing else says "Pretty little girl." Cherry Blossom sheeting, www.potterybarn.com