Winter’s End

Grandma Stella beautifully describes the slow, reluctant departure of winter and the vibrant, joyful awakening of her garden with the arrival of spring. She captures the essence of nature’s renewal through vivid imagery of blossoms, butterflies, and birds.

Winter reluctantly and finally ended. March winds announced their entrance very noticeably. They howled and they screeched; they shook the windowpanes in angry protest. Winter was reluctant to leave. The barren garden quivered in fear at their wrath. Last year’s dried stalks gave up the last of their floral seeds. The poor seeds flew about in terror. When the wind subsided, they finally rested on the ground with a sigh of relief. The heavily laden clouds in the skies could not contain themselves any longer. At last they burst open. For days on end it rained. At last, one day it stopped. The lawns turned an emerald green. The branches of the trees in the garden began to be tinged in a light green fuzz. Blossoms began to appear. They perfumed the air with their heady aroma. The stems of the sleeping flowers peeked their heads out of the warming earth. Soon the garden was fully awake. Daffodils appeared and then the narcissus appeared and the irises. The garden was turning into a profusion of vital colours. The weather slowly became warmer. At last the garden felt happy. The flowers perfumed the air. The butterflies awoke from their deep winter’s slumber. They decided to visit the garden. “What a delight!” One of the butterflies thought, as she flitted from one flower to the other, sipping their delicious nectar. She rejoiced at the arrival of spring, as did the bees who promised delicious honey later on in the year. The birds hurried to build their nests in preparation for the eggs that would hatch into their young. Soon the garden was alive with the sound of the chirping young and the cooing of the turtle doves flirting with each other. The lilac trees flanking the edge of the garden showed off their blossoms and exuded their delicious perfume. The rose bushes, not to be outdone, clung to the house as they climbed up the walls to display their elegant beauty. The breeze wrapped itself sensually to everything in the garden, making a satisfied rustling sound as it did so.

Yes, at last spring had arrived and the garden was awake with new life.