Heroes Not Zombies

It’s definitely Springtime now in the Charente. Last year the cherry tree had a lot of blossom but no cherries. I heard from neighbours that many people had a similar experience. I don’t know why. This year, there seems to be even more blossom.

I wonder how many cherries will appear?

Do you remember when I shared a photo of the Tree Peony bud? Here it is again –

Well, just look at it now!

We had two years of no buds on this little tree, then last year, the first flowers appeared. This year there are five buds and the first two opened up in the sunshine today. Look at them! Aren’t they gorgeous? These are huge flowers. About the size of dinner plate. And just looked at that abundance of pollen. What an attraction!

Both the cherry tree and the tree peony remind me that life has a seasonal rhythm to it, but that each season is different in its own way. I haven’t done much gardening in my life, but this garden is teaching me loads. One of the biggest lessons is patience. It’s a case of maybe not this year, but maybe next year, sometimes. And when the blooms come, oh, my, goodness, are they worth waiting for? Maybe the second biggest lesson is impermanence. It’s really “seize the day”, or, as I prefer, “savour the day”, when it comes to flowers, fruits and vegetables. They all seem to offer the greatest of pleasures over a pretty short period of time. But when that time’s over I see it now as part of a larger cycle and I know another season will come along next year. And I know it’ll be different.