Spring, Season of Color

When we moved from New York City to our New England street in the middle of summer, I thought it needed more color. There were trees and shrubs and space to roam, but little that popped.

Turns out, I just needed to wait. In late summer, the hydrangeas bloom. In fall, the leaves change color. I developed a taste for the dark, sophisticated hues of oak leaves, which are the last to turn.

After winter, in early spring, things start gradually with crocuses of different sizes. The small ones come first. Then in late April into early May, the neighborhood explodes with color.

Trees that are green or leafless for most of the year dress themselves in clouds of blooms. Magnolias sprout enormous buds that open with silky, fleshy petals, each individual bloom open for only a short time. The arthritic frames of dogwoods develop blossoms of youthful beauty, as if two generations—grandparent and grandchildren—are joined on the same plant. Even the champions of fall, like oaks and maples, take part in a humbler way, with tiny flowers and winged seed capsules that scatter when they fall.

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