Wishing you, dear readers, all the lovely blessings of spring!
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We are very lucky here on the Canadian south coast to receive the gift of Spring much earlier than our neighbours in the rest of the frozen country. On February 13, 2021 we woke up to a reminder that it was still technically Winter – a beautiful blanket of snow. This February however – at least so far! – has been lovely. Flowers are popping up all over and we have had a good number of sunshine days.
The other day I saw some early cherry blossoms delightfully teasing the last little bit of downtown Winter festive decor. (I do love that the greenery baskets were left up around the city!)
As much as I love Winter, I am happy that the days are becoming longer and warmer.
Here’s a photo of the Inner Harbour from February 13, 2021:
Happy New Year!
I find it hard to fathom that any year could have been stranger than 2020, but then there was 2021. In spite of it all, I continue to seek out beauty in the mundane as well as in the ethereal and extraordinary. I thrive in the comfort of it, in the smallest miracles that abound.
On the third of January, the morning brought an extremely vivid double rainbow over our beloved neighbourhood. Two days later we celebrated 12th Night with a cranberry orange cake decorated with a marzipan persimmon which was as delicious as it was beautiful. A lovely shop near us brings in a spectacular display of marzipan fruits especially for the festive season from an artisan in Italy.
Spring can come very early in this part of the world. Snowdrops, then crocus and daffodils are usually seen by January and February. Some newly cut branches we found on a boulevard brought the spring inside for us in early February, just in time for a reminder on February 13 that it was still winter. Valentine’s Day is always a good excuse to bake, not that I ever need an excuse!
On the grey days of March I made time for cozy cups of tea and making things. Fair days were for walking among the daffodils. The famous Victoria flower baskets begin to appear in March, and in March and April the ornamental cherry and plum trees bloom in waves throughout the city, their heady fragrance filling me with delight (making up for my itchy eyes!).
In anticipation of Easter, the bakeries fill with seasonal delights and I seek out all the versions of hot cross buns I can find. More and more cherry blossoms appear and the days are brighter.
By May the trees have been adorned with every shade of green. In June I created a birthday tea party for a lovely friend, complete with tiny sandwiches, scones, a tropical-inspired Victoria Sandwich Cake and other sweet treats. We also began picking up our local organic produce CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) from Littlest Acre Farm at Moss Street Market. Every Saturday until the end of October was like Christmas as we brought home a mystery bag of the most beautiful fresh veggies and fruit.
Welcome blessed spring – new life and new possibilities! The cherry blossom season is beginning to wind down on the west coast of Canada. The slightest breeze sends a shower of petals swirling through the air. We feel fortunate to have a predominance of ornamental cherry and plum trees in our neighbourhood.
Bells in hues of blue, purple, pink and white, along with the native camas, have created carpets of purple around the city for the last few weeks. Spring is so filled with colour! These photos were all taken in Beacon Hill Park.
Cherry blossom season is just finishing; endless pinks replaced by the bright greens of spring foliage. The blooms were abundant and fragrant, as usual, but before long they had become a carpet of delicate petals and are then gone for another year.
A long stand of trees on Richardson Street in Fairfield held me captive for an intoxicating 20 minutes admiring their beauty.
Downtown Victoria has many varieties of ornamental cherry and plum trees, blooming from mid February through to late April. Those in Chinatown are especially beautiful.
We are having a deliciously warm May in Victoria. Yesterday was a bit cooler, perfect for a cycle. I rode for a few kilometres along our Galloping Goose regional trail to run an errand, and discovered that I almost missed the blooming of the wild roses which line a section of the trail near downtown. I smelled them before I saw them, their intoxicating sweetness calling to all who came near. How remarkable is nature to give us such delights?
I don’t know enough about bees to identify any of these busy ladies. There were so many bees it was almost impossible to take a photo without one. They make me so happy.
I’m planning something big for the autumn and I couldn’t be more excited. This adventure will involve a lot of walking and so much drinking of tea. To prepare I am walking – taking little mini-adventures through the beautiful spring days in Victoria BC.
Back in March I walked about 12 kilometres to Oak Bay and Fairfield. I collected our friend Annie along the way and we made a few stops in Oak Bay before ending up at Abkhazi Garden for tea. We enjoyed a delicious repast in the teahouse, seated in the window overlooking the garden.
The garden was not quite at its peak of colour and vibrancy, but still beautiful. We enjoyed walking along the winding paths and meeting a feline visitor.
Abkhazi Garden is owned and managed by The Land Conservancy (TLC). Read the story of “the garden that love built” here. Check out the teahouse here.
All around, the colours of spring! Flowers of white, cream, yellow, pink and purple.
The season for the Dogwood tree’s showy delight of blossoms is almost over. I found these photos I had taken in Oak Bay about a month ago. The bloom of one variety, the Pacific dogwood, is our province’s official flower. I don’t know what variety I captured below, but it was very spectacular!
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