The first new season of the year is upon us, and we are whole-heartedly welcoming Spring! While we have definitely had our fill of winter, it technically started LAST year. We here at Womens-Place are so excited about seeing the warmer temps and beautiful flowers, we have decided this month we shall spotlight the lovely time we call Spring.

In the northern hemisphere, around the months of March, April and May, signs of Spring begin to show. Flowers will begin to push up from the ground, buds will form on the trees, birds and furry critters will emerge from their winter homes, and all the winter snow and ice will melt off. Streams and lakes will become filled from all the melting and the grass will become green. It's a beautiful transformation from the bleakness of winter.

As the axis of the Earth tilts toward the sun, the amount of daylight we get increases and our temperatures rise. With this change we see the start of blooming trees and flowers, and we also see an increase in severe weather. During this transition from winter to summer, it is common for most areas to experience thunderstorms, hail; and, in some areas, tornadoes and hurricanes. Spring is one of the prettiest months, and it is also one that can cause severe damage as it progresses. But you have to remember the saying we all grew up with: "April showers bring May flowers." I know I wouldn't want to miss them!

Other fun things that happen in Spring are the start of Baseball season. The holy holidays, including Easter and Pescah (Passover); as well as some fun days like April Fools' Day and Arbor Day. Families begin to spend more time outside playing, riding bikes and visiting with the neighbors. It is a lovely time of year to share with others. And even that nasty weather can have some benefits. There's no better time to fly a kite than in Spring!

Gardening is a popular activity for many this time of year. Nothing says Spring like adding flowers around your home and yard. Lots of Womens-Place ladies love flowers and gardening, and we have quite a few feature articles about how to make your world more colorful through blooming plants and trees on our front page this month. Click on one of the links below to check them out, and learn how you can increase the beauty in your little corner of the world:


Wild About Wildflowers
Arbor Day Delights
Springtime Lawn & Garden Care
Gardening Made Easy
Spring Gardening 101




Lastly, we asked our members what their favorite parts of Spring are, and this is what they had to say:

Michelle ~ Longer daylight hours! Birds chirping in the morning! The local Spring Fair!

PattyC ~ Spring Training baseball, flowers, better weather, more outdoor grilling and BBQ get-togethers, lower utility bills and believe it or not spring cleaning!

marybear ~ Fresh veggies. Yum!

Patty ~ The clothes. I know--huge surprise! That's my favorite thing about every season. But seriously, I love spring dresses and shoes and the bright colors and light tops. I love spring sweaters! I have tons of light and short sleeved sweaters for layering. I also love sitting outside for meals because by summer it's way too hot. And I love getting the outside ready for summer and seeing all the flowers blooming. And the weather and lighting is perfect for early morning runs.

Connie R ~ Being able to spend time outside before it's too hot and humid! I enjoy taking Samantha to the park and also sitting in the backyard while she plays. Soon we won't be able to do those things, it will have to involve water or a pool to be outside.

Michelle Mc ~ I LOVE hearing the birds in the morning, spring rain, camp season, camp fires, warmer weather and longer hours of light, for sure!

kympossible ~ I like having the windows open without it being too cold, and before it's humid outside. I love hearing birds in the morning, and the frogs and crickets at night. We start watching our trees for birds’ nests too. My kids play baseball, and although I get frustrated and frazzled by keeping the schedules, it is great fun to go to games and practices, and to reconnect with the parents we haven't visited with all winter. Once the games start I don't have to plan meals for those days because we can all eat hot dogs from the concession stand! (which I'll be thoroughly tired of by the end of the season, but it's tremendous at the beginning! LOL) Three of my four favorite flowers are spring blooming - tulips, daffodils, and lily of the valley. We can fire up the grill and have burgers, chicken, steak, etc done on the grill which makes my meal-planning so much easier. Homeschool curriculum fairs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BetsyS ~ Asparagus, strawberries, longer daylight hours and being able to be outside every day.

allies mom ~ All of the festivals in the spring! Strawberry festival, Jazz fest, French Quarter fest, and many more. There is always something fun to do on the weekends with the kids, most of them are free, they all have great music and food. It is also the second best time to be outside as far as weather goes; by summer, it is much too hot!

Host Cheri A ~ After dealing with a long, cold winter, it makes me so happy to see tree buds forming on the trees and to see green appear everywhere again. The tulips and daffodils start coming up, the birds are back. The warmer weather is great for taking walks with the dog. I LOVE for DH to take up grilling again so that all I have to do is side dishes for dinner. I like to see the spring and summer clothes start coming back into the stores.

Samandiego ~ I love spring rains. I love the smell in the air. I love being able to be outside without being too hot or too cold or needing lots of "outerwear." I love March Madness College Basketball. I love baseball. I love track. I love Easter and Passover and the deep spiritiual meaning they both contain for me. I love better air for sleeping. I love the flowering trees.

submarinerswife ~ I love watching everything come alive. Even our neighbors. We spend a lot of time outside during the spring/summer days. We don't see much of our neighbors in the winter. I love also that another winter is under our belts and we can open up windows. I love Easter and all the flowers that go along with that holiday.

JenW ~ My favorite thing about Spring is the anticipation of warmer weather and everything that comes with it. (flowers, the smell of warmth, being able to open my windows and air out the house, warm sunshine, working in the garden, etc).

Gina H ~ Birds singing, open windows and being outside.

Boudica ~ I love the fresh air - opening the windows, feeling like you're cleaning out the old air.

Host tisha ~ COLOR!!! Blooming flowers, buds on the trees, blue sky, warmer weather, breezes, opening up the windows, wearing capris and Crocs w/o socks!

jfry ~ I love all the flowers that are popping up from the ground and on the trees!!! It just wakes the whole world up!!

We hope you all are enjoying the start of Spring in your area and wish for your weather to be beautiful throughout this wonderful season and beyond!


Host Julie is a Midwestern Mom with two boys, two dogs and one goofy husband. She is looking forward to adding lots of color to her yard this year, and hopes she can keep what she grows alive despite her black thumb.