No Roses in June

Year after year, you can count on the seasons being relatively predictable. Winter gives way to spring and the world erupts into a sea of green dotted with vibrant wildflowers. Skies of blue become the backdrop of the next several months of summer. The repetition can be comforting, for the rhythm of each season is predictable and gives us something to base our plans around.

If you look carefully, some subtle nuances seem to appear out of thin air. For example, this time last year we were gathering rose petals by the basket, using them in floral iced teas and waters and fragrant desserts. This year, June has come and gone, with no rose petals to be found. Dandelions, columbine and pea vine are all scattered amongst the grassy meadows, but the roses are noticeably absent.

Here in the north, spring has seemingly struggled to decide which path it is going to take. It hit us like a freight truck first, warm weather and flash melting combined together to bring a swift end to winter. After that first initial burst of spring, however, we have spent the last two months yo-yoing back and forth between single days of sunshine bookended by several days of grey and rain, with dark storm clouds bringing wild winds and around freezing nights. Our spring this year may be behind what it was previously, but when looking carefully we can see that nature will propel us forward, and we will be able to forage for everything that we need.

So, we will wait for the roses. Just like we wait for every subtle detail in nature that acts like a checklist for the season to pass. The warm weather will come. The roses will come. There may be no roses in June, but their arrival will surely be welcomed in July.