The Lowly Spirea at its Loveliest

 

Now suddenly I’m enjoying these spireas: some of the earliest shrub leaves in the garden, held like little rose buds along the wiry branches. It’s like a tiny apricot storm swirling at knee height.  I’m not the biggest fan of Spireas, just because they are ubiquitous in parking lot plantings and around gas stations. They have too many merits: easy to grow, tolerant of neglect, interesting foliage colour, pink spring blooms. Even in winter, the seeds and twisty branches have some presence in subdued tan and brown tones, especially effective in snow. But this is the moment they are most dear to me: full of energy and sweetness, undaunted by what April can bring.