b'final mattersThe Reassurance of SpringFinding renewal among our towns blossomsBY HARRIET SIGERMANThis mix of spring blooms gives cheer on a walk in South Orange.M husband and I movedmelancholy reminder of her passing but also a sweet y toMaplewoodin1997recollection of how she looked and dressed.whenweboughtourI find that the coming of spring also enhances the first house. We had beencharm and unique features of the houses and older renting an apartment inpublic buildings that grace our two towns. A weeping Westfieldbutcouldntcherry tree with a veil of light pink blossoms in front affordpurchasepricesof the Woodland, formerly the home of the Womans there. We also loved the diversity and sense of com- Club of Maplewood, highlights the palladium win-munitythatMaplewoodoffered.Inourquesttodow on the second floor and draws a viewers eye to the downsize our real estate taxes and household expenses,ornate cupola above with its ice blue ceiling. Flower were now in our third house. Other changes have alsoboxes bursting with rainbow blooms on houses around taken place over the yearsnew jobs, the adoptionMaplewoodandSouthOrangearenaturesjewels of our daughter, serious illness and the usual joys andadorning the windows. Wraparound porches in both sorrows of life. But each house has come with wonderful neighbors and yardstowns magically become botanical gardens filled with potted flowers of assorted adorned with trees and bushes where we could watch the seasons change. Yetheights and colors. As I gaze at gardens on my walks in my neighborhood, I even in the bucolic bubble of Maplewood and South Orange, global warmingnotice architectural features on houses that I had never paid attention to before has brought unpredictable changes to our seasons. For those who love snowy a stained-glass window, a brick archway connected to the house, an ornate winter evenings at home in front of a crackling fire or landscapes heaped withmotif on the front door or outer walls. Springtime makes me more aware and snow for skiing or sledding, there are no longer guarantees that well get ad- appreciative of the architectural treasures of both our towns. I hope that those equate snowfall. Drought has become a greater scourge during summer, andtreasures will always be preserved.the prospect of brilliant fall color is more unpredictable because of too muchFor me, spring also provides ballast in a world that has become increas-rain or wind or unusually warm autumn temperatures.inglyfraughtwithconflict,uncertaintyand But one thing is certain: the coming of spring, a time of renewal for thesorrow.Itisareassurancethatthereisstill earth and for our winter-weary spirits. First, clusters of perky crocuses, thenbeautyandstabilityinourlivesnomatter sunny yellow forsythia followed by angel-like magnolia blossomsadmittedlywhat uncertainties loom in our national and a little late this springopening their soft pink-and-white petals in greetingglobalcommunity.Imightfeeldistraught to the season. Then candy-colored tulips and the rest of the parade of gloriousafterreadingorlisteningtothenews,but spring blooms. As I walk around my neighborhood I cant get enough of thewhen I walk outside and hear a symphony of luscious pink and white blossoms cascading from trees, especially against thebirdsong or bury my face in a cloud of lilacs, backdrop of a brilliant blue midday sky. I chartwhich bloom reliably year after year, I am reas-the progress of first buds and then blooms onsured that there is a natural order and beauty various plants and bushes and I have neverthat will always endure beyond the fractious, met a peony that I could pass up sniffing.ever-changing affairs of the worldthough of Maplewood Memorial Park I dont know the names of most plants andcourse we all have to take steps to protect thathas lovely flowering trees.trees, but I still revel in the fragrance and pas- natural order.tel shades of their flowers. During spring, ourIm looking forward to leisurely days at the Maplewood pool this summer neighborhoods are garbed in a palette of softand then to hayrides and jaunts through pumpkin patches in the fall, and colors such as pink, pale fuchsia and violet.even a possible snowstorm or two in winter (my least favorite season). But These were the colors that my mother wore.come July and August, when the grass and the trees lose their bright green She passed away many years ago on a beauti- vitality and start to look worn and haggard, Ill be counting the months until ful spring day, so I feel a certain bittersweetthe next springtime renewal of earth and spirit. tug of the heart when I walk through the gar- Fritillaria meleagris are reliableHarriet Sigerman, a freelance writer and editor, loves spending time in public dens of Maplewood and South Orangeaspring perennials. gardens and watching her own flowers grow.46/ matters magazine / spring 2025'