Last weekend, we headed over to the east coast for a hot air balloon festival near Cocoa Beach. It was a gorgeous evening, with the warmth of the afternoon sun softening into twilight and the air growing cool enough to grab a jacket. The perfect night that makes you want to linger a little longer outdoors.

And outdoors we were. Really just in a big open field filled with people and sounds, but then, one by one, the balloons came to life. You’d see a little bubble of fabric rise above the crowd, and then all of a sudden a giant balloon was inflated and swaying in the wind. Their gorgeous colors were amplified by the bright light of the burners as they were fired off to keep the balloons upright. It was a little breezy so the balloons definitely kept swaying back and forth. They’d rise a little in the air and then return to the earth as people went for short rides to experience the feeling of floating in a balloon.

Just laying on a blanket while taking in the colors from the balloons and the feel of a perfect Florida evening was really relaxing. And it reminded me of spring. We go from the cold of winter to the warmth of spring all in an instant and are suddenly surrounded by every color in the rainbow blooming and showing off.

And at the nursery, that’s just what we are seeing. The same bursts of color come to life, just a little closer to the ground. Spring is nature’s own festival, unfolding day by day in your garden. It’s a chance to bring that same sense of wonder home, to fill your space with color, texture, and life. Whether it’s a single pot on your porch or a full garden bed waiting to be transformed, now is the moment to plant something beautiful, colorful, and dramatic! So take a cue from those glowing balloons and be bold with color and let your garden shine into the evening.

P.S. The other thing those brightly colored balloons reminded me of is the boxes and boxes of Easter eggs that we’ve got ready for our 17th annual Easter Egg Hunt at 10 am on Saturday, April 4th. There are 6,000 eggs stuffed with goodies that our staff will hide. We can’t wait to see how quickly all of those brightly colored eggs will be found!