“I am wrapped up in measureless content as I sit on the steps in the sun in my little garden, where the freshly turned earth is odorous of the spring.” —Celia Thaxter, letter to John G. Wittier (from Garden Voices by Claire Masset)

The first welcome of spring greets us with time outside to just be and savor what we have perhaps been unable to do for a handful of months (the case for us Bendites at least 🙃). The first time that we are able to sit outside anywhere that we can plop ourselves down and stay a while – the stoop, the grass, the porch, on the balcony – literally anywhere just so that we can feel the warmth of the sun, the gentle breeze of fresh air and comfortably be outside of our home while still being at home is a special moment to celebrate.

Throughout this four-part series that began in Autumn of last year (see below), we remind ourselves to recognize how many everyday moments provide the opportunity to savor. Repetition of a skill that holds an awesome power to turn what we desire into a default that nourishes and elevates the quality of our lived experience, so with Part Three in our series, I want to share again the five specific ways to savor. Four were outlined in Savoring: The New Model of Positive Experience, by Fred B. Bryant and Joseph Veroff, and a fifth was identified in a 2022 study. I have included them again below for reference because the more we consciously understand all of the ways savoring deeply is available to us, the more we give ourselves little gifts throughout each day. And each time we savor, we are training the mind to look for more of such instances because there is a reward in doing so.

Mother Nature is the conductor who orchestrates the season’s arrival. Knowing we have no control over whether or when or how the season will arrive each year is a lesson in dancing with what we are given. What we can always know, what we can guarantee is that we know that we will choose to savor the gifts offered. Of course, where we live, the climate that greets us each day, will be unique to each of us, but just knowing that there are shifts, embracing this reality, can give us much.

Below is Part Two – Winter’s Savorings, and just as I organized the Savorings in the previous two posts, I have continued to organize the savorings that are shared today in Spring’s portion based on the five types of savorings.

Let’s review the five different ways savoring can occur.

To savor involves moments that are sometimes entirely internal, sometimes wholly external, and in other instances, a combination of both. Let’s take a look at each of them: four were outlined in Savoring: The New Model of Positive Experience, by Fred B. Bryant and Joseph Veroff, and a fifth was identified in a 2022 study. 

	External world	Internal self
Cognitive Reflection	Thanksgiving (gratitude), Knowing (interest, curiosity)	Basking (pride)
Experiential absorption	Marveling (awe), Knowing (interest, curiosity)	Luxuriating(pleasure of the senses)

As I type this post, I am tucked into the shade on my garden porch, something I would not have been able to do three months ago during winter, and just knowing this opportunity is available makes me appreciate it all the more. Classical California plays on my Roberts radio, and the birds flutter around the café that is housed in the cherry tree whose white blossoms are beginning to emerge. It’s spring, and it feels as though life has opened up a bit, come alive a bit more, and it is because winter preceded it that I appreciate spring’s arrival even more. Let’s take a look at 23 ways to savor deeply this season, which is spring.

Marveling (awe)

1. Listening to the dawn and dusk chorus

Embrace stillness. Just be. Bring something to hold – a cup of tea, coffee, or water. Gently snuggle and pet our four-legged companions as they, too, slow down and savor with us. Close our eyes. Let a smile spontaneously emerge. Observe the heartbeat slow. Take deep breaths and delight in the sounds of Spring’s hello.

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2. Meander through the spring blooms

Look up, look down, look all around. The blossoms of spring appear everywhere it seems this time of year. From the tree blossoms on the cherry, crabapple and many other fruit trees along with other varietals of deciduous trees, to the oodles of bulbs shooting upward their long-awaited blooms to sunshine that is the forsythia, the starry dogwood blossoms in an array of colors, the magnolia trees appearing full of tulips blooms that appear all but real in their magnificence, this time of year offers a vast spectacle to savor. And since we know this beauty is fleeting, we are reminded to stop, observe, and take it in now, as we don’t know when a blustery day or chilly night will conclude the show.

Whether we have spring bulbs rising from the earth in our own garden, our neighborhood, or a nearby park burgeoning with deciduous trees and perennials near ready to dazzle with their blossoms and new blooms, or a flower market to stroll through, make an intention to spend time leisurely gazing and stopping to smell the scents of Spring.

~tulips blooming here at Le Papillon under the dwarf Acer tree~

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3. Visit a garden open to the public to view the mastery of gardening at its finest

Here in Oregon, specifically in the Willamette Valley, we are fortunate to have many long-established specialty-focused gardens that open for specific windows of time during the year to showcase the specific flowers they grow. For example, tulips at the Oregon Tulip Farm/Wooden Shoe Farm, Irises at Schneider’s Iris Farm, and row upon row of peonies at Adelman’s Peony Farm. As well, we have gardens that are open year-round, allowing visitors to view plants, trees, and flowers throughout their life cycles, which is fascinating and helps deepen appreciation while simultaneously teaching us how to care for our own gardens (or inspire us about what we can grow but maybe didn’t realize we could!). The Oregon Garden, which is located in Silverton, is a perfect example of such a garden. Dedicated specifically to showcasing what we can grow in Oregon and what blooms when, in April’s garden post shared tomorrow, I will be sharing my visit to this special place (and dogs are welcome!).

~One of the many benefits of being a TOP Tier member is access to these Garden Tour posts. Below is a list of the gardens I have visited so far, and I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming months and years (I will be visiting the aforementioned Iris farm this spring, and will be sure to share my visit in June’s garden post).

Garden Tour Posts in Oregon, Britain and France:

• Adelman’s Peony Farm
• Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm
• Portland’s Japanese Garden
• Elk Rock Garden (located in Portland, Oregon)
• Swan Island Dahlias
• Les Jardins de Tuileries in Spring (available to read for non-members)
• Sissinghurst Castle Garden (available to read for non-members)

~Les Jardins de Tuileries, April 2022~

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4. Bring home daffodils, tulips or peonies for a simple, yet brilliant bouquet

Whether we grow any of our favorite spring flowers in our garden or not, letting our garden keep its Spring beauty and picking up a bouquet of daffodils at the local market ushers sunshine into our home. Right through the three months of spring, beginning with daffodils in early March to then tulips in April and soon peonies in May (sometimes into June as is the case here in Bend, Oregon), the entire season offers uniquely stunning flowers that sing of spring and only become available during this special time of year.

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5. Sow seeds for our garden (or kitchen window)

The delight of seeing sown seeds emerge, pushing through the soil, is an inspiring sight. This observation alone provides ample inspiration for our life journey of learning and then creating something new. It may seem impossible for such a mighty and magnificent plant to have begun from a speck of a dot that is the seed, but indeed it is true! A lesson to hold as a reminder for the journey we are currently on to bring our masterpiece to life.

Alongside being a mighty source of inspiration, sowing seeds also saves money. Start with sowing favorite annual flowers. My go-to favorites are nasturtiums, just as in Monet’s garden in Giverny, France, where these reblooming summer beauties run up and down the garden paths, as well as sweet peas for their scent and repeat blooms nearly all summer long. 

Consider growing an herb garden or planting them among the perennials and annuals – anything unavailable at a local nursery. In my case, I sow sorrel seed, a favorite French herb that adds a subtle citrus note to seafood sauces, as well as chervil, a delicate French herb that offers the flavors of anise and the freshness of parsley. Explore sowing seeds for herbs commonly used in kitchen recipes for seasonal dishes. Just knowing we have grown the herbs in our own garden that we now use in the kitchen deepens appreciation, and savoring takes on an entirely deeper level of celebration.

~View this step-by-step post for successful seed sowing. You can do it!

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6. Experience France or Britain in the spring

If an opportunity to travel arises, visiting our favorite destination during the Spring season offers a special gift. A deepening of our appreciation that we are not alone in experiencing the rejuvenating effects of Spring’s arrival. For me, witnessing Spring in Britain and France has been life-lifting. Whether I am in France in March when a winter wind can still whip through the City of Light or waking up in the Kent countryside to a symphony of birdsong in April, I am reminded of how special Spring can be. A new opportunity arises for us all if we choose to see it, savor it, and embrace all the possibilities it offers.

~Sissinghurst Garden seen from above, looking down onto the white garden and dry garden. View the full visit here.~

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7. Create en plein air

If you are an artist or hobbyist who creates, as the weather warms up, let Mother Nature entice you to step outside and see, and then capture her beauty. Grab your paints and brushes, your blank pages or canvases, and head outside to dabble in your craft, marveling at all that is before you and fleetingly so.

Luxuriating (pleasure of the senses)

8. The sun’s rising earlier with each day

Each year I revel in seeing the daylight at the horizon becoming brighter earlier and earlier each morning. Beginning as early as late March, I take notice of this change as I can see it from my bedroom window, and when I see a hint of the horizon distinguished off in the distance, I know the day is beginning, and I can begin to stir too.

I have always been a morning person, and quite honestly, it is as if I am being given permission to get up and begin the day, something I look forward to each morning, as the rituals I have created to greet it are ones I savor (explore many of them here).

But before I hop out of bed, I will linger, luxuriating in this seasonal gift of more and more daylight, earlier and earlier mornings that greet me with a welcome I adore because I know all too soon, the days will ebb again. But for now, I soak it up and remind myself not to rush, instead lingering just a little bit longer as gradually, and then seemingly suddenly, more and more light, the golden light of the morning, is filling the house, the day, and life itself.

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9. Walk in the rain with a colorful umbrella and favorite wellies

Fun fact: Walking in the rain is one of the easiest ways to boost our health. Now, many readers of the TSLL community know I am a pluviophile (lover of rain), and even a deluge in the Lake District that soaked me to the bone was a joyous occasion, as shared earlier. Perhaps there is a scientific reason why I was so overjoyed. Tiffany Francis-Baker shares in her book Microseasons that “the air is cleaner during and after rainfall because as the raindrops fall through the atmosphere, they absorb dozens of microscopic aerosol particles before they reach the ground, naturally removing pollutants like sulfates and soot that we would otherwise breathe in.”

Additionally, when raindrops land on plants, trees, and soil, a sweet-scented compound is released into the air, making the air smell uniquely refreshing and clean. And even better, when we inhale that compound, it has been proven to improve our mood and boost respiratory health and immunity.

So, grab the wellies, open up the umbrella, and take that walk in the rain smiling all the way, knowing our health is benefiting in oodles of ways.

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10. Go for a bicycle ride

If by the time late afternoon or early evening rolls around, and our energy level is low, yet we seek a boost of inspiration, follow Susan Herrmann Loomis’ inspiration of l’heure bleue (blue hour) bike ride as she shared with listeners of The Simple Sophisticate podcast in episode #192. At around 4 or 5 p.m. in Normandy, France, where she lived in Louviers for decades, she would hop on her bike and go for a ride along the quiet roads of the French countryside during the magical time of day in the evening just before sunset, often called twilight, when the light hovering above the horizon appears mystically blue. Sure enough, our energy reserves and the moment brighten with possibility. 

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11. Sit outside to begin or end the day

Whether with a book or magazine in the evening as the dusk chorus lulls us into a cocoon of pleasure and delight, or in the morning on the first warm-enough day to dine outside with our first cup of caffeine, take note of your ability to do what isn’t always available. This year the first breakfast on the garden porch happened about two weeks ago, and when I realized it was happening, I beamed from ear to ear, announcing to Nelle this special occasion that when we have our last in early October, I remind myself we will be able to dine again outdoors to greet the day. And when that day arrives, I mark it, write it in my journal as a personal reminder (as each year it is different), and let myself lose all track of time savoring my breakfast, listening to the birdsong and being grateful to officially expanding the living space of Le Papillon for yet another year. Speaking of Thanksgiving . . .

Thanksgiving (gratitude)

12. Pick up local produce found at the farmers’ market

Fresh food grown of the season from nearby farms is back! Okay, maybe you are fortunate to live in an area that has farmers’ markets brimming with fresh produce year-round, but here in Bend, this is put on pause until May’s arrival. But when May does arrive, the markets open and the bounty is plentiful! It is time to head to the farmers’ market and pick up the seasonal produce indicative of Spring – asparagus, strawberries, Fava beans, morel mushrooms, a variety of lettuces, beets, green onions, leeks, and so many others. I share a list of produce at its peak season in the Intro to French Cooking: Everyday Deliciousness class to dive deeply (and deliciously) into each.

~In celebration of this annual occasion of spring’s beginning and the farmer’s markets opening, look for a savings event to take place soon for enrollment into TSLL’s Intro to French Cooking Class. (rest assured, TOP Tier members who have already purchased the course, you scooped up the best-ever price – the first month of a class launch reduced 20% – that is my promise to you kept). The savings coming up soon will only be available for a couple of days, so be sure you are signed up for one of TSLL’s free newsletters (weekly, monthly or book & online courses) as I will announce the dates and promo code directly with you through these.

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13. Seeing fledglings, wee lambs, wobbly calves, and prancing fawns

This time of year brings the smiles galore and with each year, further appreciation of life itself when I see young birds being fed by their mums in the garden, or happen by a field of newly born lambs and calves. A reminder of life itself and the gift we are each given. To delight, to dance, to live fully!

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14. Spend time on the weekend enjoying a day of checking out yard and garage sales, or brocantes, with a friend or solo

Treasure hunting. Discovering details and gems that catch the eye the moment they are spied. The thrill of exploring what signature touches we can bring to our daily lives to décor our sanctuaries. 

~my first visit to Foire de Chatou just outside of Paris, last March (2025), learn all about this special event that takes place twice a year here.~

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15. Participate in a yard sale or tag sale

Just as it is fun to go treasure hunting, springtime is also an excellent time to host or co-host a yard or tag sale to clean out and edit what we no longer use but is still in good condition. And it’s also a great way to meet our neighbors. 

~Can you spy Norman? This was my moving sale before I moved house to come to Bend.~

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16. Create an outdoor eating area

Similar to being able to sit outside for the first time, now that we can, as the temperatures are gradually rising and the snow has turned to rain, it is time to expand our living space permanently, even if only for the next six months. If we can create a space outside to sit and dine – or enjoy a hot cuppa – then select the furniture, any decorating details, and plants to create a welcoming, snug outdoor space. Our sanctuaries have effectively grown in size, with at least one more room to enjoy our time at home.

Basking (pride)

17. Celebrating the graduation of a loved one, your students, or yourself!

Spring marks the end of the school year, and at every level of education, it is a time to celebrate. Whether we are celebrate another’s success of completion years of dedicated work, celebrating students we have long cared about and taught or are celebrating our own arrival at the culmination of reaching our long-worked for goal, give fully of your cheer and hurrah as this is a special occasion never guaranteed and worthy of marking as to remind ourselves what we and others can do with focused effort and support from those who believe in us.

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18. Plan a short getaway

It need not be immediately. It need not be far away, but if getting away to do, see, or experience something that has tickled our curiosity is a muscle that needs stretching, then give it a stretch.

As we step out of winter and into Spring, we mindfully take a deeper breath, grounding ourselves in the extraordinary everyday life we love living while appreciating that winter provides spring with much of the nourishment needed to cultivate the beauty we now celebrate. Remember this truth that Mother Nature demonstrates dependably year after year because each of us needs a winter as much as it needs a Spring. 

Knowing (interest, curiosity)

19. Learn and then apply your garden knowledge to creating and being a gardener

Gardening is about the doing as much as it is about the delighting in what is growing, if not moreso. It always tickles me by how much joy I find in the regular gardening tasks, and how I miss them when winter rolls around. While I thoroughly enjoy sitting in my garden or wandering through it in the evening, I also absolutely love working in my garden. These are not chores – to dig, to weed, to replant, to prune – these are joys. And when we find the joy of gardening, the tasks themselves, then we deepen our appreciation for all that can be grown, created and savored. The savoring happening both in the doing and the basking in what we have cared for or created. So, in many ways, I guess this item on our list really does cover a few different types of savoring. ☺️

~Curious about becoming a gardener or want to deepen your gardening skills? Explore TSLL’s Garden posts, where each month (March through October) I share detailed posts with monthly tasks, contemplations, discoveries, photos from my own garden, what I am up to, garden tools, books, helpful finds, and much more. Tomorrow will bring April’s garden post, and for the first time, I will share photos of my front cottage garden in its full spring bloom!

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20. Plan one home décor or garden project and invest well

The choice to invest may require that the project takes more time, but rest assured, when it is eventually complete, you will savor it all the more for years and decades to come. Knowing how to cultivate a particular area so that it best supports the life that nourishes us is to know ourselves well and value our needs. Whether it is in

Sprucing up our homes, caring for our garden to better reflect the signature style and way of life that helps to ground us, thus enabling us to soar when we step away from our homes, is an investment worth making, as it nourishes us daily. What an uplifting way to say hello to a new year with spring’s arrival.

~Explore one of more than 30 ideas for projects in your home here as shared in detailed posts inspired by Le Papillon’s customization since 2020.

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21. Start a good habit: Add one fresh green salad with homemade vinaigrette to the daily diet each day 

I remember Monty Don mentioning this in one of the episodes of Gardeners’ World, and I took note: he enjoys one salad every day (with greens he has grown) year-round. Now, I don’t have my own fresh lettuce growing in my garden year-round, but it certainly sparked an idea. How simple! How delicious! Why not? After all, when the fresh greens are available (if they are not now in the garden or at the farmers’ market), they will be soon – and what a delicious treat it will be to enjoy them.

For now, stop at the local grocer, select favorite lettuce varietal, add a few micro greens – I add micro arugula for a subtle peppery zing, then make your vinaigrette – EVOO, balsamic vinegar, freshly ground pepper and a dab of French Dijon mustard is all I need, add a favorite vegetable such as a tomato, mushrooms, acucumber, you choose! – sautéed or freshly sliced (maybe some cheese or nuts if you’d like), and toss. Add a bit of protein if desired. And voilà! Lunch!

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22. The annual garden nursery visits

One special ritual I look forward to each year is the first visit to the local nursery. I have shared before how my pups come with me, and often get to go into the nursery with me as many shops are dog-friendly. This is the time of year when my ideas that were dancing about all winter get to finally begin to emerge into reality.

If you too love gardening, this is a savoring moment indeed. Let your curiosity guide you. Begin to find nurseries that sell plants and other details for the garden that speak to your predilections and garden’s needs. Likely there will be multiple visits, and each one is an opportunity to exercise our savoring muscle. Don’t rush, take in all that tickles and delights you and teach your mind how our interests really can strengthen our ability to seek out what we love and what brings us enjoyment.

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23. Assess and edit the spring wardrobe

Taking a close look at the clothes we have that will carry us through a stylish spring season is a fun way to align our clothing with who we are and the life we live.

Sometimes we stick to what we have because it is easy – the clothes are there, at-the-ready, but how do we feel in our clothes – literally (in terms of size) and figuratively (how does it make us feel when we put them on)? Taking the time to identify the gaps in our wardrobe brings clarity, allowing us to make informed, well-considered purchases, even if they are investments. The investments are worth it, as they provide us with what we need now and for many years to come. 

~Have a look at TSLL’s Annual Spring Style Guide below, or click here to read/shop/explore the full post.

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Some seasons may be easier to savor than others, and often spring is a treasured season by many. However, now that we have a deeper awareness of both the fleeting nature of the season and how to more thoughtfully take all of the gifts available, the season can be even more than we may have thought possible.

Admittedly, as someone who loves to garden, my appreciation for the temporal nature of this time of year has grown. Before I know it the daffodils in the garden will be finished blooming, never to be seen again here at Le Papillon for another 11 months. That gives me pause but it also gives me the freedom to cheer when I see them without apology. Yes, I will be that neighbor who is out in her garden singing my wahoos when each flower I have long anticipated blooming finally does. It is that special and worthy of our full and earnest glee. Carry this type of enthusiasm into every part of the seasonal offerings and discover how life expands in measure. Perhaps, and I think most definitely, it will become measureless in its contentedness as the quote that began today’s post expressed.

Let the savoring continue onward into this season of Spring, as we have so much remaining of this magical time of year. Look for the Summer’s Offered Savorings post to be shared in late July.

Explore More Spring Seasonal posts