COVID-19 is messing with life as we know it but it can’t stop spring. On Tuesday, I decided to stop by the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe and check it out.

I wasn’t alone.

The parking lot was jammed.

In the garden, people were everywhere (so much for social distancing). It was the middle of a workday but families were enjoying each others company, elderly couples were holding hands, photographers–some with iPhones and others with heavy duty equipment–were busy catching the early signs of spring. Others were sitting on benches soaking up the rays.

I didn’t see a lot of bees buzzing, flowers in full bloom or hear many birds singing, but I definitely saw those early signs of spring that are particularly welcome this year.

The willow trees were swinging in the breeze, their leaves swelling with the promise of spring while a nearby robin, unaware of any quarantines, was busily gathering building materials for her nest where she will soon  welcome her new family.

In the Garden’s Esplanade bulbs were breaking through the soil waking from their winter nap. Soon their annual color show will turn the brown landscape into a multi-colored carpet of tulips flooding the entire Esplanade in a sea of vibrant color.

The snowdrops–the first in the garden to awake from their winter slumber–started pushing their white bells up through snow in February. Currently they are the stars of the garden putting on a glorious show for all to see–no tickets required.

The chives in the Fruit and Vegetable Garden were anxiously poking their green noses through the soil getting ready to lend their pungent flavor to all kinds of dishes. 

A herald of early spring, Eranthis hyemalis, the yellow buttercup-like flowers are one of the earliest spring bloomers—and also among the smallest. They could be spotted popping up here and there throughout the garden adding a welcome bright splash of color to the leafy landscape.

Lily families could be seen congregating in the Graham Bulb Garden where they’ve been welcoming new family members on a daily basis.

All this proving that nothing can stop Spring.

PLEASE NOTE: Sadly on Tuesday, March 17, the day I visited the Garden and took these photos, they closed at 5:00pm. to the public until April 30 due to the coronavirus.

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