Easter Colors

I know
that
Easter is
typically
thought of
with pastel
colors of
pink,
yellow,
pale blues,
and light
greens.




But I have come to think of Easter as the time of the whites of the flowering ornamental pear trees and the deep purples of tiny violets growing beneath the evergreens. The two always make their first appearance side by side here at the farm. We have had a few windy days this week, and one of them sent the white petals of the pears fluttering all over the property in such a dense manner one would have sworn it was a snow shower. So many petals now cover the grass that it is a wonder that any are left on the trees themselves.

Wren and I went for a walk under the evergreens today and picked the small stems of violets. We carried about forty indoors, washed them well, and they are drying next to the kitchen sink. Later in the day, we will beat an egg white, paint the petals with the frothy egg, and dip them into fine sugar. Weeks from now they will be taken out of a jar and placed a top cupcakes. Candied violets are such a beautiful thing to decorate cakes with and so difficult to find for sale. I never realized they were so easy to make until we tried it ourselves.

My husband had to run to the market and asked if we needed anything here at the house. Poor man, I asked him to take a pocket knife and cut me six boughs from a Forsythia tree growing down the road and bring them home. Not exactly the response he was looking for. They look so amazing here in Ohio in early April. Their sunny yellow flowers are blindingly bright but look so pretty against the backdrop of weathered grey barns that grace every pasture here in the River Valley.

As with most things, I keep meaning to cut them myself and just have not had a moment to get it done. While picking the violets today, their cheery yellow insides once again reminded me of the Forsythia blooms. I'll keep these cutting indoors on the dining room table until they shoot forth new roots. Then we'll place them into some good soil and give them a chance to take a firm hold. Hopefully some day as we pull into our drive, the bright yellows of their blooms will greet us along with the snowy whites of the pears. We'll then have another bright color to identify with Easter time.