Spring in Monet's Garden

Even as winter in Minnesota enjoys its last hurrah, the promise of spring is in the air and all around. This morning I awoke to a flurry of big white flakes falling from the sky and blanketing the recently exposed grass. Although the snow was pretty, it was also depressing. We've had a long winter up here. Just when we thought spring was coming, more snow came.

To celebrate the coming of Spring, I took my family to the Daytons-Bachmans Spring Flower Show in Minneapolis. What a breath of fresh air for those of us in the frozen north! This year's theme is "Linnea in Monet's Garden" and is based on the children's book of the same name (written by Christina Bjork and illustrated by Lena Anderson). Even before we could get into the auditorium, we could smell the Hyacinth and Jasmine!

The story is about a girl named Linnea who goes to France with her good friend Mr. Bloom. They visit Monet's garden in Giverny and Linnea experiences the garden where he painted many of his great impressionist paintings. The flower show was set up to resemble Monet's garden with real flowers, trees, and shrubs. There was even a pond with real fish and a small version of Monet's Japanese bridge spanning across it. The display is a child's wonderland and a sure reminder that Spring will come.

As we entered the display we passed by Linnea carrying a suitcase. She has just arrived in France and is ready to see the garden. As we start down the paths of the garden directly behind Monet's house, we walk pass Forsythia, climbing roses, and beds of Tulips, Primrose, and Nasturtiums. The flowers are beautiful and the colors light up our gray winter scene outdoors.

Along the back porch of the house, Jasmine twines up the posts and adds its fragrance to the scene. We see Linnea with her sketchpad attempting to capture everything that she sees. As we continue on, we find Linnea and Mr. Bloom having lunch in a field of daffodils. After crossing into the other section of the garden, we find Linnea leaning over to take photographs of the water lilies. Mr. Bloom had to hang onto her so she wouldn't fall into the water. And we also find her dancing on the famous Japanese bridge that is covered with Wisteria.

We had a delightful time experiencing Monet's garden with Linnea and experiencing spring a little early. It was so nice to see and smell all the flowers. I had a hard time keeping my daughter from climbing into the flowerbeds. She wanted to get her little nose right up to the blooms. I wanted to as well, but we followed decorum (with some firm hand-holding) and stayed on the paths. I hope that you and your family will take advantage of any flower displays or shows that are in your area to welcome the new season. We had a wonderful time! Here is my family resting on Monet's back stairs. They are my niece Raenah, my son James, and my daughter Amira. We wish to you all a wonderful spring season! For a wonderful site with beautiful photos of Monet's real garden, visit Elizabeth Murray's site.

The copyright of the article Spring in Monet's Garden in Gardening with Children is owned by Linda Mazar. Permission to republish Spring in Monet's Garden in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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