Today’s spring equinox marks a moment of balance in the year – a fleeting day of equal hours of day and night before we gently shift towards the lighter days of the year. There is a sense of the world unfurling and reawakening after the long, dark winter months. A new beginning. March begins with a tiptoe into spring, one that brings joy, hope and rebirth in our natural world.
We’ve put together some gentle ideas of how you can welcome and celebrate the arrival of springtime over the coming months.
Enjoy time outdoors
Take a slow and intentional walk outdoors to notice how spring unfolds over the next few weeks – from the sunshine daffodils of March to the rich, fragrant bluebells in April and the delicate blossoms and magnolias of May. Consider returning to the same place each week and noting what has changed.
Head to your local park, woodland or river and enjoy a picnic outside on sunnier days. Help children engage in the changing of the seasons by creating a simple scavenger hunt they can use on a walk to tick off the signs of spring as they arrive such as spotting the first lambs, finding a bird’s nest and noticing the new leaf shoots on the trees.
Sow seeds
There is a simple pleasure to sowing seeds – the promise and potential of new life from colourful blooms or edible treats in the near future. Start seeds off indoors where you can revel in the excitement of diligently watering, nurturing and checking each day for new growth until they are ready to be planted outside. If you have space, plant sunflower seeds and have a competition to see who can grow the tallest.
If you don’t have a garden, a sunny windowsill is still a perfect spot to grow your own herbs, lettuces, chillies or cress. Reuse old food packaging or yoghurt pots to plant seeds rather than buy new ones.
Spring clean your home
Start the season off by taking the time to refresh, renew and declutter your home. Sort through your wardrobe and put winter clothes and heavy blankets away into storage. Donate any unwanted or unused items to charity, clean behind furniture and clear your desk or workspace by filing away those piles of paper which begin to mount up.
Bring the outside in with pots of spring bulbs, bunches of sunny daffodils and tulips or make a spring wreath to brighten your home.
Cook a meal using local and seasonal produce
Celebrate the turning of the season by cooking up a spring feast for family or friends. Head to your local market or greengrocers for new seasonal produce such as tender purple sprouting broccoli, crisp little radishes and emerald broad beans with peas, asparagus and new potatoes arriving in late spring.
Woodland and shaded areas become a haven for pungent carpets of wild garlic from late March that is delicious added to salads, risottos, scones or as an alternative to basil in pesto.
Write a spring activity list
Harness the new energy that spring brings and take the time to think about what you would like to do over the season before summer arrives – new places you’d like to visit, friends you may like to reconnect with, new recipes to try (such as hot cross buns for Easter) or books you may like to read that reflect the season. Consider starting a new project such as nature journalling (through writing, drawing or photography) that will allow you to connect more deeply with the season.
Introduce lighter fragrances into your home
Swap the heavier muskier fragrances of winter candles and diffusers for lighter, floral and fragrant tones to rejuvenate your home. Our Greenhouse collection recalls the scented memory of a greenhouse – from the lemon thyme, geranium and garden mint to the aromatic green tomatoes ripening slowly on the vine.
For perfume, our new scent Roses for Keats reflects the romantic heart notes of rose and geranium, fresh and floral top notes of bergamot, pear and mandarin and base notes of warm amber cedar and sandalwood.
Shop Home Fragrance for spring –
