Hues of hope make their return.
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Spring arrives and not a moment too soon. What a parade of gray this winter has been. Now there are hints of life and growth appearing in quiet corners of the world, and Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley is no exception. Look closely and you’ll see the first harbinger of spring. It’s not a critter, it’s not a holiday, it’s a color.
The pale, soft green of new growth arrives like an introvert at a party, slipping in while nobody’s watching. It’s a mild sage color — delicate, shy, more gray than green at first, arriving just at the tips of branches and the undergrowth. Tender green, full of promise, peeking through tired browns is a wonderful sign that winter is gone.
I don’t completely trust the process as my sister, who was born on the first day of spring, arrived during a nasty snow storm. Icy roads made the 40-mile drive to the hospital tedious as well as dangerous. My mother was in pain and now worried that she’d be delivering a baby in a ditch. My father said that she was “brave.” I’m sure that word went through heavy editing before he spoke it. In summary, occasionally the first day of spring is a liar.
It just takes a few weeks and boom, the shy sage green gets a little momentum, a little confidence, and now it’s becoming grass green, Granny Smith apple green, look-at-me green. Now we have a green that’s full of joy and optimism. Now we have the green that we need. This is the color that lets us know that plants are going to grow, animals are going to frolic and life will be lovely and colorful again.
I gardened for years and years until my lower back insisted that I choose another hobby, and the vibrant green of new growth still thrills me to no end. That shade of green meant that I was a success as a gardener and good food was in our future. It meant that my flowers overwintered without damage and were ready to shine again. I particularly like this time of year.
Summer gardens are full of chaos, chores and produce, but spring gardens are still neat and tidy. The grass doesn’t need to be cut yet and the weeds aren’t wreaking havoc. Dandelions are up, and any insects are glad for them since they’re often the first plant to make nectar available after the winter scarcity. Dandelions give your pollinators a reason to stick around. They’re a welcome mat to new life.
If you don’t believe that spring green is the happiest color, watch the animals. You’ve never seen so much happiness, expressed through running, jumping, chasing and napping in the sun. Our pack of dogs cannot contain themselves; their excitement at sunny, warmer weather is contagious. We have a dog door and good thing, because the Great Dane tears through it to do zoomies in the yard, races back inside to tell us all about it, then barrels right back outside to start again. All the other dogs just try to stay out of the crash zones. There’s so much enthusiasm that you just might get bruised by all the joy.
Green is the world’s second favorite color, closely following blue as the most frequently mentioned favorite. Green is the most prevalent natural color in the world, and our eyes can discern between subtle shades of green better than any other color. Green means vitality, growth, wealth, health and balance. Green represents trust, prosperity and helpful values. Businesses are very fond of using green because of all the positive connotations with the color. Whole Foods Market, H&R Block and Starbucks are just a few who chose green as their brand color. On a personal note, my home office is painted emerald green because green is the color of creativity and money. Perfect choice for an office.
This spring, I ask you to notice the tiny shoots and buds in their fresh, spring-green colors. Every one of them, a tiny flag of change and renewal. Green is the color of hope.
The story above first appeared in our March / April 2026 issue. For more like it subscribe today or log in with your active BRC+ Membership. Thank you for your support!