50 Shades of Green by Jane Macy

Ah spring. Such a beguiling season here in the Pacific Northwest. After the gray and dim of the winter, I always rejoice in the pure delight of our first set of warm and brilliantly sunny days. It simply feels good, right? You can practically feel the uplift in the air as we emerge and soak up the pleasure. And, what comes next has become the way I mark the transition into spring. It’s watching what I call Nature’s “50 Shades of Green” show.

Ever present dark greens of evergreens, bright shiny leaves on rhodies, muted and yellow green mosses, velvety green leaves of primroses, and the slowly emerging soft green haze as the deciduous trees form buds and then unfurl.

Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Green is a color of hope. From a color psychology perspective green is also about renewing our vitality and sense of purpose (necessary for many of us after the absence of light!). Green lights signal go.

For me, the “50 Shades of Green” show is a reminder to step outside, lift my eyes, take a deep breath, and celebrate the richness and power of growth, as it happens right before our eyes. It’s a time to plant seeds (literal and figurative) and dream about what might come from them.

The website “Empower Yourself with Color Psychology” notes: “Being a combination of yellow and blue, green encompasses the mental clarity and optimism of yellow with the emotional calm and insight of blue, inspiring hope and a generosity of spirit not available from other colors.” Here's to that---and to relishing the exquisite display Nature offers us over these next weeks!

Jane Macy is a passionate teacher & learner, has called Whidbey home for 10 years, and is quite happy to be reaching for her sunscreen once again.