Spring is the season that bears the good news of new life. The trees wrap themselves in a shining new coat of leaves. The birds sing with renewed vigor, uplifting heart and soul. But to me the real evidence that spring is about to make its appearance may be found when taking a stroll through the perennial garden. There you will see all the little sprouts of greenery, pushing their way up through the cool, dark earth after resting during the long, cold winter, blanketed by snow and ice.

There are numerous reasons why I love perennials. The obvious one is that once you plant most of them and give them the proper care, they will repay you with their beauty for years to come. By lifting and dividing many of the older plants, you can extend their life indefinitely.

By choosing the proper perennials and placing them with care, the gardener can have a succession of beauty and color from early spring well into late fall.

One of the nicest aspects of perennial gardening is the joy of giving a division or seedling from one of you favorite plants to a friend or family member. They will take that little plant home and set it out in their garden. Many years later, whenever they look at that plant they will always be thinking of you. That plant is now more than an ordinary iris or phlox; it becomes known as "Aunt Matilta's Iris or "Uncle Fritz's Phlox". Matilda may go and Fritz may wander, but those plants will remain……. And so will the memories.

Plant a garden that not only grows in beauty, but also one that grows in kindness and love. Plant perennials.

EDITORS NOTE: Leo Roberts has been a "perennial" here at Horsfords for 33 years now. His is living testimony to the fact that keeping your hands in the earth and your face in the sun is truly food for the soul.