WELCOME SPRING
The beginning of the spring, called the March Equinox or the Spring Equinox, will begin for us here in McLean on Monday, March 20, 5:24 p.m. EST. At this exact moment the northern hemisphere begins to be tilted more toward the sun, marking the arrival of what many fellow residents consider the best turn of the seasons: more daylight hours and later sunsets, giving us the opportunity to enjoy longer amounts of sunlight every day.
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about spring is the classical piece by Edvard Grieg, “Morning Mood,” the soundtrack played in every retro cartoon that represents the beginning of the earliest season of the year. Spring has always been considered the season of awakening and rebirth. Snow starts to melt, hibernating animals awaken, flowers bloom, and daily temperatures begin to rise. I love spring because it is the perfect time to go outside and stretch our legs in search of warm-weather activities.
Readers must be thinking, “What am I going to do with the extra daylight hours?” Don’t worry! McLean Living has a couple of ideas to share.
GARDENING
Give us a moment here! Gardening nowadays is creative and fun. The choice between
vegetables, flowers, or herbs is personal and depends on your location and sunlight. Luckily,
we have local experts that can advise you, like the professionals like Wolf Trap Nursery or
GreenStreet Garden.
The Wolf Trap Nursery is a family-owned independent garden that we call “a piece of paradise
in the middle of the city.” Our favorite part is walking through the herb section, where the
aroma revives the senses and takes imagination through delicious recipes in which they can
be used. And if that is not enough, the Zen Garden greenhouse is a heart-warmer, and we’re
sure you’ll fall in love with the extensive variety of roses.
If your sensibilities lead you more toward tropical plants and succulent, we recommend
GreenStreet Garden. This is a beautiful place where you can easily spend hours scanning the
rows and rows of plants, trees, herbs, and flowers. They have absolutely everything you need
to jump start your green thumb and be a great plant parent
BIKE RIDING
Cycling is an adventure that provides the sensation of freedom and puts you back in
touch with nature. If you don’t know how to ride a bike, springtime is a great time to learn
something new.
We recommend one of the best bike stores in Virginia, Conte’s Bike Shop. In 1957, Conte’s
Bike Shop was the first family-owned bicycle stores in Virginia. They’ll help you and your
family find just what you need for your biking adventures. From novice to expert, they’ll help
you find the perfect fit.
There are many local and farther-flung biking trails from which to choose, just in our Northern
Virginia area. Whether you’re riding locally on the W&OD, at one of the three biking trails at
Great Falls Park, or Mount Vernon trail, choices abound! If you’d like a bit more adventure,
you can hit up sites like the Tobacco Heritage Trail, surrounded by unspoiled woods and
tobacco farms that have been passed from one generation to the next, and homey little towns.
As we emerge from our (not very cold winter), we at McLean Living hope you enjoy every
spring day to the utmost! We join you in saying goodbye to the coats, boots and sweaters
that we hardly used, and welcoming a return to outdoor fun, whether that be biking, hiking,
gardening or brunching!
Hello, spring!
