Spring has just begun to creep out from under the stones where it lay hidden during a bitterly cold St. Louis winter.

Nature announces the arrival of spring in St. Louis in spectacular fashion. The trees explode with color, and the hidden potential of daffodils and other bulbs burst from the ground.

While most people are waiting for the brush of green to reappear across the landscape, I chose early April to visit the Missouri Botanical Garden. It’s still too early for the roses or the lily ponds, or for so much of what I remember loving about the garden, but that’s not to say it was without its special charm. Plus let’s not forget the amazing greenhouses that breathe life all winter long.