Spring is finally here, even if it seems to be holding back a little. It looks like it's taking a bit of a run-up this year to really kick off, although you can't miss the first signs. Yes, it's starting to bloom.

There are still a few weeks to go until the big spectacle, when Queen Sakura will grace us again. But in our region, the first small flowers have now appeared, which belong to her early sister Ume. Depending on your interpretation, these are plum or apricot blossoms, which may not be quite as delicate as the cherry blossoms, but which can still be quite enchanting.

Perhaps the magic lies in the fact that winter hasn't really said goodbye yet and can still strike again. And in these first, still rather chilly days of spring, these small, sometimes deep pink, but sometimes white or slightly yellow blossoms look like a promising statement of hope.

And when the sky joings in and shows its blue side, you can feel exactly where the journey will take you over the next few weeks. The signals are pointing to spring and there is no turning back any more. Even if we may still have to expect the odd setback over the coming days, it will soon be much milder, sunnier and, above all, more colorful.

And even if I'm not in such a hurry, I'm of course very excited about the things to come. As usual, I will probably be taking lots of flower pictures again this year. Some things just have to happen again, and this season will be no exception....