April — May 2026
Musings from Waltzing Matilda’s
Dear Friends,
Poet T.S. Eliot may have called it “the cruelest month,” but April has its perks. Especially if you’re a fangirl of forsythia and daffodils—spring’s ephemeral first-bloomers at Waltzing Matilda’s Farm. ‘Tis the season of tomato seedlings sprouting in our greenhouse and ramped-up egg-laying in the chicken coop; of open bedroom windows and, since we live near a vernal pool, the high-pitched sound at dusk of peepers chirping for love.
It’s one of my favorite sounds.
Harbingers of spring, those tiny tree frogs peep with all the subtlety of a neon sign flashing in the window of a by-the-hour motel. And yes, I realize I just turned a sensorily sweet image into something viscerally sexual. But hey, that’s kinda what spring is all about. April is mating season—not only for peepers, but also for box turtles, bald eagles, migratory birds, skunks and perennials like daffodils, hyacinth and tulips. (Okay, they pollinate. Same thing.)
Daffodils are the first flower to bloom at Waltzing Matilda’s Farm
Astrologically speaking, April is the month of new beginnings and, according to the AI prophets, of “reinventing one’s self.” Apparently (and coincidentally), I nailed it. A fiery Aries, I was born in April, married in April, bought my first home in April and…drumroll please…hung out a shingle for Waltzing Matilda’s floral design business in April.
This month marks Matilda’s one-year milestone.
Luckily, I have found a supportive community that appreciates the buzzy, so-called natural floral design movement: a loose vs. tightly-compacted style using in-season local flowers and foliage. That said, I’m no purist. I prefer a combination of imported blooms with those grown in local gardens—including my own. So thank you, to all the people who pay for my ballet-meets-rave floral arrangements.
I have one person in particular to thank. My dear friend and neighbor Tomasina. Not only did she design Waltzing Matilda’s logo and website for my 60th birthday, she dispensed huge doses of much-needed confidence to turn a nascent hobby into something more. (TBH, I’d been struggling with a bad case of “What now?” after riding for years in the slipstream of three close-in-age kids who’d abandoned me for college.)
I’d also like to thank the many friends who donated their vases for my repurposing—particularly Tomasina’s mom, Laura. On a wintry day just shy of Christmas, she led me to her cavernous basement—where dozens upon dozens of glass vases perched on floor-to-ceiling shelves—and said, “Take whatever you want.” A florist in her own right, Laura had just gifted me the motherlode of floral hardware!
Speaking of mothers, Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 10. I’d love to make an arrangement in celebration of yours …or, better yet, to celebrate you.
Spring is also the season to celebrate our children’s milestones—from communions and confirmations, to high school proms and graduations. Whether it be a boutonniere or a bouquet filled with symbolic blooms, I’d be honored to add a touch of floral beauty to the occasion.
With gratitude,
Heather Anderson
