Say what?! According to The New York Times, spring has been dethroned from its status as the pretty, gentle season that inspired everyone from Shakespeare to the Beatles. Called “muddy and disappointing” by the paper, it’s even suggested that the season needs a full rebranding, given how loads of pumpkin-spiced “Fall Girlies” flex on social media, rhapsodizing about autumn foliage and crisp air. Here’s why we disagree: Spring is the season of gardens reawakening, tulips and lilacs everywhere, and let’s not overlook the cherry blossoms: Take a look at @sofiaxmarie on TikTok strolling past them. Go outside and appreciate this moment. Don’t buy into that “April is the cruellest month” mindset, no matter what the “paper of record” may say.

Trading ferns for farms and hangovers for heirloom tomatoes, Zach Galifianakis stars in a new gardening show called, well, This Is a Gardening Show. In a scene from the trailer, he asks with signature deadpan delivery, “Without sounding stupid, what is a tomato?” It’s funny, of course, but also serious (our changing climate!), as Galifianakis (and the viewer) learns from farmers, gardeners, and kids who eat their vegetables. The six-episode series debuts (fittingly) on Earth Day, April 22nd, on Netflix.

They'd five-star this idea, which also offers another way to celebrate spring as the glorious season it is. We're loving the whimsical bird-food buffets some creative folk are setting up. Akin to a cheese board but laden with seeds and fruit instead of burrata and aged goat gouda, these feeding stations bring a host of avian friends to your yard, plus some chirp-y ASMR as they pick their way through.

Maybe you’ll want to get on board with this trend, too: a “nature-drenched” yard, which is similar to color drenching, but with plants. Said to be a very big deal for 2026, "it's about allowing man-made furnishings and structures to be thoughtfully taken over by plants to encourage an outdoor space that feels designed for comfort and for the promotion of nature," said Kris Manalo, head of design at Atkin and Thyme. Time to hit the garden center for some climbers, yes?

You can also get nature-drenched without leaving home by doing a little online plant shopping. A growing number of shoppers are adding plants to their digital shopping carts, according to the latest research by the National Gardening Association (NGA). Online plant sales rose about 7% in recent years. According to NGA’s executive director, “people who are buying online are increasingly comfortable putting more of their garden budget there.”