The moment spring offers a hint of its arrival, the wildly fragrant stock flower begins to bloom. If the scent had to be described, it's close to clover, while the flower itself offers clusters of round double flowers forming a spike at the top of each stem. You'll find them all over Maltese gardens in lovely white, pastel pinks and purples.  

Easter is invariably at spring time, and in Malta, the locals start getting ready for Easter with the traditional figolli - a soft biscuit filled with marzipan (almond mixture). A lot of the Maltese make their own to give to others, including children in the baking process. On Easter Sunday, the children accompany the processions, carrying their figolla with them to be blessed. Shapes vary amongst all symbols reminiscent of easter and spring; eggs, butterflies, rabbits, hearts, and doves, while the top is covered with icing, as well as a half chocolate egg wrapped in colourful foil paper. Easter may have been yesterday, but you'll likely see figolli in shops for a little while yet, if you still haven't had a chance to sample them!

Each year, the strawberry festival (festa frawli) takes place in the picturesque main square outside the Parish Church in Mgarr, which is an agricultural village surrounded by lush green valleys on the north side of the island. Renowned for their crazy sweet and robust strawberries, the local farmers get to picking, preparing and packing thousands of strawberries to get ready for the big event. 

The fields are covered with wild poppy flowers and asteraceae (daisies), which stand to attention with long strong stalks and bright yellow petals. Interestingly, despite it being one of the most prolific flowers in Malta, it's not indigenous to the island. The same goes for the wild scarlet red poppy, which is one of the most popular flowers throughout Europe, renowned for its WWI memorial significance.

As if in hibernation over a long, hard winter, the locals perk up as soon as sunshine starts becoming more permanent. Spring's weather reaches a perfect balance between the chilly winter season and the blazing hot Maltese summer, so you'll find promenades and public spaces packed with people walking, perching and socialising. 

Spring brings an onset of visitors to the islands, and because the weather is so warm, many are tempted to take a dip in the inviting Med. The vast majority of locals won't dip their toe in until June, so you can spot the tourists by seeing which ones are actually in the water (without turning blue)!

Spring brings the locals' favourite fruit and vegetables back in season. Markets and veggie carts are abundant with broad beans, artichokes and Brussels sprouts, amongst so many others.

While the Manoel Theatre's annual Opera Week has now passed, the International Spring Orchestra Festival happens in April. This special event promises the gathering of established local artistes with guest stars coming to Malta from the four corners of the globe to make music together.