Paton's picture celebrates spring and nature. Spring has reclaimed the landscape from the clutches of winter, whose only remnants are the snow capped mountains in the background. This picture is a reminder of the cyclical aspect of life. A dead tree and old fence in the foreground are gradually being overtaken by new plants. Paton's use of vivid colour is arresting, from the bright blue sky and deep green of the lush riverbank to the flashes of red in the tiny cockerels and wildflowers in the long grass. Paton was renowned for his meticulously detailed paintings; even the small plants in this picture are identifiable. In the foreground, poisonous Hemlock or 'dead man's oatmeal' flourishes, perhaps a reminder of the fragility of life.