Associated would definitely be used in some contexts, but attendant was the word that i was seeking. The problem with "associated" is that it has (for me at least) a strictly intangible connotation (ie a mental association); it suggests that the presence of the first concept (Love, or Spring in my examples) merely conjure imagery of heartache and blooms, respectively. the beauty of "attendant" is that it lends importance--or tangibility of sorts--to the secondary concept, suggesting that they ipso facto exist in reality rather than simply conceptually or by association.

or perhaps it's just me

EDIT oooh, i just noticed "concomitant" up there. and here i was so certain that 'attendant' was the one and only word on the tip of my tongue...but concomitant is a jewel as well, and perfect for the context.

i wonder...are attendant and concomitant perfectly interchangeable? in what context, if any, would one be preferable to the other?