While sipping my coffee early this morning, I observed a robin yanking a fat worm out of its hiding place deep in the moist soil. Subtle changes signal the demise of winter and a new beginning for all things living. The air feels a bit different lately; subtly gentler. Daffodil shoots protrude several inches from the ground in clumps, each one bulging with an immature flower just beneath its tip. In the evenings, I like to open the windows a bit and listen to the shrill chorus of frogs. For me, frog songs are the happiest and most hopeful sounds of the late winter.
For months, we’ve pored over at least a dozen of the most beautifully photographed and illustrated seed catalogs in order to select varieties most suitable for our climate and growing conditions. From bush beans to zucchini, we await the many packages that will carry the genesis of this year’s anticipated harvest.
Our new greenhouse will be complete this week, which means we will all be treated to vegetable and flower selections previously unavailable to us. In particular, three heirloom tomato varieties from Italy are high on my list! In addition, we have ordered an exceptional lettuce mix comprising 14 yummy varieties, some unusual beets, and a couple of favorite veggies requested by our members last fall.
Presently, the lavender and rose beds need our attention so they can perform their magic in summer, and the orchard trees are awaiting their haircut! Over the past months, winter winds treated us to the dubious gift of countless fir branches and a couple of downed trees to recycle back to the earth. It’s certainly never boring around here!