The Nourishing Goodness of Spring

The temperature, of course, can still surprise me with its deceptive chill, but spring is convincing me that after all the months of wintry imprisonment its door has finally opened more than a crack.  Even the rains of April's closing days -- gloomy in their own way -- foreshadow the colors of May, just as the old rhyme observes. The pear trees are blossoming. The tulips, having stood sentry for days, are just beginning to open.  The rhubarb leaves are unfurling, garlic stems are emerging through the mulch, and for the first time asparagus spears are offering themselves up for supper.

It won't be long before the sprouts giving the greenhouse its name will need transplanting into garden rows, though there have been disappointments in that corner.  Tomato seeds have sprouted in adequate numbers, along with cabbage and cauliflower, broccoli and onions and herbs and kale.  But the peppers have largely been no-shows, along with the interesting flowers we had imagined.  I'm not skilled enough to know what all has interfered.  Since I have more confidence in the seed purveyors than the seed planter, I trust that the seeds were good in the package.  Despite the warming lights and the auxiliary heater it might not have been warm enough when the seeds were trying to germinate, or perhaps it got too hot.  I could have watered them too heavily -- or, for that matter, inadequately.  There was some early mouse activity and its possible that all those seeds got eaten.  Whatever was the trouble, remediation is always available at the nearby garden store in the form of transplants made available via someone else's better success.

In the meantime there are new rows to dig, old rows to revive, a layout plan to revise, a fence to enlarge, seeds to sow, the irrigation system to reassemble, and...

...new dreams to dream about canning and freezing and enjoying the harvest.  That, assuming I don't screw it all up.

In the meantime, the chickens, too, are getting into the spirit -- offering up a five-egg day on Saturday after raising the new normal to three.

 Life is cool, colorful, nourishing...

...and good.