Spring is Here

We had a very unseasonably warm weekend here in the northwest. I spent as much of my time outside as I could. I miss the sun this time of year and can't wait for these kinds of days when I get to soak up the heat.

My garden is finally planted. Tomatoes are transplanted, along with the peppers and basil. I got my beans and cucumbers in the ground and harvested my first batch of spinach and lettuce. It was so cold up through April that my peas are still less than a foot tall. The cherry trees look like they will be putting out a bumper crop of fruit this June and my strawberry plants are loaded with blooms right now. My yard is vibrant with new color – bright greens of all shades, the reds of new leaves and the explosion of color from the rhododendrons scattered through the yard. With the sun shining, the spring season comes alive for my senses. Spring is moving swiftly into summer and I look forward to the tapestry of color and shape that I will have then.

But it was the work of the last three weekends which I feel the most satisfaction from. Long hours taking care of gardening woes that have been untended for years. And now I have my kitchen garden back with fruits and vegetables to harvest all summer long. I will have pumpkins for October and winter squash for December. I will have chard and collard greens overwintering in the garden. I hope that my harvest of tomatoes will keep me in the kitchen for a long late summer day of canning.

I don't know if my children will ever follow in my footsteps when it comes to gardening and harvesting. Perhaps someday it will be a novelty that they will tell their kids about – how their grandmother made homemade jam and grew her own apples. Maybe that will be odd in the future of the world. And yet, I can't imagine living a life untouched by the miracle of watching something come into fruition before my eyes – a carrot, an apple, a blueberry – and then harvesting it and eating it with the knowledge of understanding all that went into that small bite of flavor.