It begins.
Warm February weather allowed my fennel to shake it feathery fronds and deepen its greenness. The kale's curl is looser and mint is doing what it does best - trying to stake an early claim to the garden.
Despite what the calendar shows - spring has arrived.
While my nose and eyes suffer through the accelerating pollen punch, the sight of the peach and apricot trees' fragile, paper-thin flowers means it is time to pull out plans and a wish list for the 2013 garden.
What's on for this year?
More than Japanese eggplants will add an Asian aspect.
Right now bok choy is growing in small pots in the sunny spare bedroom, while two stalks of lemon grass, placed in a water glass, are starting to show new roots. Wish I could find daikon seeds.
To combat the critter(s) who enjoyed snacking their way through my cabbage and kohlrabi last year - I am investing in additional large pots. Last year's success with jalapeno peppers and pear tomatoes is making me adventurous as what else can be grown in them.
Tomatoes are always a given, and I have accepted the fact I cannot grow peas or beans, either in the ground or in hanging tree containers. Well, I can grow them if only one periodic pod was an acceptable harvest.
Also, off the list is corn, but its not that healthy anyway.
Basil, basil and more basil head the herb list as do additional varieties of thyme and sage. The lemon balm was a fun find for tea and rice dishes. Marjoram will join its cousin oregano while red-tipped leaf lettuce and spinach will supply salad makings for much of the late spring and early summer.
I am still undecided if butternut or spaghetti squash will get the corner filled with blazing hot sun June - September. Two years ago I tried planting pumpkins, but my gourds near geared up to its expectations.
Gardeners and baseball fans have much in common, especially in the spring
Hope is ripe in the air for a good summer showing and a fruitful fall.
