Spring Has Arrived

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This year, spring arrived with full force: the Easter week brought us sun and day temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius. The fact that one week ago the thermometer was still nearing zero at night seems like a distant memory, and although it's still possible that temperatures drop for a few days (at least until the Ice Saints have passed), the outlook for the coming week is just as sunny.

Of course this means a lot of work in the garden; and few things make me happier. The greenhouse is now occupied by many small plants that I started in the house a few weeks ago. This year's attempts include the usual tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, eggplants, and hokkaido squash. I've also made a few experiments, one of which involves using an old shopping bag to grow potatoes. We'll see how everything goes. The temperature inside the greenhouse is already getting quite high during the day, so I've actually moved some of the plants out to avoid heat damage. I can always bring them back inside if the weather cools down. 

My "baby" plants.

Some of the large pots are now outside of the greenhouse. 

In the beds outside I planted spinach, kohlrabi, radishes, and carrots, which are all looking good. My berry bushes are also in bloom, and attracting many pollinators.

A close up of the blueberry flowers with a visitor. 

The strawberries are also in bloom, we'll see if we can enjoy them before the birds do. 

After a couple of years of gardening, and as I learn to appreciate nature, I've also moved further away from preconceived ideas of "beautiful" gardens; those that include perfectly manicured lawns and neat, orderly flower beds. I've always had a thing for wildflowers, and studying medicinal plants also taught me to appreciate many oft-unwanted weeds. This, together with news about insect extinction, has led to a garden that is less tidy but much more welcoming. 

Right now our lawn is full of beautiful dandelions. I intend to write soon a post about this plant, which is fully edible and has many medicinal properties. Not only the bees and I like it: I also know a little doggy that enjoys eating a few a day to keep the vet away.

Our little Dulcinea, in the middle of a dandelion feast.