What I love most about April is its promise of spring and rebirth. Even its holidays are days that offer cause for laughter and joyous celebration.
For those of us dealing with wintry climates, April ushers in excitement for all that is sunny, warm, and green. Winter coats get packed away, windows get thrown open, and fresh air and sunlight on our skin is the order of the day.
Okay, maybe I exaggerated just a tad on the sunlight on skin thing — today, it’s overcast with cold winds blowing, and the temp is hovering around 39 degrees. But that’s exactly my point. April brings hope and optimism, and a chance for new beginnings.
Just have a look for yourself!
Lilac buds
Peonies
Herbs
Seedlings
And last, but never ever least, GARLIC!
I love when the trees start budding and leaves poke up through the soil. It’s like a brand new beginning.
I bet those lilacs will look awesome. I hope you post more pics when things have bloomed.
I was just thinking this morning that I needed to go outside and take some pics of my lilac buds. I am overjoyed to think that soon the lilacs will be in full bloom!
I thought you were getting a little oversealous packing away the winter coats! Glad you clarified with the temp. Beautiful pics.
Holly, I hadn’t heard of straw-bale gardening. It looks interesting. I could see where this would be a great idea for someone with limited space.
Cindy, I grow hardneck, which isn’t as amenable to braiding as softnecks are. I love pesto too, so have lots of basil plants sprouting as we speak.
Meryl, isn’t it nice to have it through the winter? Most people are surprised to discover how easy it is to grow too. Hope you find the time this fall to stick a few cloves in the ground… :)
I grow garlic too, (couldn’t live without it)….and basil, lots and lots of basil for making lots and lots of pesto. One of my little thrills each summer is to see dozens of jars of pesto lining my freezer just waiting to be tossed with fresh, hot, whole wheat pasta of every size, shape and color. With all the extra basil I’m planting this year I expect to have pesto clear into January 2010. Do you make garlic braids, Karen? Another sight I love is braided garlic hanging in the kitchen…..so lovely to see and use!
Enjoy this verdant season when all things become new again…….the cold wind is still blowing here too, but it’s coming….Spring always comes, laughing and bounding over the fields.
Yay for Spring and yay for garlic! I’m so disappointed that I’m not going to have any this year. The little patch I had last summer kept us in stock until mid-March–how nice it was not to have to buy it!
I have my seeds picked out but won’t start them for another week or two. Today would have been good though becaue I could have set the flats out while at work, it is sprinkling so that would have been good for them too.
This year I am going to try strawbale gardening…have you ever heard of it? I had not, but am looking forward to trying it!