"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." ~Margaret Atwood
spring suddenly happened and i have found myself outside every second i can be. the raised beds are in and filled with radishes, cabbages, dill, mint, beets, arugula, and spinach, until the second shift of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants are ready. however, pictures tell way more than text at this point in the season, so here is my sprouting yard!
my strawberry plant will have tons of strawberries on it very soon. next up, a good recipe for strawberry shortcake. all the little white flowers = soon to be berries.
i've potted up some herbs for a head start, before i get the real herb bed going. rosemary + bath salts + hot water in tub = heaven after all day working on raised bed construction.
here is some of the swiss chard i've potted up, it was originally on my front porch but i thought it would be happier in the back yard. it's a variety called 'rainbow lights' where all the stems grow in these crazy, different neon colors. chard is delicious steamed or cooked like other greens, with bacon or vinegar! (i know, i know, im so southern. i love greens.)
empty pots make me very happy because it means i need to FILL THEM. trip to the greenhouse next week and i already have a four-page long list on a legal pad of what i need (yes, need) to get.
on a side note of outdoor edibles, it's MOREL week. jimmy got tons of beautiful gorgeous morels. perfect for spinach mushroom lasagna tomorrow night! (or trading for delicious beer and dinner out.)
my lunch today: mesclun lettuces, baby spinach leaves, arugula. i drizzled it with a bit of red pepper vinaigrette and asiago shavings. YUM. good spring energy and vibes :)
on a more silly note, this is one of my favorite corners of my yard when the creeping jenny really gets going later in the season. i had this beautiful hand-glazed blue pot from vietnam that a cat broke in my yard two years ago. i edged a bed with it that i filled with creeping jenny, which spreads quickly. i think the cobalt glaze with the lime green creeping jenny leaves are absolutely stunning. my two favorite colors combined! after another month or so, you won't be able to see any dirt. just citrus green and bright blue!
potting project: handmade wooden box filled with succulents. planning on making it a centerpiece for my table outside all summer then bringing it in for the winter in my sunny upstairs art room. i absolutely love succulents.
and finally, my gardening helpers. (i use that term loosely). what would i do without them stomping through my flower beds, peeing on my herbs, and chasing all the robins away while i plant.
:) waffles and harvey! :)
more photos and progress notes posted soon, i am about to harvest my radishes in a few days. will definitely post recipe ideas. also pictures from my huge greenhouse shopping trip... I CANNOT WAIT. two weekends until tomatoes and peppers go out! don't cheat and put them out early, or they WILL get frosty and die. it's just a kentucky gardener rule of thumb...derby weekend is the magic date. one more thing: my FIG TREE finally sprouted three tiny leaves! thank you, mr. mula, for the (what felt like) six hundred cuttings you generously gave me. i'm glad i finally got one to grow :)
