I don’t care what the calendar says…I’m convinced its spring!  Why do I think it’s spring?  Yesterday I took the Spoiled Mutt outside to check the mail and BEHOLD!  There were flowers blooming.

Now, they were not what you may have guessed.  No…not daffodils.  Tiny “Joyce” dwarf iris, just two inches tall, were blooming – as always, beating out my daffodils.  Wonderful Husband saw them and proved that he does have at least one romantic bone in his body!  Check out the photo to see the cute bouquet he picked for me!

Then, driving into town, actual daffodils were blooming on the south facing bank along the highway.  And, yesterday afternoon turned out mild and sunny and we sat out on the deck and basked in the warm sunshine.  The sun felt so luxurious on our arms and faces.

And then, today it’s rained and rained and thundered and rained.  We even had tornado watches in effect.  We stood in the doorway and inhaled the scented breeze – it smelled of spring.  Now, as I write this, the sun is trying to shine, but the strong wind is thrashing the trees about.  The branches are black with rain drops sparkling like crystals in the pale sunlight.  Yes, it’s definitely spring.

Stubborn winter may try to make a late career comeback, but it won’t work.  The Earth has tilted, the days are longer and nature is waking up.

I think I’ll plant some seeds in my starter kits today.  The deer and rabbits and groundhogs have convinced me to give up on vegetable gardening (at least until Wonderful Husband is nagged enough that he gives up and helps me build a fence).  I’m going to concentrate on growing herbs in large pots this year:  Italian basil, Thai basil, oregano, thyme, cilantro (aka coriander), mint, parsley, dill and maybe some green onions.  I know green onions aren’t herbs, of course, but they don’t seem as appetizing to all the hungry critters and will grown happily tucked in with the herbs.

Like most of you, we’ve been trying to “eat healthy -er” and have been trying out Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes – the kind with lots of olive oil, lemons, less meat, more beans, lentils, fresh herbs and interesting exotic spices.  Those fresh herbs are expensive and sometimes impossible to find at the grocery store – or they aren’t so very fresh at all.  I’ve kept dill and parsley going under my “grow” lights (really a LED shop light) all winter.  I even made pesto and froze it in small packets.  By growing my own herbs this summer, I’ll have all the fresh herbs I need and save quite a bit of money.  Besides, there is something extremely satisfying about strolling out to your garden with a kitchen knife and a basket to harvest your own herbs.  I feel just like Martha Stewart (NOT!).

Stay Green, Good Friends.