Spring has sprung!

It has indeed! If the warmer weather and unruly behavior of mating birds hasn't given it away, then one need look no further than the garden.

The peas I planted in December are now toppling over from the weight of the emerging pods that will soon be filled with perfectly round morsels of sweet goodness. The tomatoes, all 14 of them have really taken off over the past week. The green zebra's look as if they may even begin to bloom soon. However, the first flowers of the season go to the tomatillos. I see salsa in my future.

But sadly, with the coming of one season, so another ends. My cold weather crops are almost done. Only three more broccoli plants to go and my greens have already begun to flower. Looks like it's back to bagged lettuce I go. I do have one last bucket of carrots going, and some radish stragglers that will be ready in no time.

My biggest anticipation this season though has to be my squash and cucumbers. I have enjoyed little of either in my year and a half of gardening. Be it inclement weather, disease or pest, these "easy to grow" crops have eluded my green thumb. So, to take a little of the pressure off I've decided to keep it fun and plant a few heirloom varieties: green apple cucumbers and lemon squash to name a few. I've even resorted to adding "good" bacteria to the soil and using it as a surface spray to help deter some of my favorite diseases: bacterial wilt and powdery mildew. Luckily so far the season has been fairly dry, raining just ever so often enough to fill up my amazing fiskars rain barrel.

So to mother nature I say, "Welcome Spring! May you be much kinder this spring than last."