Beginning of Spring

We've had really strange weather as of late. Last week, the temperatures were in the 70s. Today, it snowed all day. None of it stuck, but it was definitely strange. But even with the weird weather, *B* and I started the garden this past weekend.

We first took a little survey of how things made it through the winter.  When*B* started sheet mulching, everything had died back, so we had to go hunting for daffodils.  None of them have bloomed yet, but they survived suffocation.  Our three little crocus plants survived too, as did the lilies.

 Little daffodils are starting to poke out.

One of our three crocuses - this one is right on the edge of our lawn.

 

 

 Our Alabama crimson honeysuckle flowered really early this year.

 

Our hens-and-chicks survived the mild winter.

 

True to its name, our Lenten rose (hellebores) is flowering.

 

 

 *B* had ripped a rhubarb out of our raised bed last year and threw it behind our shed in an empty space.  That little sucker is coming back strong!

We have some radishes and spinach (I think) coming up in *B*'s cold frame.  That's been his project over the winter.

 *B* planted the tops of some parsnips last fall.  If you look hard on the left, they're starting to sprout.

 

We're growing red clover next to our barren footpaths in the back garden.   They're inoculated, so they'll help fix nitrogen in the soil.

In keeping with the bulbs, we have a garlic problem.  Last year, I planted a ton of garlic because I wanted to make garlic braids.  No matter how long I waited, the bulbs stayed small. So I ended up letting them go over the winter and now they're sprouting again.

The three in the back are still tiny.  Some in the front are a little narrower than the width of my pinky.

This is the biggest garlic we have.  The scape is about the width of a pencil.

While the outside is warming up, we've started some projects inside.  *B* wants to put in a small pond this year, and he's been experimenting with watery plants.  These are the roots of run-of-the-mill grocery store watercress that he's been growing:

 

 I've been lamenting the fact that I can't find grow bulbs at our local stores.  *B* came up with the great idea of using full-spectrum turtle lights to help out our tomatoes.  It works great!

 

 I'm looking forward to the warmer weather to come and getting back outside again.  We've put a lot of thought into the garden this year as it might end up being a significant portion of our diet.  Here's to the beginning of a good gardening year!