in the garden

Finally, the weather has been nice enough to get outside and work in the garden.  I've been lagging there a bit but I feel that desire to get out there now!  I don't know about you but every spring I look at my garden with such optimism.  I think about the possibilities.  The kids start expanding their own areas for growing what they'd like and making lists of seeds and things we need to make it happen.  I dream about the jungle of edibles that I'll cook with this summer.  I'm hoping for lots of tomatoes (for salsa, sauce and ketchup), cucumbers (for pickles and relish) and some pretty heirloom winter squash.  I've also gotten lots of Asian greens to try this summer and fall.

There were a few things that just kept on growing from last years' garden in spite of winter. We've been eating our kale, parsley, arugula, onions and leeks in everything this spring.  I plan on eating all that kale until it bolts sometime soon.  I'm not so comforted by this but I'll take advantage of it.

I'm always surprised by our asparagus that bolts up (it seems) overnight. We've been nibbling on fresh stalks of asparagus that's so much better than anything I can get in the store.  I think that's why I love growing a garden.  There's just no comparison.

I think and hope that I'll be in flip flops and shorts from now on!  And of course my hair up in a bun!