Spring is coming!

Spring is coming. It’s not quite here yet, but it’s close. We’ve had those first deceptively mild days where you can go without a sweater for a short while. We’ve now had that first mild night where you wake up and the house is nice and warm, and the furnace has been off all night. I can feel the change in the air, feel the land start to stir. Soon, soon. My body senses it as surely as do the birds who live in my backyard. I got up this morning to find the crocus blooming, and the daffodil stalks poking up from the soil. We will still have a few more cold spells, but here the worst is over. It’s time to plant peas and order seeds.
I’ve come along way since last spring. In many different areas. I am closer to finishing graduate school, my gardening skills have increased many fold, I have reduced my emissions significantly, and the list goes on. My goals for this year include learning more about food preservation, and growing a better garden. I recently picked up a good dehydrator on the cheap and I intend to learn how to dehydrate.
What are the goals of others for this year? Now is an excellent time to begin planning a garden. There’s plenty of time left before planting, even here in the South. I do have one recommendation for you: if you’ve never grown a garden before, start small. I’d say the number one mistake of beginning gardeners is biting off more than they can chew. I know I made it! Even a plant or two is enough to get started. I’d like to challenge everyone who reads this to grow something this year, even if it is just a lonely petunia.
I found some pictures recently from when I was putting the first of my garden in. I’m planning to post them soon, so watch for those.