Many things grow in the garden that were never sown there.  ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732
 

Yup!   This is definitely going to be a later spring than last year.   We are just far enough off the valley floor that most of the year is still snow covered and anything that melts in the afternoon becomes early morning ice to catch us unawares.

Even so, I hope that I never get so old as to not get excited at the first signs of greenery in the perennials.   The wormwood and comfrey and oregano have all survived the exuberant winter play of the dogs and seem eager to start the new season.  I am going to have to move the holly out of there.. like lonesome Charlie he is doing poorly on his own.    I'll have to get him a 'girlfriend' if we are ever to see berries ... and they both should be settled in outside of the front yard where the dogs play.

I think its going to be a wonderful year for shrubbery, trees and perennials.   We were lucky enough to get all that snow Before the ground froze and so things should really shoot ahead this year.

But last year's leaves are still on the European beech ... so I suspect this will be one of many years that Solstice will be more significant in a temporal way than the physical.

Brrrr ... they are calling for snow this afternoon and I do believe that at least on this occasion the weatherman will be right.   Yesterday's meltings are all ice and there is no mistaking that gunmetal grey sky.

Hard to believe that this time last year we had already heard our first geese.   The same three little pussy willow bits of fuzz that have been out for three weeks are still waiting for the rest to catch up.

The old timers call spring snows "poor man's fertilizer" for good reason.  They are also a bit of a reality check to remind us that its too soon to till the garden ... gosh this early we could wind up tilling the garden toad still sensibly sleeping, eh?

It may be too soon to prune, to plant or even to start seeds.  But its never too soon to dream and to plan.  And its likely a great day to tidy up my little greenhouse while I'm doing that :)

A couple of days ago I saw my first goose of the season ... like Lonesome Charlie on a mad dash to catch up to the V I could hear up ahead.  

But there is still a skiff of ice on the ponds in the morning ... although there ARE now a grand total of nine pussywillow buds trying to screw up their courage and come completely out now.

Around here the wild and tame ducks seem to have interbred so much that the lines are a bit blurred, and I think that the pair toying with the idea of nesting near the upper pond may indeed be 'a bit of both"

What I can see of the shrubs and herbs that I moved out back last year seem to have settled in nicely... the Lady's Mantle already looks promising ... as does the marjoram and comfrey et al the winter garden shrubs out there too.  But its still more winter wonderland than spring day out back so tis early days to tell :)

Next week I'll go down to the feed store in Middleton to buy the vegie and flower seeds that I need.  If you have a feed store in your area that sells them by weight, not package, its usually much more economical.  Seeds are getting so darned expensive now .. the days of getting decent packs of seed for under a buck are certainly over, eh?

Which of course is the very best argument for saving seeds.  From your own garden and also from vegetables that you buy ( although if you are trying the latter the best results will come from local produce .. preferably organic :)

But the strawberries are up now and this year I'll be glad that I sacrificed one whole bed for them.   Who knows but eventually both beds on the east side will strictly be fruit.  Strawberries spread as well as oregano and its just ever so much easier to only have to water the one long bed.