Gardening Season has arrived

Yes, I know we are now in mid May but for Minnesota and many other places this year spring has refused to show up. She has teased us with a few nice days but our hopes are quickly dashed by rain and cold. At times the dreaded snow has even appeared. (Northern Minnesota – think Duluth got about 7 or more inches last week.)

This extended cold has made for a slow evolving spring. The ephemerals have come up very slowly and some are just waiting to see what happens. I think they are a bit scared to show their heads just like the rest of us.

Finally – Mother’s Day has past and that seems to be a signal for warmer weather to appear. So today I am now sitting on the deck writing in the sun. I still have my heavy socks on and a turtleneck shirt but no jacket. We are making progress. In the garden the following are growing

• wild ginger
• bleeding hearts are ready to bloom
• one trillium – I think it will be dark purple
• the jack in the pulpits are uncurling
• the peonies are up but no blooms yet
• rhubarb was ready to pull – although the stems are short
• the wild geraniums are almost ready to flower
• the tulips have started a great parade across the front yard
• violets of course are blooming, along with dandelions

On the deck is a tiny farm waiting to be planted in the raised beds and other places around the yard. The nieces and daughter are due to come and retrieve their share of the seedlings to plant at they homes.

We have sat for so long waiting and waiting and now it is time – everything feels like it needs to be done this very minute.

I am working on breathing, and letting things go into the garden a little at a time – hoping it will all settle into place no matter what. We have waited so long for this spring I don’t want to rush through it. I need to sit and savor the warmth, the bird songs and the shades of green as each new plant decides it is ok to peek its head up out of the ground.

Welcome to true spring!