Spring

Signs of spring’s arrival are all around us here in our corner of Lakeland. The grass is growing quickly now, and with it come some charming wildflowers. Our backyard is dotted with patches of blue toadflax, spiderwort and tons of spanish needle. On one particular walk around the neighborhood, I collected a tiny bouquet of Florida tasselflower, bog salvia, more spanish needle and yellow wood sorrel. The bundle wilted by the time I arrived home, but the bit of joy it brought me lasted much longer. Spending time with my flower friends and learning their names nutures my inner child. Nature sparks my feelings of curiosity, excitement and inspiration.

I feel a subtle shift in my energy since daylight saving. The pleasant weather and extra hour of sunlight in the evening has pulled me out of the house and into the garden. We planted some marigolds and red salvia in the smallest garden bed. Piper and I also sowed wildflowers. We hope in a few months that patch will become an active space for pollinators. The African basil from last season still thrives there, and attracts a variety of bees already.

Our order from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds arrived in the mail today! So, I spent some time sketching out a plan for our vegetable garden. We are planning to grow Cherokee purple tomatoes, Black Beauty eggplant, borage, French marigolds, zinnias in red and yellow, Thai basil, banana peppers, and jalapenos. I put a lot of thought into purchasing heat resistant and companion plants. I cleared the large garden bed over the weekend, so it is ready to sow. Spending a sunny afternoon alone pulling weeds was delightful. I spread out a blanket, put on a broad sun hat and queued up some James Taylor and got to work. I ended feeling refreshed and grounded.

I’m not the only one spending more time outside – there has been a lot more animal activity lately. Just yesterday we saw a red raccoon scurry up one of our trees to hide from the neighbor’s dog that was keeping a keen eye on it. I chuckled when, at night, I heard the dog barking uncharacteristically late. He must have spotted the raccoon finally making its way down from the tree. In the mornings, we love to listen to the birds chattering. The Merlin Bird app helps us to identify birds in our area (more than we are able to distinguish on our own). We frequently enjoy a chorus of cardinals, blue jays (ha!), tufted titmice, wrens, doves, warblers, woodpeckers and fish crows (ha again!). Just yesterday, I called out for Will to come outside when I saw a swallow tailed kite soaring over the backyard. He made it just in time and we shared a moment of wonder together.

Inside, we are celebrating spring by playing lots of Wildcraft. This boardgame was given to us by our friend Peg Campbell, who runs edible wild weed walks on her property Peace Creek. We have been playing for years – the game is collaborative rather than competitive. The premise is that everyone must head out from Grandma’s house to collect huckleberries, but make it back together by nightfall. On your journey you might collect ailment cards, but you can use your plant cards to learn how to heal yourself or help others (by sharing your plants or bringing them up to your spot with a helper card). Once you have healed your ailment you proceed to a rest spot, which is also a really neat and educational aspect of the game.

In the kitchen, we are eating a bit lighter and enjoying our meals on the back porch. Yesterday we had honey and soy glazed salmon fillets, rice, and a sort succotash with asparagus, corn and tomatoes. What I am really looking forward to, though, is cooking some beans I ordered from Rancho Gordo. We received a package last week that included black caviar lentils, turtle beans, cranberry beans, and Christmas limas. I am thinking of beginning with braised lentils, black bean soup, and pasta fagioli.

With all of the activity outside, I am a bit behind on my reading. However, I do like to read Nigel Slater’s daily food entries in his book The Kitchen Diaries. Last week I was excited to read that he had bought blood oranges on the same day I happened to buy them at the grocery store. It was so funny, and a reminder that we are all connected through our shared experiences. In addition to reading Nigel Slater, I’m working my way through How to Find a Four-Leaf Clover by Jodi Rodgers and a book on ADHD by Tracy Otsuka. They are both giving me new insight and appreciation for neurodiversity. I hope to finish them soon! I have a stack of books picked out to read aloud to the kids, but I have been mainly reading a collection of short children’s stories by Shirley Hughes titled All About Alfie. Rowan has just about outgrown some of the younger children’s books, but the Alfie stories are so cute that they have even hold Piper’s interest while we sit around together for a short story time. I’m hoping to eventually finish Anne of Green Gables with her, and begin Little Women or even some Roald Dahl as a read aloud. As for other group read alouds: Peter Pan and Robin Hood are ones I think they both would enjoy. I must try to pace myself, though. I really do try to finish one book before beginning another, unless the children or I have completely lost interest.

Well, I have enjoyed this long overdue blogging time. I hope you all enjoy this first day of spring, and get to spend some time outdoors. Thank you to my dedicated readers if you have made it this far (I appreciate you more than you know)!

Until the next time-
W.