Spring Has Sprung!

Oh, happy day! Spring finally made an appearance in Upstate New York... and I didn't waste a moment of it.

Don't get me wrong, being a New Yorker I really don't mind the snow. For Christmas. However, since the day after New Years I have been pining to be in my gardens. As this morning awoke and wiped the darkness from its eyes, I bound outdoors with my gear to begin turning over all the beds (read: gear is an iPod and a serious stash of gardening accoutrement.) Singing along in the sunshine, I raked the leaves and began pulling the little trees laying roots from a million or more helicopters peppering the yard. Evil little things, those helicopters. If I wanted to grow a tree in the yard I'm sure I'd have zero luck. However, I have no problem with millions taking root amidst the fifteen or so gardens. Go figure.

Right now, the garden beds look like this:

I know, right? Yuck!

As the fresh laundry dried on the line (I know, I am a geek and one of the last in my neighborhood to hang laundry on the line, but I love the smell of clothes and sheets dried in the sunshine. Plus, every time I don't use the drier I feel like I am sticking it to the Man a little bit. See? Win-win.) Anyway, as the fresh laundry dried on the line, I was already visualizing the gardens in their glory and the summer parties begging to be planned.

Can't you just smell the sunshine?

As Spring continues its arrival with the lilacs budding and the roses beginning to adorn their thorny stems, I will soon see the plots of dirt turn into this:

One of the four rose gardens...

And this...

Yet another rose garden...

And this....

Two raised-bed vegetable gardens with the fruit gardens in the center...

We enjoyed steaks on the grill with macaroni salad, tossed salad, fruit salad, and fresh bread topped off with ice cream sundaes for dessert. Such a glorious day! I am physically tired with the knowing satisfaction it was a day with much accomplished...and I can't wait to do it all again tomorrow.