Signs of Spring

Clockwise from top left: leeks, lettuce, crocus, tomatoes

Earlier this week I worked with my dad in the greenhouse. The leeks and onions that we started from tiny seeds several weeks ago are really starting to grow. They have already been transplanted once, and in just a few more weeks, we'll be planting each one in the garden by hand. I'd say we have hundreds at this point, so that's sure to be fun on our backs.

Lettuce was also one of the first vegetables we started this year. Mescalin is pictured above, and I love all the different colors, shapes and sizes that are so different, yet it can all grow together and thrive with the same light, soil and water requirements. I don't see any yet, but my favorite is the speckled lettuce that is bright green with little freckles of deep red. We'll also plant much of this in the garden in a few weeks.

Tomatoes usually take at least two weeks to germinate, but we started our seeds indoors on a heating pad, which allowed them to start popping up in just four days! With heat underneath and a bright light above, they have been growing rapidly and desperately needed to be transplanted into their own small containers. One variety we've already started is called 'Sungold,' which are delicious little yellow cherry tomatoes. A new variety for us, 'Hillbilly,' tomatoes are an heirloom variety that my dad's cousin requested. Of course, we've also got an entire flat of the classic "Better Boy."

The sweet little purple crocuses popped up about a week ago. Just a few of the tiny bulbs that were planted several years ago have multiplied to make many more. First thing on a cold morning, they are completely frozen and closed tight, but as the sun comes up and warms the earth and air, they thaw out and open up to reveal their light purple petals and orange interiors that always hug the ground. They are the only thing blooming, but they promise that Spring is on the way.