Welcoming Spring

"May scorched and withered; March was restless, and could be hard and cold in its brightness; but April came along softly like a blessing, and if it were a fine April it was so beautiful that it was impossible not to feel different, not to feel stirred and touched."

-Enchanted April, Elizabeth Von Arnim



This weekend has been a glorious spring one, when everyone and everything in the world seemed to be waking up to warmth and the possibility of growth. I spent some time at my parents' place admiring apple blossoms, hummingbirds, the pastoral sheep, and fertilizing fruit trees. But I spent most of my time pulling weeds and preparing what I hope will be a good summer garden. Here's the before picture - not so hot:

After several years of neglect, I have been adding in fertilizer (thanks, sheep and goat), leaf mold, and other organic matter. Though the space was full of weeds when we began on Saturday, those weeds have now been removed, revealing some promising rich black soil underneath.

Next step: rent a rototiller, set up a sprinkler, and plant some seeds! I wanted to do all of this much earlier, but the terrible amount of rain we have received in Northern California lately made it quite difficult to do. We will keep you posted on the results. Happy spring to you!