Spring Fling

Ok, so I cheated on my garden with other gardens. I don't think that is as serious as it might sound. My wife would rather me visit a bamboo forest than plant one in our back yard.



We were really out to get some photos for her upcoming book on using botanicals to enhance everyday life which she will be selling on the cruise with Royal Caribbean sailing out of San Diego on the 23rd of April after her lectures aboard ship.
If you are interested in a copy please let me know. My email is easy enough to find on my contact page.

While we were out an adorable kitten began following us around, probably because I kept petting it and calling it to follow us. There were unfortunately no interesting plants blooming at the time.

Tea in the Garden

Now that spring is here it's a great time, as if there were a bad time, for tea!
Whereas there really is no bad time, spring provides an array of freah additions to tea that winter just doesn't.
For instance, the mint in my gardens has started with a lot of new growth and is very refreshing in hot or iced tea. Thyme is another commonly used herb that works straight from the garden.
Lambs ear can be used after it is dried, so as not to have a grassy taste, and has a crisp almost fruity flavor.
For a floral taste you can use rose petals or lavendar flowers.

Plumeria Bad Hair Day

As far as a plumeria can have a bad hair day I guess.
I brought it outside to get some real sunlight and fresh air after being inside all winter under a grow light. The wind was something it wasn't used to anymore and one of the leaves seems to be permanently turned over like a lock of hair out of place.
I've since had to bring it back in due to a cold snap and the leaf still doesn't want to return to it's proper place. Fortunately there are new leaves coming in and it should be falling off in the next couple months.

Spring Flurries

I know that the weather does just what it wants to and answers to nobody, not that it's sentient or anything, but I already have strawberries forming and the last thing I want is a cold snap telling my plants that it's time to sleep again.
Fortunately my plants ignored the 8 inches of snow and kept growing then too so hopefully I have nothing to worry about.
I just wish my beets would bloom so I can get some seeds for this year. The lettuce has already bolted in the back with really pretty flowers and seeds are on the way there but I like beets way more than salads.