Signs of Spring, and a Harbinger of Summer, too

Spring is always hectic where gardening is concerned. There's been a lot going on & I've hardly had the time to sit down and write about it. This is the first year of our vegetable garden, so there's a lot of preparation to be done. We've been creating the beds, trying to stay a couple steps ahead of outdoor planting. So far we have two large beds, about 6'x12, and four smaller plots, 6'x6'.


We planted shelling peas and snap peas in the first of the large beds. The second large bed will hold potatoes, which are currently chitting indoors. We have three varieties, including the Maris Piper which we came to appreciate while living in the UK. No more supermarket russets for us (I hope ...) We also started seedlings in flats under lamps: leeks, tomatoes, zucchini, fennel, and rosemary. That's the zucchini pictured. They're off to a good start, and just today we transplanted them into larger pots. Lettuces need to be planted ... hopefully soon. After last frost we'll plant the beans, and then later on the root vegetables (carrots and parsnips). I can't wait to see how this all turns out!

I've been caught up in all this wonderful springtime activity, but just two nights ago I was reminded that summer was on the way. We opened the door to let the dogs out (or was it to let them in? It's always one or the other!), and there was the little fella pictured on the right. Toads visit regularly in the summer months, and always perch on that step between porch and door. The dogs burst in and out, oblivious to the toad's presence (thank goodness). I know we'll see more as the weather warms up; for now I was happy to see this harbinger of summer!