This is going to be spring bonanza week --- I can feel it!  I did see a mourning cloak butterfly two weeks ago, but most of the spring insects started showing up Friday when a greater bee fly and eastern tiger swallowtail both flitted across my field of view in a matter of minutes.  The eaters of the spring insects are also coming out in force, like the spider waiting on the dead nettle to the right.

And, sure enough, the pollinators are right --- the main show of flowers is just about to begin.  I found rue anemones and hepatica blooming in the woods Saturday, and the first peach buds are on the verge of unfurling.  It was good of them to wait until after the last 28 degree night for a while.

In the garden, we ate the first spring lettuce last week.  The second planting of peas is up, and so are broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, and arugula under quick hoops.

Comfrey leaves are getting big and the Egyptian onions are vibrant with spring vigor.  It's been a late spring, but that just means we enjoy it more after weeks of anticipation!

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About us: Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton spent over a decade living self-sufficiently in the mountains of Virginia before moving north to start over from scratch in the foothills of Ohio. They've experimented with permaculture, no-till gardening, trailersteading, home-based microbusinesses and much more, writing about their adventures in both blogs and books.



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