Photos: Garden Awakening

Garlic plants are emerging from the ground. They were planted in October and will be harvested in late July or into August.

The rhubarb crowns are starting to show, as well. I just worked my way through the last delicious gallon of rhubarb wine from two years ago.

And one of my favorite wild foods is beginning - Stinging Nettles. These plants live up to their name if your skin comes into contact with them. The leaves have tiny little hairs and they make a stinging rash that lasts for days.

In spite of their venom, these little tips are akin to spinach when cooked and are very tasty and nutritious. Full of vitamin C, they are so yummy to eat in early spring. I love to steam them in a frying pan with garlic, soy sauce, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. I also dry them and use them in teas or crumbled into soups throughout the year.

David brought his camera outside today and took pictures with me.

He discovered a Chinese Wintergreen bush full of ripe berries.

This amazing plant is often used as an ornamental, and people assume that the berries are poisonous. Not only are they edible, they are delicious, and they are ripe in January and February when most other things are dormant or just beginning to emerge.

It has been cold this week and there is a hoary frost in every shadow.

Thanks for checking out my quick update. Quilting progress is happening behind the scenes!