Dreaming of Spring...

Spring is coming and I'm a little behind the times.  Each spring I dream of putting in a bountiful garden that will be as beautiful as well as functional.  I dream of cherry tomatoes in my fridge, kids picking strawberries, and yummy lettuce fresh from my backyard.  I dream of hard work rewarded with a harvest, the taste of a true homegrown tomato, and herbs sprouting on the patio.  All this balanced sunshine and watering cans and carefree summer days....

But then reality hits.  It's not the work of tending and weeding.  I relish being outside and digging in the dirt.  Love the idea of being more self-sufficient, even in a small way.  No, the reality that hits is that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing.  The reality that no matter what I do the tomatoes just don't want to produce and the snails want the watermelon plants and the birds think the herbs are lunch.

But each summer does get better.  Plants do last longer and coming out of winter, I find myself refreshed and dreaming of spring.  Learning from what we learned last year, we're trying again.  Call me foolish.  Call me a glutton for punishment.  Either way, we spent yesterday afternoon working on our seed starters:

tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and cucumbers.  Hum... Love!

Keep your fingers crossed for me that my starters do well.  I want to pick up some strawberries and raspberries later in the spring, but for now I'm dreaming of spring.  How about you?