I really enjoyed winter this year. Temperatures stayed below freezing and snow accumulated nicely, allowing for all sorts of sledding, skiing, skating, and winter hiking adventures. I have to admit, though, I can’t wait for the green glow of spring. Visually it seems almost magical to watch the grey-brown landscape blush with the blossoming of the red maples and then grow progressively greener as leaves begin to emerge. New growth also offers fresh greens, especially exciting to those of us who try to eat in-season local produce.
Before anything sprouts in the garden, wild plants begin to grow. Nettles, ramps, and dandelions all offer tender young greens far before lettuce or spinach will be ready locally. Learn more about finding, harvesting, and preparing common wild plants in this blog post.
Lettuce, spinach, cilantro, and chives are all happy on cool spring nights, and offer fresh leaves before many other garden residents. These veggies can be planted as soon as the garden soil is dry enough to till.
The wonderful thing about baby greens is that they can grow almost anywhere – from a pot on a windowsill to a plot in your garden or at the farm. Read about how my seedlings inspired me while living in the city in this past post. If you are interested in starting a container garden, now’s the time! Learn more from this post.
Need some ideas about how to turn your fresh spring greens into tasty meals? Here’s a list of some of my favorite ways to use the first wild and tended harvests of the year.
For me, spring is an exciting season filled with firsts: my mouth waters as I dream about the first peas and first asparagus. I know a watched pot doesn’t boil, but will a watched asparagus bed sprout shoots?
Happy foraging, happy gardening, and happy spring!
