The wind is blowing at 30 knots, the temperature is in the 40s, it's cloudy . . . so how do we know it's really spring? Look closely. Rosemary blooms in the most wonderful purple/blue. Broad, flat iris blades stand out in the ornamental bed, with already opened jonquil blossoms close by.
Best of all? Young sugar snap pea plants reach for support (of course this is my garden, so that support is a bit late in coming, and the poor plants are laying almost flat in the wind of the last few days). Despite a few really nice, warm days, the garden is still moving quite slowly. Cauliflower plants that were put in two weeks ago have not changed. Overwintered lettuce remains small. A few spring greens, planted from seeds, have popped up, and the peas are growing, bit by bit. I keep telling myself to be patient, and thank heavens for the kale and mustard harvests that keep me going!
The bees have been very, very active on any day when the temperatures get near 50 and the wind gives them a break. I have not been able to reverse the boxes (move the now empty lower brood chambers back up on top of the new brood), as the weather has not cooperated on any day that I am home. If I wait much longer, however, I will certainly see the swarming begin, and will lose honey production as a result. No luck this weekend, however, as it will be cloudy and rainy every day: weather not suited to working bee hives.
