Future Garden Party Preparations...

   ...Today in Ohio we have 80 degrees of blustery weather.  It's very moody, broody with the cloudy skies giving way to a few spurts of sunlight, then some sprinkles of rain.  I consider it wonderful gardener's weather.  Soggy though they may be, the flower beds are perfect for digging out the weeds and over abundance of volunteer herb plants.  Everything is growing by leaps and bounds!  Yesterday I tried potting up a few of the herbs that I had water-rooted.  It was so windy that I had to stop what I was doing.  Every time I poured soil into the pots it blew all over the place.  I got tired of getting soil in my eyes and up my nose so I decided to opt for a less windy time to pot the herbs.  But I can't wait too long.  They need to get going in their own pots so that they will be ready for the plant exchange at my work place.  Already everyone is asking me, "What have you got, Wendy? "  Well, I have sweet basil, sweet cicely, forget-me-nots, tansy and chive so far.  Everyone is usually so eager to get the plants, but I find that most don't know what to do with them once they get them.  Basil they know, but what to do with sweet cicely, not so much.  So, that means I will have to put together a brief sheet of information for everyone that will help them to understand and use their plants.  Lots to do before the exchange. 
    If it will just stop raining long enough for me to clean up the rest of the garden...geesh, give me a break!  I'm hoping to set up some containers to start some lettuce and leeks in.  This year I will try some of those funky apple gourds.  They would sure make nice birdhouses once they are dried.  Another vow is that of making my herb vinegars and jellies earlier this year.  Why I alway wait so late in the season I will never understand. 
    So, as you can see, the herbs are coming in quite nicely this spring.  Lungwort is bursting in its dual colors of periwinkle and mauve.  Another great splash of color comes in with the forsythias.  This is a good year for the forsythia plants everywhere here in Ohio.  Even the expressways are dressed with that bright yellow.  The lamb's ear is faithfully pushing through all the garden gunk way before I can make way for it.  Must remember to harvest enough to make a wonderful fuzzy wreath from those soft leaves.  I always love to see the lady's mantle with its raindrops pooling in it's leaves.  A delightful place for the garden fairies to take a bath.  Lacey fernlike fronds of sweet cicely get taller every day.  Can't wait to make some finger sandwiches with cream cheese, lemon zest and the delicate anise flavor of the sweet cicely.  A perfect little snack with tea in the garden.  Who knows, maybe the fairies will join me for the tea party among the herbs!