All Things New

Forsythia

Spring is in full swing and thought I'd take some photos of some of the amazing life that is popping up around me.

First up is some gorgeous forsythia I managed to snap a photo of while on a neighborhood walk.  It blooms first and then the leaves come out later.  These are just about done blooming so I'm glad I was able to capture the intensity of the yellow flowers.  My camera battery was dead and I didn't think I was able to capture this shot.  But, somehow the picture took before the  camera shut off...yeah!

The birthing of chives

I actually got this picture a few weeks ago during that amazing warm spell we had.  I've already been able to use some of these chives on a couple of baked potatoes.  I'm looking forward to using more of them and making some chive blossom vinegar from their flowers...that'll be a later blog.

When you harvest your chives, make sure to cut from the bottom of the plant to get the whole chive.  Otherwise, they'll just be dead halfway up.  The chives will quickly put out new leaves from the area you have cut from.  

I have had these chives in a large pot by my side door for years now.  They do wonderfully in containers and I've actually re-potted them several times.  I put them in a pot right outside my side door because my other ones were planted a little further away and I was always too lazy to go get them.  Having them only a few steps away encourages my frequent use of them.

Blue Balsam Peppermint

Hands down, this Blue Balsam Peppermint variety is by far the best tasting peppermint out there.  I grabbed some starts from my sister-in-law's herb garden four hours away from here about six years ago.  Mints are some of the easiest plants to start.  I simply cut a few good sections of the stem making sure it had some root hairs coming out of it. Since I was visiting so far away, before I left, I wrapped the stems in very damp paper towels and put them in a baggie.  Five hours later, I simply placed them in water when I got home and planted in loose soil once they had rooted some more.  Wha-la!  Peppermint plants!  Not only a great plant but also a great memory of my sister-in-law and of the graduation party that day.  

This peppermint makes the world's best cup of tea and I never seem to have enough during the winter time, where it's super refreshing flavor is a wonder and comfort, especially if I or my family is suffering from a stuffy nose.  

Hope you enjoyed the photos.  On this Good Friday,  hope you're able to discover and enjoy some of the mystery and wonders of the things being birthed around you...Happy Easter to all!