It’s been a long winter.
But it looks like my garden’s hibernation can soon give way to resurrection and a return to the halcyon days of seasons past.
The cold and snow is being replaced by April’s showers and a few green things are already sprouting amongst the soil remaining in the pots and planters from last season.
The countdown to Mother’s Day — the unofficial start of Chicago’s garden season, especially for container gardeners like me — begins anew.
After such a long break, I’m more than ready to get a little dirt underneath my fingernails and to feel the sun shining overhead.
My gardening pursuits over the course of the winter mostly consisted of gazing through the glass balcony doors and watching as my jalapeno plant shriveled against the elements, holding on to a few stubborn, petrified fruit till the very end.
I also observed as the amaryllis bulb I was forcing indoors evolved from an unimpressive orb to a dazzling display of red blooms. Quite a bright spot during the bleakness of winter.
Of course, the winter also brought a deluge of growers catalogs that set the stage for a whole new season of garden bliss.
Thirteen days and counting…
Hello Avis! It’s nice to hear from you. And hearing you cheering for spring is a good thing for me. I can now watch you grow another gorgeous balcony garden.