Quince blossoms

Spring is here and with it a new wonderful to do list! I just returned from the garden, while harvesting Meyer lemons I looked up and noticed the quince tree is, finally, blooming. The delicate blossoms on fruit trees always amaze me by both their profusion and varying shades of pink. My all time favorite fruit is the most noble quince and, thus, quince blossoms are always a promise of what the Fall will bring. I encourage you to take a walk through your neighborhood, or visit the florist for you urban dwellers, and get some blossoms! Their delicacy and color will bring cheer to any room and start purging the Winter blues and vibes from your environment!

This is also the time to think of the Summer vegetable garden. A few suggestions:

~Chinese celery, produces long skinny stalks with lots of lovely leaves

~Cherry tomatoes, they always ripen more quickly and make for an instant addition to any dish, raw or cooked!

~Herbs, what herbs do you use the most often? These are the ones you should have at your fingertips, year round, if possible

~ Salad mix, I love the whole cut and come again aspect of having a bed of mixed salad greens

~Chicory, everyone needs a touch of bitterness to balance out the sweetness of the Summer garden

~Zucchini, not just for the zucchini but for the blossoms (stuff with goat cheese, anchovies, and thyme and fry!)

~Lemon cucumbers, very delicate and aromatic addition to salads and tea sandwiches

~Peppers, hot or mild, fresh dried or pickled, are always a reminder of the heat of Summer

~GREENS! I encourage you to plant a variety of greens, as many as your garden will allow. During the height of my Summer garden, I can harvest upto 24 different greens for a simple salad, a composed salad, a bread salad, etc… This is the all-time best thing you can plant as far as I’m concerned. It is nearly impossible to buy the variety of greens you can grow at a single time, anywhere. And you often just need a little of this and of that. So grow your greens!

Catalogs I recommend:

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Seed Saver’s Exchange

Colonial Williamsburg: The Colonial Nursery Seed List

Landreth Seed Company