My First Spring Haul!

Today, as the sun shone brightly around my garden, I couldn't help but stand I awe! Everything is
 growing beyond my expectations! So much in fact that I could hardly believe this is my garden!

My Bok Choy, that I started from seed and planted out last month, is thriving! It is strong and healthy, and soon I'll be able to harvest it to eat! I cant wait!! What makes this even more rewarding for me is the fact that I've never grown this wonderful vegetable before...and now, it's looking better than ever!

My asparagus' are peaking their tiny heads through the warming garden soil. Soon I am hoping to be able to eat a few...hopefully more than the three we harvested last year! :)

My cherry bushes, plum tree, raspberries, strawberries, and gooseberries are all setting their flowers - after pollination - getting ready to produce summer fruit! This year will be the first year - if all goes well - I will finally get cherries and plums! It has been four years of nurturing these plants and it looks like this year I will finally be rewarded!

One of my biggest moments today was being able to harvest my first crops! I went out and picked the first of my spinach. It was wonderful! The flavor of fresh grown and picked spinach is so much more intense and sweet...it was the highlight of my sandwich at lunch!

I was also able to pick a batch of my rhubarb. I am going to use the bulk of what I picked today to make some of my family-favorite rhubarb bread (recipe here). But I also found a new recipe that utilized and highlighted this much overlooked produce: rhubarb vinaigrette! It was simply amazing! The tart rhubarb paired with sweet honey and tangy red wine vinegar...quite the symphony for the taste buds! (I will be sharing this recipe soon...hopefully this weekend!)

Here in the high desert, I have learned to never waste or take the beautiful days for granted. They feed my garden as well as my soul! I have learned so much over the past year, and I know this is only the beginning! If this is what my garden is already providing me with, I can't wait for the warm summer months ahead!

Thanks for reading and sharing in my excitement! It's my passion...I hope you learn and grow with me!

Enjoy!