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Assaulted by spring: it's everywhere

Posted by: Meg Thilmony

Thursday, May 1, 2008 2:34 PM

Outside, spring has reached a brilliant euphony: lawnmowers, birds, joggers and those gorgeous flowers and trees that just seem like they're shouting for joy.

This spring seems more intense than those in recent memory. Or maybe it's just because the tulips are lasting longer and everyone is just so glad it's not winter.

I've never really had a chance to try gardening, but I'm giving it a (mini) shot this year. I've planted sunflower, shasta daisy and poppy seeds in pots of varying sizes. Right now, (I hope) they're sprouting on my sunny windowsill, but they're intended for the concrete window well on the other side.

The sunflowers are starting to pop, their brave little heads unfurling after snapping out of their triangular packages. Hard to believe they're cousins to the salty, crunchy snacks baseball players love. I haven't seen much movement on the others, but I hope they'll follow soon.

I'm planning to document my first "garden" here with plenty of pictures, but for now, you'll have to be content with browsing a few gardening Web sites I've been enjoying.

The Guerrilla Gardening site documents projects for prettier landscapes in the United Kingdom. Their work really is amazingly well-done, especially for people investing their time, hard work and plants into areas they don't know will produce lasting results. Seems like it would add more of a thrill to gardening, though, if you're trying to do it on the sly.

And Ketzel Levine, a garden blogger on National Public Radio's Web site has created a photo album for gardeners all over to post the results of their handiwork in. It's perfect for getting a taste of spring when you've been sitting at a desk all day.

Enjoy, and have a Happy May Day!