Fits & Starts

March and April are such a tease in Seattle.. one day we are graced with 60 degree temperatures, the next only to bring back the bone chilling rains that never seem to end. The last couple of weeks have brought both of these. On the weekend where the sun made a few appearances and the rain was kept at bay, I made my way over to the new pea patch to get some work done. The patch was cleaned free of weeds, and I worked in some new soil and compost. Definitely out of gardening shape, my body starting aching in the oddest of places by early evening.

I sowed seeds for lettuces, spinach, radish, carrots and beets. There's still a little more work to be done in the patch- my area is broken up by a chipped pathway so I have a small little chunk that still needs compost. I'm excited to see how the new piece of land produces, and just keep praying for one of our amazing Seattle summers. Earlier in the week, I attended the p-patch seaon kick off meeting. The p-patches are owned by the P-Patch trust and managed by the Seattle Dept. of Neighborhoods, so there is a city employee responsible for managing each site (I am sure they actually manage more than 1 site). There are 75 p-patch sites currently in Seattle! The meeting was a meet & greet opportunity, as well a planning session for the season. Every gardener is required to volunteer 8 hours per season, so we spent some time mapping out the work parties. Somehow, I also became a co-site coordinator- the person whom all information would funnel through so that our City Rep. (Nate) only has to deal with one person, as opposed to 25. I hope that it gives more of an opportunity to develop relationships with my fellow gardeners.

With April just around the corner and small glimpses of the sun, it makes me antsy for spring all the more. I wait for the farmers market in my neighborhood to open, wait to see the local abundance of spring to grace their tables. I've reached my limit of eating locally in season all of the time, and find myself buying asparagus and artichokes from California. One of my favorite spring foods is rhubarb- and I can buy it at the store from Washington, so I do.

Ruby red in color and a bit tart from the still cold ground, it is a sign of the season beginning to me, always. I love to have it stewed, with a tablespoon or two of cane sugar. It turns this wonderful shade of pink and a delicious addition to a bowl of European yogurt. It's only just beginning.