Garden in Spring
Today I put the indoor plants out in the sun and the wind and let them drink in a little bit of freedom. The red salvia has a bud, and one of the cosmos has already opened one maroon bloom. Plants are ready to get this party started. The tomatoes are looking solid, and the peppers are short and lush. The soil is still far too cold for them, but we are nearing the day of--probably-outdated--Chicago's last average frost. Things I love in the garden right now: The mysterious plant pushing up through the patio pavers. It isn't Japanese knotweed since the stems aren't hollow, and it oozes white, milky sap when broken. It is admirable in its tenacity, looking at the stems I can tell I've cut this plant down multiple times in the past and it just keeps forcing its way towards light. The tallest hops vines were knee height when I got home, now they're well above the tops of those posts and reaching for the roofline. If I put my ear up close to the...