The Eager Gardener

Galanthus nivalis Snowdrops

Every spring, when the bulky snowdrifts are replaced by emergent snowdrop flowers, eager gardeners experience something reminiscent of a second New Year. As an eager gardener myself, I can vouch that we may smile goofily for no apparent reason, flaunt numerous macro pictures to friends and family of what appears to be last season's leaf litter, place any magnitude of online orders for new outdoor accoutrements, spend entire evenings bundled up at the edge of the yard with our measuring tape, or lose our train of thought just looking out the window. We're thinking about the growing season to come, balking at the possibilities that arrive the moment after our shovel breaks the freshly-thawed soil again.

Lists of chores, lists of projects, and ever-present lists of enticing new plants are running through all of our heads. On the top of my project list every year, I am taunted by a resolution to begin my own garden blog. I make a play at joining the league of garden bloggers I've adored for years, but I never seem to get there before I have dirt under my fingernails and one hundred seedlings to determine the fate of. This year, I finally joined the blogosphere! Did I get here before I observed the first green shoots, attended multiple horticulture shows, or returned to my favorite hiking trails? Nope. There's been a lot to blog about already. But now I know for sure it's going to be another wonderful growing year, one that I want to record.