Today was MY official first day of spring.

Everyone has certain things that trigger very specific memories. The kind of memories that are still so real to you it is almost hard to describe exactly the feelings or emotions it evokes because it is such a personal experience. Oddly enough, the first bulbs to bloom in the spring are one of my most powerful memory triggers. It reminds me of my early childhood. Of the flower beds in front of my Grandmas home with those bulbs blooming on days that you still needed to wear a windbreaker type of coat or jacket and yet the air, compared to the long days of winter, felt impossibly warmer than what was read on the temperature gauges. Every spring I go on walks in search of capturing these specific memories and today I found them however, so briefly.

My wife and son and I went on a walk around our neighborhood this afternoon and the bulbs were indeed coming up. It inspired me to get back in my own garden. I had actually spent about 45 minutes this morning raking out some leaves from my beds onto a blue tarp lent to me by my neighbor Chris. The tarp was key. No more bending over to pick up one rake full of leaves at a time and guide them into a lawn bag to carry them across the yard. I was able to get 4 times the amount of leaves raked and put into my leaf pile in about the same amount of time. Just pack it up, slide it across the lawn, and dump it on the pile. Simple. I took a break during my sons nap to take a moment to read and relax myself.

After his nap, we went for a walk complete with a stop at our local neighborhood Biggby Coffee. After our walk, it was back to it. I cleared out about half of the beds and then used a garden fork to break up the soil and till under some of the deteriorating leaves. I was able to glimpse a large amount of worms working in the soil and tried to take care breaking up the soil without completely up heaving it and disrupting the tiny unseen ecosystem at work.

The best part of all of this work is that my family was right there with me. My wife Maggie cleaned and organized the garage where all things garden and grill are kept. And it looks fantastic after serving as a winter storage area. Jacks Grandma Cathie brought him some Easter presents yesterday including some small child size garden tools including a shovel. And Jack put them to good use today.

He probably played in that one spot for a good 30 minutes. Such a good little gardener already. It really does make my heart smile knowing that my love of gardening was passed down to me by my parents and family and that now I am getting to share my passion and love with my children. It is a great feeling.

Other news and notes:
I used some of my extra landscaping bricks (seen pictured above) to put one every four feet or so. This serves as a stepping stone that will help cut down on walking and compacting soil in the garden and are spaced so that I can reach most of the area surrounding with only stepping in the one location. It is important to keep the soil light and fluffy especially when dealing with the area that is getting ready to take on root vegetables.

Some publications will call for this week to be the first week that planting spinach and peas are an option. I've decided to wait as this coming week is calling for freezing temperatures for 3-4 days in a row. Better a little late than a little early when dealing with crops in the spring.

Does anyone else have a spring related or any other memory triggers? If so, what are they?