What are cockle bells?

Could it be?! It's been so beautiful outside. Yesterday, it was about 70 though rainy, but that brings the flowers, you know! Of course, I'm in my office and only able to look outside.

Back when it was only 20 degrees and decidedly grey outside in January, my neighbor/friend/Maddy-hairstylist/co-conspirator Stacey and I started planning for our communal vegetable garden. We poured over seed catalogs, found websites with great information about gardening, made wislists, started to list those plants would like to grow nicely with each other, and basically dream of all the yummy peas, carrots, and corn.

Then I broke my elbow and got a sinus infection and basically lost 5 weeks, literally. I couldn't do much after (trying to) work - my arms and head were useless, either cuz of the vicodin (oi vey) or from lack of strength. I still don't know where February went.

But now, I'm enthusiastic! My clematis is returning and has buds on it, we've raked off the leaves in our poor neglected garden, I've trimmed back the ANCIENT small tea rose, the peonies are poking through, and we have some few tulips and iris returning. It's all so much fun! Looking forward to finally getting back to the veggie plan!

So, how does your garden grow?