as morning dew touches the earth
damp dark soil spreads to give birth
cotyledons reach for the sun
a fresh new cycle has begun

Well, I’m no poet and I don’t know what came over me this morning, but I felt inspired to share these four lines that popped into my head. I walked through the garden taking inventory of all of the spring edibles blooming and I was thrilled by the variety of flowers that my yard is birthing this year. I stopped putting chemicals on my lawn and garden two years ago, and have been continuing my herbal education to safely identify edible plants.* Where I used to see weeds, I now see an apothecary and a salad bar. Dandelions, Violets, Dead Nettle, Garlic Mustard, Speedwell, Ground Ivy…they are all edible and medicinal. I look forward to using these plants in my kitchen to make infused honeys and vinegars, fresh and dried teas, and tinctures. Or maybe I’ll sprinkle them in a salad or blend them into pesto. None of these were planned, they just showed up as gifts from Mother Nature.

What surprise gifts do you have growing in your garden this spring?

*Please note that I am not an expert on plant identification. Make sure that you are certain of the identity of any plant before you touch or consume it. Many edible plants have toxic look-a-likes. Check with a reliable source to confirm the identity of any plant before you interact with it.