First Harvest of the Year

I get a very blissful feeling in searching my garden and picking up my own food. I don't know why. Maybe because scientists predict that we are scared of dark and love all the outdoor activities because for millennia that's what our ancestors did before they settled down in cities and thus I am no exception. Or it could it be that I brought up these plants from seeds. How could such tiny, negligible seeds produce such big plants with intricate web of roots and provide us with nutrients that we need to survive? I take them for granted but I am just trying to imagine the earth without any plants/trees. None of us, from tiniest insects to largest land mammals, will survive. No wonder human history is rife with wars fought to grab lands for agriculture and resources.

Yesterday, I picked my first harvest of the year. It was not much; only 4 huge pieces of spinach, lots of turnip green, spring onion, oregano, lemon balm and rosemary herbs. I used these, home-grown potatoes, home-grown tomatoes (they were the product of 2012 harvest and have been surviving in the freezer), coconut milk and Japanese rice-noodles to make some kind of Thai soup. 

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

All these garden bloggers bloom day meme exists but I could not find one today to participate. Then, I came across Jason's post in http://gardeninacity.wordpress.com">GardenInACity

. So, I also thought of posting what's blooming and happening in our garden. I am also feeling lazy to blog; I guess I am getting tired getting the garden (both front and back) ready. So, here they are:
The sea of golden daffodils:

What is a yard without some weeds :-)? My favorite Dandellion and two other unknowns:

Primrose and Hyacinth. Are primrose and primula same thing?  They were called African primroses! The name suggested to me that they were annuals and were going to die. But, they not only survived but they survive buried deep under the snow and one of the first flowers to bloom. I simply love them because they look so insignificant, especially beside the majestic lavender bush, but their burgundy blooms are simply beautiful to my eyes:

I forgot what these are called. Apparently they are native of North-East!

A collection of perennials. I forgot what the middle two - the reddish pink and white ones -- are called. The other names that I remember are viola, mix-viola and English Daisies and Foresythia: 

Do Foresythia needs pruning? Everywhere all the Foresythias are in full bloom; mine are blooming little. Other than the above, dill, oregano, lemon balm, strawberries, onions and garlic, all have started growing vigorously. Spice-bush, Blueberries, Blackberries, Dogwood, Pear(fruit-bearing)-tree, beach-plum, roses and Persian Lilac all have put on growth with new leaves and buds appearing all along their branches. Soon, they will also come in bloom. Ah! life is nice. What more can anyone want?