The Smell of Spring

Oh, how I wish I had Smell-a-blog. The aroma of spring has surrounded my house. My Clematis Paniculata has encased my secret garden with a profusion of white blossoms and a scent that makes you feel like you are on a tropical island. I could sit outside and totally forget the whole last year if I just closed my eyes and took deep breaths of the citrusy floral perfume.

If only I could grab this smell in a bottle and open it up in the winter when the days are dark and dreary. For now I have to go outside on my terrace as often as the blooms are still on the vine and make as many smell memories as I can.

In the vegetable garden the scents are mostly of wet good dark earth. Last week I scattered a handful of arugula and mesclun greens seeds. They have germinated and the pair of cotyledon leaves have emerged from beneath the soil. It has been cold for the last couple of days, but not enough to hurt these babies. I expect the warming trend of the week to come to help turn the tiny buds into viable plants.

There has been a trend of eating micro greens, but that steals all the potential from the baby greens to come. Since I have plenty of beds I will just keep throwing out seeds every few weeks so that I can cut all the arugula I want regardless of size and not feel guilt that waiting a few more days might bring in a greater harvest.

For now, without any real food growing I am just going to have to drink in the aroma of the flowers. Thank goodness smells have no calories because I have binged something terrible on this clematis.