It’s February, and That Means Hyacinths (and Hope)

Tashi Delek!

The large bag of blue and white hyacinth bulbs that have been chilling in the fridge since October are out and sprouting roots in water and soil at the house, and on my work desk. A $20 or so investment in early autumn gives us these fragrant little miracles throughout the middle and end of winter, just enough to keep the spirits buoyed and encourage hope for spring (43 days to spring!).

We lost the lemongrass this winter. The pot I brought into the greenhouse window toward the back of the house has expired. It’s so sad; this was a venerable old lemongrass and I used it a lot for Thai cooking in summer. But the avocado trees and geranium are thriving. It’s so easy to overwinter geraniums; I don’t understand why so many people just toss geraniums at summer’s end. Do you have a sunny window somewhere in the house? Then you have all you need to keep geraniums alive until next summer. A bonus is that they start blooming in late winter, and that’s wonderful. Keep them lightly watered, and no feeding. That’s it. They’ll get a little scraggly, but in summer, they’ll make their comeback. I apply the ‘Chelsea Chop’ in September and again in April. Google ‘Chelsea Chop’. It works.

I had my first glass of our own homemade kefir this morning. My husband watched me drink it down, anxious that I would get sick (he doesn’t trust home fermenting). It was a little yeasty, but not acidic. Past the yeastiness, it was yummy. I added a sprinkle of cardamom and a little raw honey. Today, I picked up a couple of organic bananas from Garden of Light in Avon, and I’ll add them to the kefir for the next two mornings, whirred up in the blender. Homemade kefir tastes nothing like the stuff you get at the market. This is the raw, real deal. It’s all about experimenting and not being afraid to try something new.

It’s been snowing a lot here. But I’m eyeing that garden patch and planning the food garden for this summer. As soon as the ground loosens, we’ll plant the spring greens.

Did I mention I love my husband? He sent me a note today. ‘My wife is my life; I love her. Always have and always will.’ He and the garden are the greatest.

Namaste!

xoxoxo