An early spring

It is now officially spring, though, judging by the weather, winter checked out sometime around the end of February.  Aside from the occasional rainstorm, we have had three weeks of nearly perfect weather.  I can't remember the last time that's happened, in any season.

Despite the apparently nasty, cascading ecological consequences of a warm, nearly snowless winter, I am basking in it for the moment.  And, in our backyard, the lack of cold has had a bonus effect on last year's garden: the parsley, arugula and rosemary survived and are now thriving in all of their spring glory.

Our rosemary has actually survived a couple years now - I think it is quite hardy, though its size is limited by the shallow window box that it calls home.  But parsley is not supposed to be a year-round plant.  I should not be able to walk out the backdoor with a dusting of snow on the ground in January and fetch a handful of fresh parsley to garnish a pot of lentil soup.  Yet I cooked with it throughout the winter and here it is, standing tall and approaching bush-like vitality in March.  Let's see if my brown thumb can keep it alive through the actual growing season.

Parsley: Too Bushy for March