Waiting for spring

I don't know about the rest of you, but it seems to me that we have had our fair share of winter. At least here in the Midwest, the effect of global warming has had little impact on our month of February.

I had the garden plowed last fall, but, for most of the last month, it has been under a blanket of ice and snow. I hope it is readying itself for a good spring. Following common wisdom, many of us plant according to the calendar. Therefore, many folks use Valentine's Day as a benchmark to put in their peas. Valentine's Day is now behind us, and the ground is harder than a brick. It's doubtful many people got their peas into the frozen tundra.

The next major benchmark is St. Patrick's Day, and that is usually the day my potatoes and onions are planted. At this point, we just have to wait and see if that cold Canadian air goes back to Canada where it belongs.

Meanwhile, the seed and flower catalogs are getting dog-eared as I am stuck inside, waiting for another planting season. One thought might be to get on the Internet and see what methods the Eskimos use when they plant their gardens. One happy thought is that the worst is surely behind us, and we look forward to the opportunity to connect with nature and the promise that spring holds.