Signs of Spring

Today I thought I would share some signs of spring bursting forth in my backyard. We've had a long, long winter here in the midwest and spring has only really started here in the past few weeks. Above is one of the beautiful lilac bushes - my favorite fragrant flower. The bleeding hearts are in full bloom too.

As well as the beautiful blue grape hiacynths.

A basket of pretty pansies by the front door.

If you look closely you can see some violets popping up through the grass.

My DH is not exactly happy about this, but I think they look sweet.

This patch of Sweet Woodruff is over 25 years old. Many years ago I took an herb class with a friend at the Chicago Botanic Garden and the instructor introduced us to this ground cover plant and I just had to come home and plant some. It spreads like wildfire and always blooms in the month of May. As we learned in the class, you can can make the most delicious May Wine with it. Here's the recipe for any of you who'd like to try it.

MAY WINE RECIPE
(from article in Wall Street Journal)

Choose a light German white wine, the younger the better.

You don't want to spend much on this wine. Pour into a bowl.

Add a half-ounce of dried sweet woodruff (or four or five freshly dried sprigs)

and a couple of tablespoons of sugar, if you like. Cover it.

Let it rest in the refrigerator overnight so the wine is infused with the herb's essence.

Strain out the herb. Place the wine in a punch bowl, add strawberries and serve cold.

Or if you prefer, you can purchase bottles of May Wine through Gluntz Winery here.

Along with the flowering trees and perennials, I wanted to share this little nest as the last sign of spring in my yard. A mama robin built this nest on the old grapevine wreath which hangs on the door to my laundry room. I haven't been able to capture Mama sitting on the nest because she always flies away when she sees me sneaking up to snap a photo.

~Happy Springtime!~