May 10, 2010

Spring in Germany...

So far this Spring has alternated from fabulous weather to crap, which is where we stand right now. However, it hasn't prevented the sprouting of young crops, the return of the birdies singing and amazing flowers blooming in all colors. The new heading photo shows one of the many fields of mustard flowers. The picture doesn't do it justice...these fields can stretch on forever and the bright yellow flowers are at least as tall as I am. The other photos are from around my garden. I've also planted strawberries and grapes, tomatoes, cauliflower, eggplant and basil. There is an enormous rhubarb plant that grew from seemingly nothing. Judging by the looks of it, it should be a fruitful harvest this year.

As many of you know, April 30-May 1 is the celebration of Spring and fertility, Beltaine, or more commonly known as May Day. The pretty young ladies in Germany may be blessed on the eve of May Day to have a Birch tree tied to their house and strung with colored streamers, a gift from their boyfriends or admirers. Here I have taken a few pictures from around the villages of this cool tradition. The first one is of my landlord's house, the tree is for her daughter Eva.

Lastly, in keeping with my gradual conversion to greener living, the kids and I have spent some time this week preparing our herbal bug sprays and weed killers for the garden. They work amazingly well and are made from a mixture of vinegar and dish soap for the weeds, and garlic, oil and peppers for the bugs. We have also ventured into the world of jelly making...last week it was Jamaican Banana Jam and this week, Dandelion Jelly! See you all next time. You won't want to miss the next posting!