The Beginnings of Spring

2025 was a difficult year for me, due to having heart surgery, trying to find the right medication and therapy for my mental health, and developing severe cubital tunnel syndrome in my left arm.

My gardening was half-hearted, and I stopped going for nature walks.

My every day life was very difficult. Hobbies and interests took a backstage to more immediate pressing things, like getting out of bed and feeding myself.

A few weeks ago, I saw this gorgeous Barred Owl (Strix varia) perched on a snag in my local woods. I watched it for quite some time, as it sleepily watched ravens flying overhead and small creatures stirring on the forest floor.

2026 has been an infinitely better experience so far. I'm finally on the right medication, my heart has healed perfectly from last summer's surgery, I have a solid physio routine in place for my arm while waiting for surgery later this year.

And so: my early Spring plans!

1. Start as many seeds as I have trays and lights with an emphasis on greens, scallions, radishes, beets, peppers, tomatoes, cannabis, native flowers, and herbs.

2. Stick to my succession planting plans as best as possible, trusting the weather gods to give us a nice spring with just enough rain, sun, and wind.

3. Forage some plants that I've never eaten from the wild:

• Stinging Nettle - Urtica dioica - I always miss the harvest window on my local patch - this year I am determined to harvest some and turn it into nettle kimchi.

• Viola sp. - I just have never eaten wild violet leaves, and they are abundant around me. I plan on eating them as salad greens, hopefully with some flowers as well.

• Thimbleberry shoots - Rubus parviflorus - I have never tried the early shoots, and they are just coming up now. I am going to try sauteing them in a neutral oil to see if I like the flavour.

4. Forage some plants I know I enjoy:

• Bigleaf Maple blossoms - Acer macrophyllum - I tried some raw blossoms last Spring, and they were delicious. Slightly sweet, slightly green tasting, with a pleasant texture. Tip: choose the closed or just opening inflorescences for the best flavour.

• Claytonia sibirica - it grows all over the place around here, and the leaves and flowers make an excellent addition to salads or stir fries.

5. Really pay attention to the first bees and other flying insects I see in my yards and local woods. I would like to get better with native insect identification, especially bees, wasps, flies, and butterflies.

6. Monitor my big local patch of "Himalayan" blackberries - Rubus sp. - (see this excellent post for why I have that in quotes!) for pests. I noticed an invasive beetle on it last year and I want to see if I can figure out how to capture one if they return this year.

7. Track each bird species I see this year, making sure I get each new species into eBird and also a spreadsheet.

I think I could actually go on and on, but those are the broad strokes.

I love Spring, and I think I am going to love this Spring the best of all.