There were 2 trees in our front yard when I was growing up – a sweet cherry and a white birch.

The cherry was a practical & useful tree, providing us with fruit to eat and a playground for my siblings and me. Many an hour was spent climbing that tree. The best time, of course, was early summer when we could hide amongst the leaves, high in the branches, and stuff our faces with dark, sweet, juicy cherries.

The cutleaf weeping white birch was more of an indulgence – planted simply for its beauty. A Mother’s Day present from my father to my mom, it was a tiny sapling when he planted it. Mother loved that tree and nurtured it with fertilizer, water & affection. We were forbidden from climbing it, or even touching it!

The cherry tree is long gone now, replaced with a redbud.

But the white birch remains. More than 60 years after being planted, it reigns over the front yard, providing beauty for us and a haven for the birds, squirrels, and our cats.

Last week, seemingly overnight, it sprang to life – it’s tiny buds bursting into delicate, serrated leaves in the most wonderful shade of spring green.

A beautiful tree for a beautiful season!

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Around the farm …

While it has felt like a slow spring so far, everything is turning green now!

The garlic is growing.

Rhubarb is ready to harvest.

Blackberries are pruned, tied and are now being mulched.

Lots of vegetable seedlings in the greenhouse.

Vegetables planted in the field already include salad turnips, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, Swiss chard, edible flowers …

… with plenty more on the trailer waiting to be planted – mostly salad greens.

Spring flowers bring welcome color, complementing all the green.