Gardening has begun - sort of

This last Saturday in February blew in with high winds and an occasional snow squall. But it didn't daunt my spirits! Today was a planting day for me.

Tucked away safely in my cabinet over the kick space heater is a tray of seeds promising spring goodies to be planted out when the weather is warmer. I planted three Rosa Bianco eggplants , 3 red russian kale, 3 escarole, 3 broccoli and six lettuces (2 each of buttercrunch, oakleaf and simpson elite). With the exception of the eggplant and the broccoli, all of these can be directly sown outside next month. I'm curious to see if these give me a quicker harvest or if the ones sown outside when they should be will just catch up and all be ready to harvest at the same time.
I've planted tomatoes out in May and then planted some out in June and they all start producing at the same time. Sometimes it is just when nature says it is time.

After learning last week that I should have planted my shallots in the spring, I found a little green shallot plant showing in the garden today. I didn't move the mulch to see if any more were growing. It was cold and I didn't want to damage any of them if they were. I'll see soon enough.
I love the way things just grow when nature tells them to.

That's what I'm hoping for the cilantro seeds I sowed today. I didn't get to put them in last fall, so I sowed them today. The hope is that they will come up when nature determines it is time for them.

I was so amazed at how workable the soil was, considering it's still February. I was just wondering if I should try to plant something else when a little snow squall blew in. I will wait patiently. Only three more weeks until Saint Patrick's Day - the official pea planting day!

And as an update, in case you were wondering,  those poor onion seedlings I face planted into last week came up fine.