Promises, Promises

This time of year is like magic to me. My kitchen garden and other gardens are full of wonderful things to come. There are promises of bliss everywhere I look. Take a close look at the branches of my walnut tree (click to enlarge) and see the leaves unfolding and the flowers that will turn from this

into this, lovely walnuts, in about 6 months time. Amazing isn't it?
And there's more, much more. Here's one of my white currants in flower. See how the flowers are shaped? You can already imagine what the fruit will look like in a few months' time.

Like this. Isn't it mouthwatering just to look at this picture? Close your eyes and imagine popping some of those lovely, luscious and juicy currants straight from the bush right into your mouth. Mmmmm, utter bliss!
In my greenhouse I've planted the first tomatoes. This one will look like

this in a few months time. I love these yellow tomatoes, they look good and taste even better.
And then, the miracle I didn't dare hope for, but it happened, my lovely pear tree is in full flower. Just looking at it makes me feel so happy. Who would have thought it possible after the disaster that happened to my pear tree last August when it fell down? What a pretty bridal blossom dress it's wearing this Spring,


and imagine what those flowers will change into next September /October.
Mmmmmmmmm, juicy, fragrant, wonderfully tasty pears. And there are so many other promises of good things to come. Here's the gooseberry in flower. The flowers are very tiny, aren't they? The thorns are so much bigger.

How is it possible that those tiny flowers will one day become this? Gooseberries, yummy!!!
Of course I've been busy gardening these last few weeks and here you see some of the things that I've sown lately. The seedlings are still in the cold frame, as they are in the process of hardening off. I've sown sweat peas, peas, sugar snaps, corn, pumpkins, courgette, beans, lettuce, radishes, salad rocket and much more. It's such fun to see everything grow and then to be able to harvest the crops from your own garden. I like to cook and eat tasty and healthy food so everything is grown organically, well gloated over and eaten with much delight.

One of the joys of gardening is that you can always try something new. Here's a picture of my raspberry in bud. It's a first for me as I haven't grown raspberries before. My father gave me this plant last September, it was an off shoot from his own raspberry. I'm growing it over an arch in my kitchen garden. Hopefully I'll be picking and eating the first raspberries in a few months from now.
What would I do without the strawberries? It's so great to see them in flower already. They are very early this year, so fingers crossed that there will be a harvest soon! Can hardly wait!
I'll leave you with a picture of something rather unique in the Netherlands; roses in bud in early April. Unheard of over here. The rose you see is Moonlight, a climber with clusters of lovely scented white flowers and with beautiful reddish purple leaves and stems. It flowers almost non-stop for a very long time, usually from the end of May until the first frosts.


I'm very curious to see which of my roses will flower first and when that will be. I think it will be my old and trusted friend Madame Alfred Carriere and perhaps it will be soon, very soon. I'll keep you posted!

I wish you all a lovely weekend with lots of sunshine.

To what purpose, April, do you return again?
Beauty is not enough.
Edna St. Vincent Millay, 'Spring'