Green leafs and promises of coming spring; Author Nan Van Daalen

45: Green leafs and promises of coming spring.
The spring is slowly traveling North. That is the way it looks, when you live on earth. But when you were an astronaut, traveling in a space station around the world, you would see something different.
The world is turning around the sun, and while it is not a straight line from South-pole to North-pole, but that line is a bit oblique, we got seasons.
You can ask mom and dad how that works, or the teacher can draw this on the blackboard.
Now the seasons in the north are coming to spring, while that side of the earth is turning very slowly more to the sun, while in the south part of the earth it is just the other way around.
I did see the first Snowdrops before it began to freeze again, but luckily the are created this way, they can survive some frost.
I really do hope, the frost stays away now, but certain, we can only be in my country, when it has been the first half of the month of May.
Than all trees start getting green leafs, and not just the very early ones. It is than, the spring dwarfs and elf, the fairy and new fire dragons are very busy to make the world the most lovely place there is!
And do you know what? I am going to help them this year a bit extra. How?
Well, I will do it in several ways, and for most we do not need that much.
A pot with earth, a plastic bag or half a see-through plastic bottle and some seed.
I did lay extra last year some seed of the peas, instead of eating all.
And I dried some beans and put them in a sachet with the name on it. After that I did store it on a dry, but not freezing cold space, with some flower seed and cress.
And with the last I will start, while it does taste so well, and it even will grow on a layer of cotton wool, when mom will give you some plant-food to put in the water.
Hmmmm, I do like cress on my bread! And it only needs a day or 10 to grow, before you can ask if an adult will use the scissors, to take of some to eat.
The other things need a secure timing. Why?
When you do plant a bean, after you have soaked it over night so it is not dry anymore, you have to put in your pot with earth, water it, and cover it either with the plastic bag or the half bottle.
That you do, while that way, you make your own little green house, just like in the grown up world a lot of farmers do, so we also have fresh vegetables in winter besides the ones, that are preserved or frozen in a shop.
But is it not much nicer, to see for yourselves how things grow in the window sill? And to keep looking every day, if the earth in the pot is not to dry, while inside it does not rain, that YOU have to provide.
When you have done this in the right time, than all plants you had under a cover, are so big, you can plant them a bit apart in separate pots with very, very careful fingers, so the roots do not damage.
There will be an adult around, who can tell you, how to do this, I do hope.
Than the big moment comes: there is no frost anymore, and in the same time your seedlings have grown so big, you can plant them in the garden.
That way, you have earlier than others your own beans to eat.
But also your own plants, that give such a colorful display in spring.
And all of that is, while you got a little bit homesick for green leaves and spring coming, even when you do like ice skating or skiing in the snow. The one thing you do outside, the other you do inside the house.
So, now I do not have time to tell more, for in my part of the world spring is in 6 weeks, so I slowly have to start with my ‘helping nature and myself’ thing.
I already made an empty spot in the window sill for the cress, and in a few days I will soak the beans.
With the flowers I will wait another week, but that is not so easy, for this seed is so small, I have to be careful, not to put to much on the same spot, but I did it well last year, so I will do it this year too.
For I do like a flower-full garden with Easter, so than all has to be out.
Therefore I start now. And you?
Will you start too, or do you have the patience to leave all to the nature and our little friends?
Me not, I do like to see as soon as possible the green leafs, that are the promise of coming spring!

© Nan van Daalen.