Our favorite Christmas present - and signs of Spring!

Hope you enjoyed your holidays as much as we did. Our best gift was our new dog, Lucy. we lost our older dog last summer and decided it was time for a new addition. She looks like a black lab, but smaller, so she's mixed with something.

She's a year old, so she was housebroken. She's over the initial puppyness, although she still has her moments. She has a sweet disposition and likes everyone. This leads to her biggest problem - her greetings. They're very enthusiastic, to put it mildly. So that's what we're working on. She's improved since we got her - at least the wildness doesn't last as long!

We got Lucy at the Humane Society. Her previous owner died and no one in the family could take her. There are a lot of nice dogs looking for homes. If you're considering adding a pet, think about adopting one. The procedure was easy and the staff was very helpful. The Humane Society even paid for her first vet exam.

Spring is on the way. John was so happy when we passed the shortest day of the year. Now, at 5 o'clock, he says, "Look, it's still light."

The other sure sign of spring is seed starting. I started my first batch of pansies after Christmas. This week, it was more pansies and some early perennials - coneflower, blue flax and lavender "Lady". This is a fragrant, compact variety grown from seed rather than from cuttings.

Now there will be a short break. Soon, I'll start seeds every week. It won't be long before the greenhouses begin to fill up.

Stay tuned, and think spring!

Looking Ahead

"With Years a richer life begins, the spirit mellows."
John T. Trowbridge.

Looking Ahead to Spring

We'll be celebrating next spring! April 2008 will mark the tenth anniversary of the opening of Cloverleaf Herb Farm. We'll feature a special sale during our spring open house to show our appreciation for your continued support. More details to follow in our spring newsletter and on our blog as it comes closer!

We'll expand our plant inventory with some new selections for spring. They will include an ornamental perennial, an herbal ground cover and a complementary color selection of a cool weather favorite.

Many of you know of my fondness for calendula or pot marigold. Its yellow or orange daisy-like flowers are ornamental and its healing resins are used in products to relieve skin irritations. Calendula will be celebrated as herb of the year for 2008.

The one pictured managed to live well into our mild November this past year.