[vermont] Ramp season

Well, after being teased with 70 degree weather a couple of weeks ago and then enduring 40 - 50 degree days since, we finally got some spectacular weather this weekend. I went out with a cup of coffee Saturday first thing in the morning and didn't come back in until 2pm. Same for Sunday. 

All three hyacinths that I put in a few weeks ago opened up.

I'm glad I planted these by the front porch- you could smell them whenever a breeze went by.

The daffodils finally popped open:

I dug a new part-shade flower bed (this is at 50% done Saturday afternoon) along an old rock wall:

I'm going to move some hostas over here when I divide them in a week. I should have some columbine seedlings to add this season. This would be a good place to dump some foxglove seeds. This spot definitely gets covered with leaves in the fall and I might leave it to emulate a forest floor garden- and move some of the trout lilies and springbeauty down from the woods to here. 

Speaking of springbeauty- I found some (Claytonia virginia) on the walk up to pick ramps:

These are so small, they're easy to miss (or ignore) but I'm so glad I stopped to take close-up pictures. They are gorgeous.

I made it to the patch of wild leeks (ramps):

The picked ramps, all washed and bundled and ready to use:

I think I'm going to make one more trip up this weekend to pick some for my mom. In the meantime, I've got lots of compound butter and pesto to make.