My Yard

I love my yard.  It's taken me a long while to appreciate it for what it is, but I've gotten there.  When I first moved it I thought it was small and ugly.  I was thrilled the backyard was fenced in so Roxy could run around, but beyond that - yikes.  The previous tenants had planted some flowers along the fence, but they moved on and the plants died.  The grass area that I did have was barely 20x20 and the whole back half was shaded by a maple tree.  That first year I only used the yard if I had friends over or Roxy had to use the bathroom.  I paid it no mind.

The following year I decided I would I would grow some veggies.  That required ripping out anything that got in my way.  I was able to clear both fence rows on the north and south side of the yard and managed a fairly decent vegetable garden.  I also discovered wild strawberries, a wild rosebush and some Althea growing.  That was what really got me paying attention to my yard.  After I cleared way for veggies, I made sure to leave a large part of the back untouched for the birds and other wildlife.  I learned to identify what was growing between the cracks in the driveway, along the garage and in the areas I wanted to plant veggies and herbs.  I made it my goal to learn each and every plant in my yard and what I could do with it.  Can I eat it, make medicine from it or just admire it for it's beauty?  It thrills me beyond words to go into my back yard and identify everybody. 

This afternoon I headed out and this is what I found waiting for me :

This is purple dead nettle.  I tried to get a better picture, but the sun was full on so this was the best I could do.  I'm sure you have this plant growing in your yard right now.  Does it look like anything else you know of?! - MINT!  It is a member of the mint family - although it certainly does not smell like mint.  It's called dead nettle because it doesn't sting like stinging nettle does, but that is a misnomer, because it's a mint.  It is edible, so I recommend picking some for your spring salads; it is very high in iron and fiber.  I think it has a very "earthy" taste, which I enjoy especially after a long winter.

The next lovely I spotted was Dandelion!

Yummy!  Since she hasn't bloomed yet, she is quite tasty and not too bitter.  A lot of people do not like dandelion greens because of the bitterness, but if you catch them early enough, it isn't too bad.  There are plenty of dandelions already in bloom in my neighborhood, but the ones in my yard are still taking their time. 

My plum tree and maple tree both have buds on them and the maple has already opened hers.  I can't wait for plum - it's intoxicating once she is in full bloom.
Maple:

This is plum. 

Lastly there are some white violets blooming in my yard beneath the plum tree.  They are tiny and I couldn't get the best picture with my camera -

Violets are edible as well and high in vitamin C, but given that I only have about a dozen little ones in my yard, I thought I'd leave them be and enjoy them only for their beauty.

What do you have springing up in your yard right now?