The lily’s hidden stamen bends gently toward the shy poppy, who murmurs, “Forsooth, fair sir, with your mockingly curled lip! Brush your golden pollen o’er me!” “With pleasure, my blushing love. With greatest pleasure!”

Both calla lilies and red poppies are also associated with death, but I write romances, so these two will have a happy ending.

It’s spring in Oregon! Spring means the garden is awakening. My lily of the valley patch has spread in the years since I transplanted a few stalks from my mother’s garden. Now I can pick masses of the scented blooms for my writing space, for the bathroom, for my day job office, for my neighbors (since I stole some of their snowball blossoms).

The peonies are just starting to open with their lovely bright color even more vibrant against the snowball whiteness. I expect this little bouquet to become a complete disaster because when the petals start to fall on these flowers, they exPLOde. The stink bug came along for the ride.

Spring veggies are some of the best after a long winter of cold-hardy produce. And notice how I color coordinate with my dinner! The arugula overwintered in my raised garden bed, but wow, the arugula flavor became very concentrated over the colder months. It definitely makes an ARUGULA salad even with just a few leaves. Contrast that with the delicate flavor of the first asparagus, grilled with just a little salt and pepper. Yum. Next spring, I’m* going to clear a whole loose, sandy bed for more asparagus.

I hope everybody is enjoying the change of seasons. I love to watch the shift in my gardens, but I have to admit, I’m impatient for strawberries!

* By “I”, I means the XY. Upper body strength is meant for digging in the garden. Also, for opening jars.

The list is also a great way to maybe check out some new-to-you indie authors. The magazine is dedicated to helping connect readers with the best in indie publishing.

Voting starts here. The novella category is open from May 3-10.

Happy reading!

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