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Health & Fitness

Spring has Sprung!

Blooming flowers spark interest in spring books, including gardening tips and how-to's for homegrown fruits and vegetables.

Don't believe me? Just ask the flowers. I'm sure that they are 100 percent sure that it is time to grow and bloom and welcome the sun every day as it rises higher in the sky.

The days are longer, and though the temperature isn't quite there yet — it's above freezing,  which in my eyes, is spring.

The earth is thawing, can't you smell that? It's just asking for those seeds to be planted so it can tend and nurture new plants, our beloved vegetables and flowers. It wants you to get your hands dirty, covered in mud. It forces up the worms so that children can squeal as it tickles the palms of their hands. 

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Spring has sprung, and if we're not careful, we will miss the beautiful tulips that are blooming right now. I think tulips may be my favorite spring flowers — they come in so many colors, with subdue or bright yellow centers. They don't smell, which is fine with me; I'll just start sneezing, but the colors certainly do brighten my day. 

The first flower that comes up, I believe in all of Port, are the daffodils on the south side of the Library. It's a warm spot with direct sun, perfect for getting those babies to grow.

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If you haven't noticed, the tulips are blooming now, too. As are the violets, the myrtle and the other daffodils on the western side of the building. 

What a colorful display!

So, I think to myself, it's time for spring books as well. Gardening books, especially, and what better place to find them than at the library?

Every year the Port Washington Garden Club donates new, beautifully illustrated books and magazines to help the novice or the experienced gardner. Last year, we were able to choose several DVDs, published by PBS, to add to our collection. 

Flowers, vegetables, fruit trees, container gardening, small space gardening, homesteads and chickens, garden and patio design; you name it, we got it! 

But what if I don't have time to plant a full vegetable garden and maintain it? You may ask.

Did you know that every Saturday in summer, the farmer's market holds its wares of fresh fruit and vegetables, baked goods, homemade goods, fresh cut flowers and more! 

Yep! Starting June 11, from 8 a.m. to noon in downtown Port Washington on Main and Franklin Streets. I will see you there!  

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