Now, that spring has officially started (at least the calendar says so), I am looking for signs of it. And even if it is still way too cold & windy, there are some signs of it in my garden:

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Still, could be more, could be warmer. This year, I am all in for new herbs and teas. I already seeded caraway, camomile, aniseed and chinese anise. Hope, I haven’t done this too early, but the printing on the packages suggested early seeding in order to get ripe seeds in autumn, esp. for the caraway. I shall find out sooner or later.

And inside, sitting in little pots on the living room floor, are salads and bok choy awaiting their time at the great outdoors.

Yesterday, my latest acquisition arrived in the mail: various plantlets of Jiogulan (Gyynostemma pentapgyllum – “Kraut der Unsterblichkeit” it is called in German, which translates to “Immortality Herb”). I bought this plant in the form of dried tea at a Herb and Tea booth on Dresden Christmas Market last year and liked the tea so much, I decided to grow the plant this year. Hope it likes its new home and gives me plenty of leaves to dry for next winter. Supposedly, if you drink lots of this tea, you reach ripe old age – I hope in good health, too, as the herb is also said to fight bad cells and cardiovascular diseases. And if doesn’t – no worries – as it tastes very good and this is good enough for me. For the time being, the little immortals are sitting in their pots inside still, waiting for spring. Along with me….