We migrated back to the Eden of Garden three weeks later than usual this year. This typically would not be a big deal to me — May in the UP sucks. May in the UP is like going back in time two months, it is still cold and sometimes snowy, no green on the trees, not even a budding leaf and I freeze my ass off when I am way past ready for summer.

To ease the transition from May in MT (sunny, warm, green grass, shorts) to May in the UP (mud, rain, dark, damp, down coats and chook), the Boss got me tulip bulbs for my birthday. We planted them last fall with the intention of adding some much-needed color to the drab Yooper spring.

I was actually looking forward to getting back to the UP this spring. Yea Tulips! I started to fret when I realized we were going to be delayed in returning. Will we miss the tulips?

I also was kind of looking forward to the greens — spinach, lettuce, chard — that we planted last fall with the hopes of an abundant spring. After a winter of slimy and wimpy store-bought, over-packaged greens (Or no greens at all, really, which is better? slimy greens purchased in non-recyclable plastic containers or a diet devoid of salads? I chose the latter,) coming home to tender, tasty, fresh-from-the-ground veggies is the best fucking thing ever. 

I can’t say I was bummed when I started getting reports of a miserably-cold spring in the UP. I was glad I wasn’t there for it and I also knew it would delay the tulips. Just hold them off till we could get there.

So, when we returned almost a month later than usual. Bam! Color explosion!

Not only that, but the garden was kicking out spinach, lettuce, chard, asparagus, green onions and wintered-over carrots. It was a virtual bonanza! We put in the work in the fall and all we had to do was come home to it!