What ’s the first foretoken of spring for you ?

For me , it ’s when the birds start sing all day , every day .

Back in Southern California , my yard was alert with starlings nest in thefeijoa Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , feeding onfeijoa flowers , and singing their unfermented tune all season long .

Downy woodpecker feeding on a suet

In Central Oregon , I ’m just getting to know our backyard birds and so far I ’ve meet scrub jay , stellar jays , flickers , and sericeous woodpeckers at our affluent . ( There are a few more , but I have n’t been capable to name them yet . )

Each workweek they get gimcrack , more active , and more abundant , and it ’s like stepping outside into my own aviary .

When I start hearing the symphony in our aspen and willow tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , I have a go at it the ground is thawing , the grass is turning fleeceable again , the irrigation channel is about to spread and fill our cisterna — more star sign of spring that indicate planting is not too far off .

Northern flicker sitting on a branch

( And maybe spring is already in full swing for you , but in our finicky climate , we still have icing and hail to get by with for the next few calendar month . There ’s a joke in Central Oregon that we ’re only in false spring and have another cycle or two of winter coming . )

But the sunlight is sputter and I ’m quick to pop institute , peculiarly after visiting my mother - in - natural law ’s garden in Northern California last week . It was such a happy sight to see all hernasturtiumsand poppy in bloom and her Citrus limon trees drip with yield .

Disclosure : If you browse from my clause or make a purchase through one of my links , I may receive commissions on some of the intersection I urge .

Inside view of a Botanical Interests seed packet folded open

So , get ’s lionise the time of year with a giveaway thatBotanical Interestsand I are team up to make for to you this calendar week !

If you ’ve never heard of Botanical Interests , they ’re a Colorado - based seed supplier with one of the well - plan seed packets on the major planet . The illustration are beautifully detailed but it ’s what’sinsidethe packet that ’s special ( and I ’m not talking about the seeds ) .

disrobe back the dither and you ’ll find loads of info on treating coarse plant pests and disease , cooking baksheesh , and other helpful and inspiring imagination printed inside each mailboat .

Botanical Interests seed packets spread out on a wooden surface

You also get the common information on the back , like cum start operating instructions , maturity date , and a tiny draftsmanship of what a seedling look like ( sohandy if you bury to mark them in the garden ) . I really have n’t found another ejaculate mail boat like theirs .

So , I ’ve hand - picked a assembling of 12 change of germ that will suit every clime , including those with unforesightful acquire season , to give forth to THREE victor !

You could win this megabucks of seeded player :

Botanical Interests oversized wood plant markers and seed packet spread out on a wooden surface

Plus , we ’re throw in alarge harvest basket(large enough to fit a couple dozen lemon ) and aset of 12 oversized wooden plant life markersto kickstart your growing season .

To enter this game show :

While I appreciate all of my readers , this game show is open only to people with US addresses ( since it ships directly from Botanical Interests ) .

The giveaway ends at 11:59 pm PT on Saturday , April 10 , 2021 . Three winner will be opt at random and advise by email . If a winner does not react within 48 hour , a new winner will be prefer . Winners will need to provide an address and email for transportation purposes .   This giveaway is in no way patronise , endorsed , or administered by Instagram . By entering , you release Instagram completely of any responsibleness , liability and gibe to adhere to the terms of exercise .

unspoiled luck to all ! And I ca n’t wait to see what your garden looks like this year .