Signs of Spring

I'm finding the displays of seed packets in the stores a much needed sign of Spring and uplifting. I'm a sucker for them and can never resist buying a few packets despite my bad luck with raising plants from seed. Last summer I tried in vain to create a sunflower garden for my daughter, only to have my local chipmunk dig up all the seeds and eat them. My second attempt of planting tiny sunflower sprouts, that I had raised in little mini plastic greenhouses, only confirmed that chipmunks like sunflower sprouts as much as they like sunflower seeds.

Now I am looking at a bunch of beautiful seed packets, sunflowers included, and plotting my anti-chipmunk strategies. I know all to well that I'll end up buying ready-to-plant flats at the local nursery, but one can still plant seeds and dream too!