Almanac Banner and Logo

A Sprinkling of Springtime Fun and Folklore

Start-of-Spring Gardening Advice

Dogwood It's well nigh time to start thinking of starting your seeds indoors. Our essay Starting Seeds will, well, get you started. Then cruise on over to our gardening pages for tips on caring for your garden.

Dingbat Begin your garden work when a lump of soil squeezed in your hand is dry enough to fall apart slowly.
Dingbat Plant peas, spinach, lettuce, beets, and cabbage when the soil is ready. Plant pansies, but be sure to protect them if the weather turns cold again.
Dingbat Repot your houseplants as the days lengthen so they will grow well during the spring and summer months.
Dingbat Add some manure to your thawing compost pile and turn it frequently.
Dingbat If you plant your Easter lily outdoors after the danger of frost has passed, you may coax another season's bloom.

For more jobs in the garden this spring, check out Gardening Jobs by the Month.

Recipes for Springtime Gatherings

WHO NEEDS AN excuse to throw a party or try some great new recipes? Not us. But May Day (May 1), Mother's Day (May 11), Victoria Day (May 19), and Memorial Day (May 26) offer a few possibilities for entertaining family and friends. Try one of these recipes from the archives of The Old Farmer's Almanac. Asparagus

Dingbat Asparagus Salad
Dingbat Cheesy-Chive Eggs
Dingbat Egg-Filled Dinner Rolls
Dingbat French Toast Strata
Dingbat Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese
Dingbat Overnight Omelet
Dingbat Rhubarb-Chutney
Dingbat Scrambled Eggs with Spinach
Dingbat Spinach-Mushroom Quiche
Dingbat Three-Bean Salad

For more recipes, use our Recipe Search.

Spring Crafts

If you just want to capture the winds of Spring, try making your own Wind Sock.

Give your rooms a new look with Stenciled Curtains.

Spring's Here -- Is It Time To Clean?

An 1800s housewife's manual gave this advice: "It is a good rule not to commence housecleaning in the spring until the trees are all in full leaf."

We also have our own advice on spring-cleaning and can tell you more than you ever wanted to know about dust.

And if you are really serious about spring cleaning, you'll want to look at The Old Farmer's Almanac Guide to Cleaning, Polishing, and Freshening Your Home.

Folklore for the Season

Dingbat April showers bring May flowers.
Dingbat When April blows his horn, It's good for both the hay and corn.
Dingbat If the first three days in April be foggy, rain in June will make the lanes boggy.
Dingbat A cold April the barn will fill.
Dingbat A cold, wet May means a barn full of hay.
Dingbat When frogs are jumping about more than usual, expect a storm. But when they are piping in the evening, the next day will be fair.
Dingbat So many mists in March we see, so many frosts in May will be.
Dingbat Ropes are more difficult to untwist before bad weather.
Dingbat Many thunderstorms in May, and the farmer sings hey! hey!
Dingbat Set sage in May and it will grow alway.
Dingbat A wet spring is a sure sign of dry weather for harvest.
Dingbat A windy May makes a fair year.
Dingbat A snowstorm in May is worth a wagonload of hay.
Dingbat When dandelions bloom late, expect a dry summer.

divider