This space might look a little sad right now, but this is where so much of Boreal Ranch begins.

This is our greenhouse nursery, where we start the little plants that eventually make their way into our vegetable garden, our flower garden and L’Herberie.

In the first week of April, this greenhouse gets a complete transformation.

We put up a temporary wall where the desk is now, closing off most of the greenhouse, and fire up the furnace.

Then the tiny plants we've ordered for L’Herberie arrive, along with all the seedlings we've started back in February inside the house.

For about a month and a half, this space becomes a heated, glorious escape from a Manitoba winter.

It's busy. It's crowded. It's warm.

And it's basically a sea of green.

There are trays of seedlings everywhere, plants waiting to be transplanted, and people trying to navigate around all of it. But honestly, it's one of our favourite times of year.

After months of cold and snow, there's something pretty magical about standing in the sunshine, surrounded by growing things, and knowing that summer is on its way.

Once summer arrives, though, this greenhouse becomes a little too good at its job. It can get incredibly hot, so it doesn't have much purpose for growing plants through the summer.

But we're working on that.

We're looking at ways to extend the season here—getting more seedlings started for the vegetable garden and potentially keeping more vegetables growing later into the year.

So for now, this space may look quiet.

But come April, it comes alive.