My Bit of Earth

A Nice Kind of Day

My family was here yesterday and today so that little brother could tour KU where he wants to go to school next year. While he and mom went on the tour, baby sister and I took a trip to Sunrise Nursery and had great fun there. It's so wonderful sometimes to see things through her eyes.

A very sweet lady at the nursery helped us pick out some pansies and lettuce for her to take home and grow in pots. We took them home and planted them, along with some black calla's (NAME) that I planted for myself. The calla's came from Earl May.

After they left to go home, sweet husband helped me till more of the yard. I really wanted to plant some onion sets also, but the dark caught up with me so that will have to wait until tommorow, I suppose. It's funny how sometimes it just seems like there's no time, when in reality there's plenty--just not always to do the things you really want to do exactly when you want to do them. But all in all it was a nice kind of day.

Oh, and about the worms ....

They were in and out of the house in a week. First of all they were terrible escapees. I tried putting them under the kitchen sink, but they really escaped there. So then, I put them in the middle of the kitchen thinking they would prefer the dark box to the bright kitchen. It worked a little better, but then the box started to stink, stink, stink. After playing with moisture and air and food and all sorts of things for a few more days it all just got unbearable. I took the box outside and sat it on top of a bed in my garden so that they could all escape out there. I wish them well, they were kind of fun until they got smelly.

Maybe someday when we have a garage or some type of place to put them other than the kitchen we'll try again.

For real this time

The cilantro is now also coming up--the means everything has officially sprouted. *Happy Dance*

Everything has sprouted...almost

We officially have sprouts of everything except the cilantro. Even the tomatoe seeds that I saved myself are coming up well, and the luffa gourds have made some nice big fat leaves. The Lavendar is coming along slowly, but there are some starting up. Next problem is that I'm going to have to come up with a system to raise my grow lights again soon--I'm going to have to find more books to stack them on!

So I lied ...

... as of when I left the house we have basil and chamomile sprouts also!

We have sprouts!

The argula that I planted with the other seeds has sprouted up. So far nothing else.

Shy Violet

It was so sweet the way this blossom on my African Violet unfurled--just ever so slowly, like it wasn't quite sure of itself. I've been feeding her with coffee and coffee grounds, and I think that may have helped boost her along.
African Violet

Started Seeds Today

...and I found a wonderful thing in my attic to help me along! Someone who lived here before us left three flourescent light fixtures with grow-lights in them. (Maybe they were growing tomatoes *wink wink*) Sooo I went ahead a started a little bit of everything that I wanted to start. Eight weeks was the outer limit on a few things, but I really only wanted to make the mess once and hopefully with the grow lights I won't have too many problems. Here is what I planted.

Herbs
Bodegold Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)--Sunrise, Renee's Garden
Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum)Wal-Mart, Burpee
Genovese Basil (Ocimum basilicum)--Wal-Mart, Burpee
Lemon Basil (Ocimum basilicum)--Wal-Mart, Burpee
Purple Ruffles Basil (Ocimum basilicum)--Wal-Mart, Burpee
Lavender Lady (Lavandula angustifolia)--Wal-Mart, Burpee
Italian Gigante Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)--Sunrise, Renee's Garden
Fine Leaf Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)--Sunrise, Renee's Garden
Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)--Sunrise, Livingston Seed Co.

Veggies
Arugula (Roquette)--Sunrise, Livingston Seed Co.
Grape Tomato (Sweet Olive Hybrid)--Earl May
Tomato (Ugly Ripe)--saved from a tomato from Dillions
Luffa Gourds--From Barbara Gallahan on ebay

Flowers
Larkspur (Imp. Mix)--Parks Seed Tape
Zinna (Persian Carpet)--Parks Seed Tape
Nigella (Ms. Jekyll)--Parks Seed Tape
Baby's Breath (Covenant Garden)--Parks Seed Tape

There are some other things I might start later once I get some space cleared out in my flats, but I may just sow everything else outside in April--guess it depends on how bored and stir crazy I get before then!

A Sweetheart of a Day....

That's what the weather man said it was going to be this morning, and he was right--it's absolutely beautiful here!

I had a few hours between work and school this morning so I got outside and finished mulching over the yard. I've given up on trying to make grass from weeds. I was only leaving it for Porter House, and she always poops and hangs out in the mulch anyway. I think she likes the chocolatey smell. Considering the space we have I'd rather have flowers and veggies than try to struggle with the grass.

But, anyway, while I was out playing, I noticed I have some bulbs just starting to nip up. I don't remember what they are, of course, but that makes it all that much more fun. I think they're probably crocuses because I think they bloom first, but they could be hyacinths or daffofils or maybe even my pretty red tulips.

Aussie Update

Haven't posted a picture of Aussie yet, so I thought I would. I finally felt like he was adjusted enough into his pot to prune him a little.

Aussie

My Pretty Valentine

My very wonderful mummy bought me this as a Valentine. It is a Phalaenopsis Orchid (Phal. Be Tris X Phal Yakihme), and is supposedly of the "easy to grow" variety.

Care: Keep evenly moist by watering every 5-7 days, letting dry slightly between waterings. Never allow the pot to sit in excess water. Medium to bright indirect or filtered light. Feed with 20-20-20 at half strength every two weeks.

Mmmmmm....

Bon Appetit Birdies

Couldn't wait to get home today and play with this. After all, what's school compared to playing with sticks in the snow? Mine isn't quite as cool as the one in the Great Gardens for Kids book, but I just used things I had on hand and that made it that much more fun. Many thanks to my 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Marshall, for reading us the "Eddie" books in which Eddie and his friends make ornaments for a bird tree using orange rinds and peanut butter. For future reference, in addition to the orange rinds which I covered in peanut butter and dipped in bird seed (borrowed from my lovebirds Messirs Duck and Chick) I strung some cheerios and dipped some old (snow-flake shaped) crackers in the peanut butter and seed mixture as well.

Bird Feeder Tree

Note to Self--Way Fun Book

In a few years when nice husband and I decide to have nice kids, I need to buy Great Gardens For Kids by Clare Matthews (ISBN 0600605167). It has ideas for great fun like a daffodil maze, a rill (which is a sort of fun baby river type thing), a frickin' cute rabbit run, a catmint cat basket, a vine teepee (which I may try and make for sweet little sister or adorable baby niece this year if their parents are amicable to the idea), a suspended tent, and many, many others.

It also has a great idea for a bird feeder which is "grown-up" enough that I may try to make it for myself!

Winter Sowing in the Snow

I read an article about winter sowing the other day and decided--since we're decidedly in the middle of a nice little 4-5" winter snowstorm here--to give it a shot. The idea behind it is that a lot of native seeds live outside during the winter, and germinate perfectly well in the spring without being cosseted inside. So if you plant native seeds in flats and leave them outside--rather than taking up lots 'o' space in my loft--they'll germinate at the right time and become happy plants. I just planted one flat as a kind of experiment because I didn't want to waste all of my seeds if it doesn't work. Here is what I planted ...

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea)
Arugula ("Roquette" variety)
Genoese Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
Garlic (came from Dillions, has sprouted for me before)
Lavender "Lady" (Lavendula angustifolia)

The potting soil I used (the only organic kind I could find) seemed funny when I got it home. It was almost grainy looking, but it wasn't fluffy when it was wet like other potting soil I've used. Maybe not the most well controlled experiment as a result, but regardless I like the idea of just kind of having faith that things will grow regardless of (and perhaps even with the help of) a half a foot of snow.

Idea! Newspaper Pots

Just when I was starting to despair about buying pots--free and environmentally friendly all at once ....

Newspaper Pots
Tear a newspaper into 4" strips. No need to be fussy about 4", a little more or less is fine. You'll need one strip per pot. Using a glass the size you want for a pot (I use 3" usually), wrap the top 2" of the newspaper around the glass, leave the bottom 2" to fold over the bottom of the glass. Fold the paper at the bottom of the glass over and hold with a small piece of tape if necessary. Remove from glass and Viola! A biodegradable pot.
When you put your plants into the garden you should remove the piece of tape, open the newspaper at the bottom and allow the roots contact with the soil.

Groundhog Day

Alas! The groundhog saw his shadow today. It figures though, we haven't really had enough hard Winter yet for it to be time for Spring.

Here is a nicely written bit of groundhog lore I found and thought I would post....

"The transition of Candlemas and other ancient celebrations to Groundhog Day dates back to the time of the Roman conquest of Northern Europe: the Christian celebration of Candlemas was associated with songs like this one:

'If Candlemas be fair and bright
Come, winter, have another flight
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go, winter, and come not again.'

This practice of divining the weather on this day spread to Germany, and was brought to this country by some of its first German settlers, also known as Pennsylvania Dutch: hence the location of the most famous groundhog. Also, the groundhog (also known affectionately as a woodchuck) was not the original prototypical weather-divining creature: in Europe it was a hedgehog. But early American settlers were nothing if not adaptable, and so the local creature most closely resembling a hedgehog was chosen for this ritual. Like hedgehogs, groundhogs are no-nonsense, practical animals; the same can be said for bears and badgers, who were also associated with weather divination in European folklore. If a groundhog sees his shadow on the 2nd, some inner sense tells him it's not spring yet (does he feel the chill in the air most clear winter days have? or is the sunny day from an early thaw, which often presages a return to wintry weather?)--and he hightails it back to his burrow. Likewise, humans observe midwinter as a milestone, a moment which is on the cusp of change, between the harsh, cold winds of winter and the fragrant, sensual breezes of spring."--Pam Aloi