“It always amazes me to look at the little, wrinkled brown seeds and think of the rainbows in 'em," said Captain Jim. "When I ponder on them seeds I don't find it nowise hard to believe that we've got souls that'll live in other worlds...”
– L.M. Montgomery, Anne's House of Dreams
– L.M. Montgomery, Anne's House of Dreams
3/30/18:
While out in the garden, enjoying the sun's brightness and warmth, and discovering the new growth that spring has brought, I figured it would be fun to take some less-ordinary shots for the week's blog photos.
So I zoomed in, tried odd angles, and examined the undersides of flowers. I became fascinated with intricate textures, and contrasts between the different things living in a single pot. I found intriguing color variations and shape combinations. I even photographed the damaged or expired blooms, such as camellias that had fallen into the pathway among evergreen needles and nutshells discarded by squirrels.
So I zoomed in, tried odd angles, and examined the undersides of flowers. I became fascinated with intricate textures, and contrasts between the different things living in a single pot. I found intriguing color variations and shape combinations. I even photographed the damaged or expired blooms, such as camellias that had fallen into the pathway among evergreen needles and nutshells discarded by squirrels.
Clicking on the thumbnails below will show the full photo in a new window.
Under a camellia bush.
Inside a nasturtium.
Bright wallflowers in evening light.
It's always hard to go back to work on Monday, and spend so many hours in an office environment that's enlivened only by my desk plants. But I do have the advantage of working in a building near a slough. It's been pleasant to take lunchtime walks on the path along the water, gazing out at ducks and herons, observing wildflowers coming into bloom. I recognized oxalis, poppies, wild radish, and plantain, but many more I am just now learning about.
• • • • • • • • • •
The season of planting is fully underway. I don't want to go overboard, since I already have quite a few plants that didn't die out over the winter, and there's not much empty space for new things. But I've taken inventory of un-inhabited pots, and will continue filling most of them with enriched soil and seeds/seedlings over the course of spring.
Considering what I recently was told about growing parsnips, I plan to pre-germinate seeds this weekend, and then sow them directly into the soil of my taller containers. Manure was recommended for growing bigger roots, so I could fertilize with the Moo Poo tea.
In addition to what I'd already purchased, harvested, or saved from last year, I decided to pick up a few seeds today at the K-Mart Garden Center. I can't wait to start planting them: spinach from Seeds of Change, morning glories from Ferry-Morse, and basil and radish “Value Variety Packs” from Stover.
I'm also looking forward to events similar to the permaculture talk I attended, and to visiting unfamiliar public gardens, such as the arboretum at the university. While I love my own little yard, and can always find something in it to stare at or learn more about, I want to have a wider gardening experience this year.
Considering what I recently was told about growing parsnips, I plan to pre-germinate seeds this weekend, and then sow them directly into the soil of my taller containers. Manure was recommended for growing bigger roots, so I could fertilize with the Moo Poo tea.
In addition to what I'd already purchased, harvested, or saved from last year, I decided to pick up a few seeds today at the K-Mart Garden Center. I can't wait to start planting them: spinach from Seeds of Change, morning glories from Ferry-Morse, and basil and radish “Value Variety Packs” from Stover.
I'm also looking forward to events similar to the permaculture talk I attended, and to visiting unfamiliar public gardens, such as the arboretum at the university. While I love my own little yard, and can always find something in it to stare at or learn more about, I want to have a wider gardening experience this year.