Some Fun

We're all waiting for the weather to change, seeds to sprout (if started indoors) and soil to soften -- that is those of us who are "growing" types. We've had some pleasant days between cold periods. If an uncharacteristically warm day in fall is Indian Summer, would an uncharacteristically cool day in spring be Eskimo Winter?

What Kind of Flower Are You?

I found this quiz at This Garden Is Illegal. What a great name for a blog, eh?

I am a Canna What Flower Are You?

The options for some questions were not enough, and some others I could have chosen more than one option:

When you retire, what kind of house do you want to live in?

A nice cottage


Your indoor plants are:

Making babies and threatening to overwhelm my apartment

The number of late bill payments you had in the past 30 days is:
Bills? I knew I forgot something.


Your idea of a fun dinner is


Eating alone
Eating with a significant other
Eating with a few friends
Eating with your entire family (this is the option I chose for the quiz)
Inviting every person you know over for a barbeque


In your garden you:
Hired no one and did everything with your own two hands.

Your workspace (at home) looks like:

the paper volcano erupted

(at work, for the quiz) There is enough open space for your drinking cup and a few essentials

When you paint a room you:

paint a mural on the wall
Well, I'd like to.

When you have a headache, you:
Pretend you don’t feel it
(eventually, I take something if sleeping, resting or relaxtion doesn't get rid of it)

How many steps does it take for you to do your hair in a typical morning (including steps in the shower):
0-2


Your friend wants you to lie to their spouse about why they came home late the other night, you:

Ask why they need the alibi and then decide if you will lie.


Which kind of movie is your favorite
Science fiction or adventure
(but for the quiz I picked "something gets blown
up")

When you cook, your favorite cooking instrument is:

A good saucepan


When a friend needs help moving

You offer to help them move without them asking

When you need to talk to someone about something important, you

Call your best friend
Call a few good friends


How do you most often get from place to place?

A car
(I walk quite a bit, too)

When you are not gardening, which of these things would you prefer to do in your spare time?

Read a book
(or go for a walk)

Your best friend needs to borrow $100, you

Wish you could, but money is a little tight so you can’t


Your idea of a really good gift from your partner is:
Who needs a gift?
A bouquet of flowers
Your favorite CD
Something handmade
The most expensive thing they can find

(all are equal to me; I picked the flowers for the quiz)

Your favorite flavor of ice cream is

Peanut butter mocha chocolate swirl

Looking Forward to Spring

Yesterday was in the 50s. It was sunny! I wanted to "popcorn" the way my guinea pigs do when they're happy. There's more winter to come, but I'm ready for spring!

While browsing Country Woman Magazine's site, I found some information that may be useful to gardeners. If you want to start selling items at the local farmers' market, they have some advice. You can find the article on their website:

To Market

There's also an interesting article about a flower farm here.


Links to help you sell used books (go to the header that reads "Page 50):

book resale


Here's a pretty scene to set you at ease.

Graphic from: http://www.glitter-graphics.com/graphics/111063

Reasons To Rejoice

Everybody look up cause there's a reason to rejoice you see!
Everybody look up and let's commence to singing joyfully!

Can't You Feel A Brand New Day,
Can't You Feel A Brand New Day!


--from The Wiz (musical)


Hello! It has been a while since I wrote a blog entry here. Now that the winter holidays are over, I have more time. I have added a healthy spider plant and African rubber plant to my indoor "garden".

Spider plants (chlorophytum comosum) are easy to grow. It also reproduces quite well. I have transplanted the "babies" that grow on the end of long stalks in water and in soil.

Growing a rubber plant is new for me. This one is a little under two feet high with oval, glossy leaves that are green on top and reddish underneath. The underside of the leaves must be where the variety gets its name "burgundy".

My other housplants are doing quite well. The older croton has new growth at the bottom of its stalk. The younger one had growth on a tendril-like extension of one leaf, but I yanked it off by accident. The older croton has been with me for over a decade, so no matter how much work it requires -- which is next to nothing -- I'll do it. The large plant in the middle is a spathiphyllum, and the croton is sort of hidden to the left. The light green leaves in front are from my "devil's ivy" (pothos). In winter, I've found that keeping them in the bathroom is beneficial for the humidity they get when I shower.


Since spring is not far away, there's a little more happening. I've recently discovered some interesting urban gardener sites: moss in the city

Flower and gardening shows will be happening. In Pennsylvania, which is where I live, the Philadelphia Flower Show has existed annually for years. This year it will be from March 2-8. Last year, as I wrote about, some friends and I went to the Pennsylvania Garden Expo in Harrisburg, then watched the St. Patrick's Day Parade. The show isn't big, but attendees may get some landscaping ideas and advice.

A slightly bigger show will be in York, Pa., at the end of February. The mid-Atlantic Garden Show will feature three days of events. I'm sure there are many others.

At any time of year, one place I'd recommend visiting is Longwood Gardens outside of Philadelphia.

My mint and lemonbalm have survived winter indoors so far. I'm enjoying the idea of putting them back on my porch in the warm weather. I feel like I've achieved something by having two of my herbs last. In fact, just as days began to lengthen in midwinter, the lemonbalm perked up and grew quite well. Perhaps I will cut some to try as a tea.

P Allen Smith has his new website up and running, as well as his youtube page. You might want to check them out as soon as possible!

P Allen Smith's home page
Youtube

In fact, to tease us about spring upcoming, here he is with some daffodils:


(photo from internet search; I don't have the privilege of knowing him, despite sharing a last name)

A Perfect Day, Especially For January

The macaroni and cheese with leeks is wonderful! Very rich, too. I used about twice as much pasta as the recipe calls for and I chose Cabot Vermont extra sharp cheddar. The milk was 2%, not full-fat. The butter was a light version, mixed with Canola oil. I don't make baked macaroni and cheese often. When I do, it's worth taking time on it to make it good.

Leeks are sweeter than most onions. They smell like onions though, as I discovered on the drive home. Even with the window down, I had to stop in a parking lot and move them to the trunk. My apartment smelled of leeks for a day or two. (I'll take that over cigarette smoke from the downstairs apartment.) I regret that I didn't take a photo before I cleaned them. Next time!

It was one of those "perfect" days to me. I got to play in the garden, take something home from it to cook, then relax -- in this case with my guinea pigs and a book. Really, I'm not much of a cook. I am doing it because I should: it's cheaper and usually healthier than eating out, and it's a habit I have to reestablish. I generally keep it simple. A couple of books of healthy recipes I have: slow cooking and one filled with Mexican recipes. I love Mexican because of the ingredients often used: black beans, corn, corn meal rice, tomatoes, chiles; however, it can be very unhealthy without alterations.

I'll have to work on streamlining my favorite cuisine more: Italian. Ciao!

Plants In The Air

I live in an apartment. I've never smoked. I have asthma. The resident below me has ... several annoying habits. One of the worst is smoking. Smoke rises into my apartment. Short of moving into a building that won't allow smokers (do they exist?), I'm stuck -- And so are my guinea pigs -- opening windows in winter to ventilate my apartment. Apparently, this could be an excuse for more houseplants, spider plants being one of the best. It's also easy to grow in soil, water and somewhat in air ("babies" sprout on long stalks that grow from the center of the plant).

This article has some other options: Go To The Nursery

Make sure that if you have pets or little kids, the plants are safe. Here's a video with some information: Houseplants

When it comes to spider plants, buying one is enough. The "babies" transplant easily. It's even easier to start them in water before putting them in soil.

Secondhand Smoke Myths

Indian Fall?

Not much is happening. On Saturday, I visited my garden plot. About an inch of snow covered the paths and the wind was blowing. And it was cold. I wanted to dig some leeks from the ground, but the soil was hard and the tool shed was locked.

Now we're having a very warm spell (60s F). It's not Indian Summer. More like fall or spring -- late spring. So tomorrow I will take advantage of the warmth, and return to the plot with my shovel.

What will I use my leeks for? Maybe some leek and potato soup. Also, here's a baked mac & cheese recipe I intend to try, thanks to P Allen Smith.

He also has a video on providing humidity for houseplants in winter. Check it out!
humidity

Gifts from the Garden and the Heart

Not much is happening in the garden. The shovels and rakes, the buckets and hoes are nestled all snug in their sheds. Last week, I ventured out for some final clean-up and to secure my compost bin (tie it to keep the wind from pulling it apart -- I hope). Tulley and Oreo, the horses boarded in the nearby barn, were grazing. Tulley, being very friendly and always hoping for a treat, walked over to me. I don't give her a treat. Her stall door has a sign that requests visitors not do that; she already gets a good diet.

Her winter coat is so soft!! I loved stroking her. She put her nostrils right up to mine, exhaling warm breaths into my face. I've heard that horses like to "share breaths". Maybe that's what she was doing with me.

I will be potting some spring bulbs in the hopes that they will bloom into nice gifts (after the holidays for birthdays, just-because, etc.) A nice chaser of winter blues, especially for my mom and dad.

This time of year can be so beautiful and fun. And it usually is. A friend and I were discussing how to go about gift exchange so that no one in our (informal) singles group feels left out or expected to spend beyond their means. We're still brainstorming. Meanwhile, this video has a great idea for a potpourri gift that's not expensive if you collect things from your garden and the outdoors:



P Allen Smith potpourri



and holiday gifts for gardeners I've got two kneeling pads. They're great. I sit on them when I'm sorting through a harvest, such as when I cut fresh basil stems, then remove the leaves. I like to leave the stems in my compost bin.



Maybe sugar-glazed fruit would be an inexpensive gift for someone who likes to decorate. It would be quick to prepare, and would have to be done about 24 hours before giving.



(maybe more to come -- some of my own ideas, perhaps!)

Once Upon A Midnight Dreary

It wasn't midnight, and I didn't wander, weak and weary, but it was dark and dreary.
Circumstances have not made it easy to get my garden cleaned for the winter. So much rain. Yesterday was warm and I had an early shift. So, after taking the newly instituted job proficiency test after my shift, then stopping to get hay for my guinea pigs, I went to the community garden plots. I changed from nice shoes to boots, pulled my hair up into a French twist secured with a c-curved clamp, slipped on my gardening gloves and walked to my plot.

The horses were still in the pasture. The Pinto watched me as I went to my plot. Bet she was hoping for some attention. Working in a muddy garden near dark isn't too hard when all one needs to do is pull out dead plants. Brittle dried sunflower plant stalks about 5 feet high looked so eery standing out dark against the little remaining light. Dead yellowish-white nasturtium vines webbed over about 2 feet at the end of one row.

Wow. What one sees even in the dark. Being a visually oriented person and very amateur photographer, it's interesting to see how the amount of light changes how things appear.

Broccoli plants are still producing. I pull off a handful for my guinea pigs.

Within 20 or 30 minutes, it was too dark to see. I gathered my plant supports, put the florets in my pocket, and walked to my car, wishing I could stay. It's nice to be out here.

At home in the light, I notice the broccoli florets are not too healthy. They have a lot of brown. Oh well.

I'll have to go back on the weekend. Will the broccoli still live? Will the lavender emote more fragrance from its spindly, beautiful stems topped with full purple seeds? Only time will tell.

Handtools Ready For Winter

This video provides some of my favorite information from P Allen Smith:

Caring For Handtools

Here's something else with a lot of good advice on clean up. It includes good information on cleaning tools before storing:

Fall Garden Clean up

Sleepy Time For Plants

This is autumn in rural Pennsylvania. Dried corn stalks scratching and rattling in the breeze, the sun low in the sky, colors changing.

Most of my potted herbs got a good soaking and rinsing in the shower yesterday. The smell of sage, rosemary and oregano mixed in the humid air afterward. So pleasant!

Since it is that time when many plants hibernate and garden tools are tucked away, there isn't a lot to share. Here's a thought from stand-up comedienne Rita Rudner:

I was a vegetarian until I started leaning towards sunlight.


Photo credit: Jenn Smith