Flowers, Jesus Table, and Tons of Soap

The plants keep on keepin' on and I might have learned quite a lesson from this year's crop. Patience. This is the first time I have grown the majority of plants from seed and being around in the first stages of growing have been interesting. Most years I have picked up plants at local stores ready to plant. I quickly learned that a transition period is necessary or survival in this radiant area after I burned 3 plants by just setting them out. Hence, the Jesus (Hay-seuss) Table, and it is at its carrying capacity as of today. This area in the breezeway allows for sun rays to hit the plants more than they do in the bathroom, but not as strong as their final resting spots in the yard.

My hopes are to  have at least six more tomatoes out in buckets in the coming days, and little by little all the plants in the bathroom will have made their way either to the front porch (tomato land) or to Jesus area. Some of the tomatoes on the porch are even flowering. Who wants early cherry or tomatillos?

Peacevine Cherry Tom.

Tomatillo in full force

Geranium beginning to bloom

Another thing to happen on the compound in recent days is the cutting and storing of the soap. Not too bad either, it should last a while. Close to 50 bars were made, and since the price at the Farmer's Market is about $7/bar, buying the ingredients and waiting patiently will be well worth it in the coming months.

Stacks of goodness

And one last picture thrown in or fun-sies. Little Miss Frieda Paprika missed the hell out of me the last few days while I was away for work. She hasn't been out of my sight all day, always close on my heels. Good thing the porch is so inviting for the both of us.

Her favorite spot in the sun

La capacidad del sol

The sun is shining and I have been graciously called outdoors by its solar powers. The last few weekends have been nice enough to provide ample time to get to all the outdoor activities I hid from during the cold snap of winter. I am trying to keep ahead of the game because once the plants are ready to be moved outside, full force gardening will take place and I won't have time to do all the piddly preparation stuff. And to be honest, it is one of my favorite past times, piddly anything. I chose a strawberry Topsy Turvy at work's holiday White Elephant gift exchange. I have wondered how these things work, so it was a given I would choose this to take home. I finally assembled it yesterday. How cute! So much more piddly business needs to take place in the next couple to three weeks.

Hung and proud (I went there, yes)

A flower!

The garden provided a bit during the winter, but in reality it was a rest period and the compound shows this in appearance. Picking up and thinking up ideas for best practices of the garden this year is what I am digging at this time. Since I am giving up on gardening up top sans fence I am bringing the soaker hoses from up top to the plants in the fence. Only one plant thrived up top, the tomatillo, so condensing the middle area and bringing down the hoses will be new and different from last year.  A little test, if you will.

Last year I got over the stigma I had with growing flowers. At the time I didn't think I could or should foster the growth of a plant that didn't provide food. Thank goodness for garden evolution and my neighbors having the most kick ass flowers (can we say jealous?). Since I fell in love with the beauty of the colors from last year, I couldn't resist. I have started flowers this year, YEAH! A couple of folks are selling flowers at the Farmer's Market to raise money for a documentary so I picked up a couple of dwarf snap dragons and then a geranium from the hardware store. The new plants, coupled with a set of new pots I have been eying for months, and KA-POW! Slowly but surely the plants are making their way outside and beautifying the porch. I give it about two weeks before the others begin to emerge. I feel one more cold snap is in the future...

Little by little they emerge from the house

During last week's body fluid expulsionary sickness I found Pinterest and the introduction to all the wonderful ideas people put in one convenient location. The fever stricken moments allowed for the searching of gardening genius, and this weekend I started on the ideas. I have wanted to grow potatoes for some time now but the ground here is a tad sketchy and try my best to not grow directly into it if I don't have to.  A potato tower? Yes, please.  I saw the pin before I really had the whole Pinterest idea, so I lost the original instructions and found a random one on the internet. I am not as satisfied with the look on the one I made versus the one in the link above (the original pin), but I don't think looks really matter in this game. I only have two blue potato plants that were a test at the current moment. I will pick up a plethora of kinds of potatoes today at the Co-op to add to the bin. I will then add the soaker hose to it, the lettuce tray, carrot and chive box, and the garlic box.

'Hog wire' fencing

A couple of blue potatoes in straw and a bit of dirt

Another pin showed me a method of onion end re-purposing. Let's see how it does. I added an end of a celery stalk too,  just to see how this might work also. Although the celery and onion ends were sharing a space oh- so- well, I moved the celery to its own container post picture for optimal success.

Celery and onion get an 'A' in sharing.

Little plantling update: About 20 of 24 plant varieties have popped up and are doing well. This just proves with the right conditions this seed sprouting business can occur with the fastest of the fasts. In no time I will be moving them from their nursery to outside like big plants should, sniff, sniff. Aaahhh gardening, I have missed you...Let the good times roll (again).

A bit of planting snuck in...

The piece for Central School Project 's Mystery Ball is nearing completion. Good thing, it is due in a few short days to be in place for the upcoming weekend. I was out of town for work a couple of days, which means I spent most of last couple of days finishing up the few things I lacked. A few more touches, a frame, and this thing is ready to be hauled down and assembled. I hope the damn thing isn't too heavy to carry down the stairs...Yikes!

The moisture is stuck in the air and when you add painting to the mix the results are slow drying. These little rest spots from the project gave the perfect amount of time to plant 24 new kinds of seeds, 6 of each actually. Yep, that's 144 little plants started. Many of these I have not grown before and am really looking forward to the test. Keeping the excitement on its toes. Then again, there are a few others that are repeats. Champs of the garden if you will. When I opened the packets to place the seeds in their respective holes it was like saying hello to an old friend. Like the tomatillo, which was a crazy producing plant last year and offered the best salsa many times over. And let us not forget the German thyme that accompanied many 'a scrumptious morning bagels...I think I am memory drooling.

Getting ready to be planted

I am hoping to be a bit more organized this year than last. I doubt this lasts too long, but for this mass seed starting venture I went the extra mile and charted out the layout of the planter. My hopes are to lessen the confusion in the coming weeks.

Hanging out with the more progressive plantlings

Its all about the organization

Good thing the weather stepped in and gave a few moments of non painting where the new plants that will (hopefully) provide me with yummy to the tummy goodness could be put in soil. So, don't forget folks, the CSP Mystery Ball is this weekend. Come on out, bring your cameras, and interact with this new project that has been in the works for weeks. It is a good fundraiser for this non-profit and the pieces are always so fun.

"It's a Mystery to Me.."

Slow start. Yes, it has been a slow start for this year's gardening season. I guess when you look at it in terms of starting months earlier, the slow start can be a good pace. And good it is. I love Fedco Seeds, and used them again this year since last year's plants were amazing, but they don't necessarily rush the seeds out the door upon ordering. At first I was a little disappointed that I was not going to be starting seeds this weekend. But, come to find out the lapse in time was much needed, and in hind sight, muchas appreciated.

The sweet, little plantlings are trucking away like champs so early in the game. I started these guys using quite a bit of compost mixed with a little soil I had lying around. This past week while checking on the itty- bitty goodness producers I noticed a bit of oddness. And to my surprise some sort of squash-type plants had infiltrated the pottlings.  There must have been seeds in the compost that wasn't quite made into new nutrient rich soils by the worm farm. BONUS!, mystery plants on the loose. I can't wait to see what this enigmatic creation has in store for the future.

Blue potato and tomato plantlings

the piggy-backers now have their own pot in which to grow

The lapse in time from gardening proved to be very inviting this weekend, and the time was filled creatively through long hours. The Central School Project's Mystery Ball is around the corner, and SLee asked if I would collaborate on a piece. She had a great idea, so I was game, and how could I not be? Most days after work and each weekend since has been spent hard at work building a wall, working it to look like concrete, and then stenciling and mosaic-ing the piece to make it look like it is a structure that would be in this crazy little town. SLee's portion of the piece is an interactive scene where the participants can take be apart of the scene in numerous ways. So come check and interact during the Ball and support a local non-profit while having loads of fun.

Warning: The pictures below are of an unfinished piece, progress remains, many, many hours of progress...

Being legal and building a wall to stencil, take that

Messy work

HUAR

Slee's piece is shaping up

Don't fear the reaper fear the robot

Although the extra time this weekend didn't go into the garden, it was productive and downright exhausting. I am sure once the piece is finished and delivered the seeds will magically appear for a perfect timing arrival and the next period of planting can begin. The different stages of the plants might just fall into my master plan...and the gardening season will provide for my table once more.