Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Community Garden Update
The garden is growing and flourishing, minus a rash of flee beetles attacking my nightshade plants.
I found out from my mother that I planted in-determanent tomatoes, so I staked them knowing now that these vines will get quite BIG. I also didn't realize that I planted Romanesco Broccoli, which are very interesting looking, so I'm hoping that it produces! The snap peas that I'm growing from seeds I got from my neighbor are almost 8" high now, potato foliage is getting high, but the basil is still quite small. I have strawberry plants that came with my bed and they are getting big and sweet as long as the slugs don't get to them first!
Lastly finches made a nest in a lavender plant next to my bed - the eggs were blue and in a few days hatch with tiny birds - so cute.
-L
I found out from my mother that I planted in-determanent tomatoes, so I staked them knowing now that these vines will get quite BIG. I also didn't realize that I planted Romanesco Broccoli, which are very interesting looking, so I'm hoping that it produces! The snap peas that I'm growing from seeds I got from my neighbor are almost 8" high now, potato foliage is getting high, but the basil is still quite small. I have strawberry plants that came with my bed and they are getting big and sweet as long as the slugs don't get to them first!
Lastly finches made a nest in a lavender plant next to my bed - the eggs were blue and in a few days hatch with tiny birds - so cute.
-L
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| Just after planting |
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| Here come the potatoes |
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| Flee Beetle damage |
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| Coming along |
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| Blue baby bird eggs |
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| Salvaging Strawberries |
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
No- Work Gardening?! I'm in.
Anything that's called "No Work" and I'm skeptical. It's typical for me to pick the most difficult method to accomplish a goal, because I get caught up in the beauty of the details. How wonderful would it be to make homemade vanilla ice cream from vanilla extract that I have made at home? So wonderful, in fact, that I've never made vanilla ice cream....because I've never made vanilla extract. I have sat in the liquor section of the grocery store and stared bottles of vodka in the face many times and not put them in my cart. I can't justify buying a huge bottle of vodka just to make a small bit of vanilla.
So no homemade vanilla ice cream for me.
But No Work Gardening? Sounds too good to be true. But after all these long hours that I've spent in the garden this spring, I'd like to just sit and wait for the harvest. And Ruth Stout did just that.
This little old lady came up with an interesting idea. And it's mulch. And mulch. And more mulch. Move the mulch aside, throw some seeds down, throw some soil on them, water. Done.
xM
So no homemade vanilla ice cream for me.
But No Work Gardening? Sounds too good to be true. But after all these long hours that I've spent in the garden this spring, I'd like to just sit and wait for the harvest. And Ruth Stout did just that.
This little old lady came up with an interesting idea. And it's mulch. And mulch. And more mulch. Move the mulch aside, throw some seeds down, throw some soil on them, water. Done.
xM
A Braid New World
June already. Looks like US.2 really fell off the wagon in May. Well back on the horse!
Since I have not downloaded my photos to my computer lately I'm submitting a post on a trend I have been seeing and participating in for a few months now. Braids are big and I'm into it! I don't do them every day but I love the texture, pattern and interest they create in hair. People are getting really creative and I'm seeing braided hair styles I've never seen before - up do's and down. Some are very complex and I've only attempted 2 very simple style: asymmetric french braid and a small side braid that winds up into a bun. Check these one out I found online .... I think I ned a personal hair stylus to attempt some of these.
-L
Partial French Braid Cascading
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Le Jardin Companion Planting
Like a good little gardener, I started thinking about my veggie garden in January. I spent hours going over seed catalogues and picking things out. Come February, I knew that I had to get reasonable and only order things that I would actually eat. I spent a good long time staring at this cucumber trying to convince myself that I NEEDED a cucumber that was gigantic, scaly and RED inside. In the end, I rationalized that I don't even like cucumber and thus should not grow it. Oh, I am getting so reasonable in my old age, no? Feast your eyes on the Sikkim Cucumber...tempting, isn't it?!
not my image
My goal was to spend around $30 on seeds and ended up spending $70. Oops. I guess there's a lot of veggies that I'd eat. However, after asking around a bit, I found a friend that wanted to split the seeds with me. She took half of nearly everything, which worked out fantastic. After planting most of my garden this spring, I still have enough seeds left over to plant another season of tomatoes, squash, etc. My friend did not, however, want to split the Red Chinese Long Beans with me. Ok, ok. I HAD to sneak at least one novelty item into my practical gardening plan. These puppies are over 2 feet long!
not my image
Anywho, back to the chain of gardening events. The seeds arrived in March and i diligently started seeds in proper succession with seedling heat mats and grow lights that I procured from a big box store for $30 each. I employed Mr. B to build me a stand for the lights with the promise that "It'll be soooo simple, I swear. It'll take you 10 minutes, tops." Of which, of course, it did not.
Next, I studied companion planting on this site and came up with a garden plan. Feast your eyes on this beautiful illustration! It was even decorated a bit by the Little Bird. Very technical, isn't it?!
Now that it has come time to plant, I am realizing why no one plants veggie gardens this big. It's a lot of freakin work. I'm not going to lie...I have been lamenting (when Mr. B is out of earshot, of course. He doesn't NOT need to hear that I think that I *may* have been a tad overzealous with my plans this year) that it *may* be so much easier to just go to the farmers market and buy produce.
Sigh.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Adventures in Portland: Falling for Portland
This last weekend was warm and beautiful - who could stay indoors. Mr M and I decided to take a drive in the convertible down the scenic hwy thru the gorge to a bunch of waterfalls only 30-45 minutes from our apartment.
Soon after we past the airport we started to see the Columbia river on our right, we drove farther and to a turn off from the hwy. There was a parking lot to the right and tons of cars parked and hikers starting up a trail - apparently more waterfalls to see that way, but today Mr M. is wanting to see a specific waterfall ... with a bridge - of course.
We drove a little further east on the side road and had to stop - a beautiful waterfall could be seen from the road; this was Wahkeena Falls. We parked and walked up the embankment to a trail. No need to hike here waterfall viewing right from the road! But you could climb the path to the right for 5min and cross a bridge at the top to get a closer view. This photo was take of me on the bridge at the top. you can't tell but water was flying everywhere.
But this was not the bridge Mr M. wanted to go to, so we walked back down the trail ready to get back in our car and drive onward down the road. Back down at the bottom of the trail we saw a sign pointing to Multnoma Falls - THIS is the attraction we came to see!
We walked along the trail for 10min and came to a bigger parking lot, Chateau with a restaurant inside and a big plaza, which all leads you to a humongous waterfall! Mr M. (as he is a bridge engineer; passionate about bridges; stops, or sometimes drives out of our way on our vacations to see them) was so excited to see a beautiful bridge and an amazing waterfall together. When I saw it I was excited too (which is usually not the case)
The bridge is from the turn of the last century - about 1910 and perfectly frames the waterfall - it was like a fairy tail. The coolest view is from the bottom, but we had to cross the bridge anyway and take a look from there.
We also hiked up another 30 min on a busy trail. There is usually a viewing platform where you can see the falls from the very top, but part of the trail leading to it had been washed out, so it was closed. We did see some smaller pretty falls at the top and it was a nice hike anyway.
I will definitely come back here to see some of the other falls and hike further into the Gorge; so pretty, so close.
-L
Soon after we past the airport we started to see the Columbia river on our right, we drove farther and to a turn off from the hwy. There was a parking lot to the right and tons of cars parked and hikers starting up a trail - apparently more waterfalls to see that way, but today Mr M. is wanting to see a specific waterfall ... with a bridge - of course.
We drove a little further east on the side road and had to stop - a beautiful waterfall could be seen from the road; this was Wahkeena Falls. We parked and walked up the embankment to a trail. No need to hike here waterfall viewing right from the road! But you could climb the path to the right for 5min and cross a bridge at the top to get a closer view. This photo was take of me on the bridge at the top. you can't tell but water was flying everywhere.But this was not the bridge Mr M. wanted to go to, so we walked back down the trail ready to get back in our car and drive onward down the road. Back down at the bottom of the trail we saw a sign pointing to Multnoma Falls - THIS is the attraction we came to see!
We walked along the trail for 10min and came to a bigger parking lot, Chateau with a restaurant inside and a big plaza, which all leads you to a humongous waterfall! Mr M. (as he is a bridge engineer; passionate about bridges; stops, or sometimes drives out of our way on our vacations to see them) was so excited to see a beautiful bridge and an amazing waterfall together. When I saw it I was excited too (which is usually not the case)
The bridge is from the turn of the last century - about 1910 and perfectly frames the waterfall - it was like a fairy tail. The coolest view is from the bottom, but we had to cross the bridge anyway and take a look from there.
We also hiked up another 30 min on a busy trail. There is usually a viewing platform where you can see the falls from the very top, but part of the trail leading to it had been washed out, so it was closed. We did see some smaller pretty falls at the top and it was a nice hike anyway.
I will definitely come back here to see some of the other falls and hike further into the Gorge; so pretty, so close.
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