every little thing

Don't bee haten'

I made a slide show of sappy, spring photos because I have a new macro lens.  (No, I don't really know how to use I, but I'm still gonna gloat.)

Two kinds of sunshine

The sun came out at last yesterday, in the late afternoon.  I was so happy I snapped a few picture of the daffodils in the front yard.  It is strange renting a house and watching the plants and flowers come up for the first time.  So surprising and fun, and the owners sure have planted some lovely things.  I'm not really a daffodil-person, but the varieties they picked are just gorgeous.  I'll have to take pictures of them all.  This house is nestled on a hill deep in the trees, so there isn't a lot of sunlight, especially in the summer when the trees leaf out.  I had resigned myself to the fact that a small garden just wasn't going to happen, and no matter how much I'd enjoy it, I didn't really have time for the up-keep anyway.  But now...the Spring fever is really making me itch to plant a few things, so I've been scoping out a few locations for some herbs, maybe just ONE tomato plant.  I'm sure I can squeeze them in somewhere.  Max spotted strawberry plants peeking up through the daffodil leaves, and I figure if there's enough sun for strawberries, well...I can work with that. 

I bought this cereal becasue it was on sale, and it is so good!  Totally a fake, healthier(?) version of Cap'n Crunch, my all time favorite cereal that I never buy anymore because, let's face it, it's about as bad for you as processed food gets.  The Kashi version is actually really tasty, too.  Not as crazy-sweet, very satisfying, and still roughs-up the roof of your mouth in that nostalgic way we all love.  I try not to buy a lot of cereal these days anyway, but I'd definitely splurge for this stuff.  Yum.  I'm not crazy about the name, though.  They should have been cheeky and called it "Corporal Crisps" or "Sargent Snacks" or something.  I guess that's not really Kashi's style. 

Long Branch

 

I don't like to show-boat the word "organic" around too much (and I think it's a little irksome when it is overly used in casual conversation.)   I feel most of us are trying our best these days to make informed and healthy choices whenever possible, why do we feel the need to over-label everything?  All that being said, the word Organic doesn't even begin to do justice to this amazing farm we visited last weekend.  To say anything less would be a disservice to this stunning piece of Earth and the people who lovingly tend it.

 

Long Branch Farm is an undeniably divine place.  The apples, blueberries and raspberries were shinning and abundant.  The grounds where secluded and open, with rustic hiking trails, and the soft roar of a waterfall just through the trees. 

     

I feel shy taking pictures of strangers up close, but I wish I could have properly captured the wonder and enthusiasm in this volunteers huge, blue eyes.  He must have said the word "amazing" twenty times, and with a tinge of frustration in his voice, because it really is hard to get words around this place.   But he was a wealth of information, and he was just so darn earnest.  I mean earnest.  Really, I felt ashamed just looking at him.  If I could only have a fraction of the dedication and heart oozing outta that kid.  Ugh, you just wanted to follow him around and hope that some of his goodness would rub off on you. 

 

The living-off-the-land dream is one I like to indulge often, but I'd have to say that it's pretty snugly filed in the NOT IN THIS LIFETIME folder, right there next to the stand-up-comedian dream or the international-model dream.  I'm coming to realize that not all dreams need to be experienced first hand, though.  And living vicariously through others isn't so bad, not really.  Sometimes all you need is a little taste.  A sunny day, a bushel of apples, and a few hours spent happily canning preserves with a bluegrass station on the radio. 

 

I'm grateful for every little bite I can get, and that's probably the important part; remembering to really stop, and just savor it all.

Misadventure

There were no apples left, so we picked muscadine grapes instead.

   

After all, we had gotten all dressed up.

And it was a beautiful day.

And muscadines are so very delicious.

Who needs apples, anyway?

distracted

This post comes with a soundtrack!  Just hit the red button, put your feet up and realx......

Survivor Types

It was windy, but gorgeous out side yesterday.  And despite all of my looming deadlines and scroungy house, Max and I spent all afternoon in the garden (backyard.)  I did a bit of weeding and prepping for the coming spring, we cleaned out the fish pond a bit, and it looks like at least two of the four fish are still hanging out in there (the other two could've been hiding.)  I spent most of the time tip toeing around, looking for things that are peeking up from last year.  Having started my garden from scratch, this year is very exciting, and I'm anxious to see what perennials are returning, and if they will be bigger and even more beautiful.

Clockwise from top left:

My oregano!  (I know it looks like a weed...but it really IS oregano....at least it smells like it.)  I think this may be Mike's favorite herb, but he didn't use it much because it was hard to find.  It got completely smothered by the giant lemon grass plume. 

Chives!  Another good one that I always seem to forget when we have baked potatoes.  I will not forget you this year!!!

It's nice to have friends who are florists.  My mom's friend gave us these Easter lilies last year (they throw out the ones that are past their bloom.)  I'm so glad to see them popping up now! 

The first of the Johnny Jump Ups!  I planted loads of these last year, even though I heard that they are rampant re-seeders.  People would complain, "Don't plant these!  They will pop up everywhere!  And I was like, "Yeah....that sounds good to me!"  And sure enough, they are popping up everywhere...even in the cracks of the brick....and I just LOVE that!

    I was addicted to gardening books last year, and I think I checked out every one they had in the library (at least once!)  I mostly read the instructional books, but then I moved on to the autobiographical-sentimental types, and I was hooked!  This one was my hands-down favorite.  I highly recommend it, though it may make you cry (I know I did!)  (The Author is Dean Riddle, sorry for the blury pic.)

meet me at four o'clock

I may talk, think and dream about my garden in grand ways, but in reality....my little garden is, well, very little.   Things have a way of looking so much bigger in photographs than they are in real life.  These pictures are from last May...just as things were really starting to take off.   By August, the little arbor on the right was completely engulfed with vines!  Which was my intention, except I planted so many kinds of vines, assuming none of them would grow.  And they ALL grew, let me tell you.  It was such a jungle in there, we were scared to even sit under it!  (It didn't help that I found a two-foot snake skin curled up inside the vines!  This is a city garden, the only wildlife I expected were the neighborhood stray cats!) 

 

The middle part with six raised beds (4x6ft) are for the veg.  I was so incredibly surprised by how much produce we harvested from such a humble space.   The clear winners from last year were the bell peppers (Mike eats them whole right off the vine) and the spring spinach....soooo good.  The loser?  Squash.  I didn't get ONE squash.  I did, however get a bout 58 million squash vine borers that are really quite disgusting insects. * sigh*   The strip across from the ity-bitty pond is where I keep herbs.  (I heart herbs so much.)  My lemon grass plant was five feet tall by the end of the season!  And I started some lavender from seed (which I wouldn't recommend) but it survived the winter.   A long strip by the fence is just for cutting flowers.  That's Max on the right, swimming in zinnias. 

These little white pumpkins were called "baby boo".....awww, cute eh?  And they looked so nice on the fence.  Tomatoes a their peak are always just heaven (with just a touch of salt.) 

This is a moon flower vine (one of many on the arbor.)  The blooms are dinner-plate huge, and they open at night...at about 4 o'clock....so do the miribilis.  I loved the idea of a nocturnal garden.  And they smell heavenly....and attract giant moths (Ok...giant moths aren't romantic.....but they are cool.)  I could gush on and on about how much I adore gardening, but I'm sure you're bored already!  I'm actually shocked at the lack of photos I took last year....I'm sure I will bore you all with MILLIONS of garden-love pictures this year!  SO, I apologize in advance. 

So to make a long story short (ahem), I did a bit of seed saving last year, and I want to pass along some seeds to anyone out there who may be interested!  You don't have to garden yourself, you could give them to friends or family that would like them.  SO:  the first three people to email me *  abelstudio@gmail.com  *  will receive a cute handmade-by-me card filled with little seed samples from my garden to yours!  (Please include your address so I can mail em to ya!  And only US-people for this one....I think it may be un-cool to mail some seeds internationally, and I don't want to get in trouble! ( GAME OVER!  Winners to be notified shortly!  Thanks everyone!  Next give-away will be sometime in March.)  Seeds may or may not include: dill, miribilis, hibiscus, cleome, asclepias tuberosa, and cardinal climber...and whatever else I may find! 

I hope there are some people out there who will give these seeds a good home! 

(I read that parsley would attract these little guys.  I can't even tell you how delighted I was when they finally showed up.)

Oh dear....

Look what was in the mail!!  Ack!  The first seed catalog of the season!   No!  I"m just not ready.  I haven't even really done any winter clean-up in the garden from LAST season and ALREADY I'm forced to start subconsciously planning my spring veg and flower beds?  I'm just not mentally prepared for how fast the time is going by these days.  It seems like weeks ago that as was doing this:

Tending to my little seedlings I had growing in a make-shift cold frame outdoors AND under grow lights in my attic. 

I went a bit overboard , maybe.  But it was just so fun.  And having fresh (organic) herbs and veg on hand was just fantastic.  The flowers weren't too shabby either.  Our little arbor was completely taken over with hyacinth bean, cardinal climber and moon flowers.  It was a really jungle by August, let me tell you.

My plan is to hide these catalogs as I receive them, tuck them away till after all the Holiday bustle. Then, on a cold, gray January morning, I can take them out (with a cup of hot tea and some cinnamon toast) and dream of spring. 

***Also, fellow gardeners, please take a look at Dave's Garden, if you've never visited there before. They are a wealth of information.

Tea in the garden

It was actually nice and warm today.  Sunny, no need for a coat.  But, despite the fair weather, I began to get frost-panicky, and thought I should pick some herbs to dry.  I try to wait till the last minute, remembering how lovely and warm November was last year, but I really wanted to have a lot of dried herbs this year, so I did a fair amount of pruning today.  There's nothing worse than a sneaky frost creeping in over night, then waking up to black sludge where your charming herb patch used to be.  Today I gathered parsley, basil, pineapple sage, rosemary, hot peppers and lemon grass.  I'm not sure if you can actually dry lemon grass, or what in the world I'd do with it anyway, but it's worth a try.  The general state of the little garden is pretty sad.  Some brave tomatoes are hanging on for dear life, the bell peppers are finally wilting and the eggplant and squash were dead long ago (don't get me started on the squash.)  The small patch of greens and bok choy looks happy, makes me wish I'd planted more.

A few zinnias are hanging on, barely.   I've been too busy lazy to weed the "cutting garden" area, and it is totally overgrown with weeds.  Thanks to the droppings of a nearby bird feeder, wild sunflowers and millet are all over.  I think I may put up a sign to deem it a Wildlife Preserve.  I'm not the only one who abandons their gardens in the fall.  I see the sad, overgrown messes all over town.  Spent and neglected, their beauty enjoyed in the summer, then left to decay.  But then, that's the life of an annual.  Sprout, grow, bloom/fruit then die.  Yet, the seeds, the babies, their life's work, are left behind.  Just waiting

Enough of that, I have a ghost costume to make.