Patch of Earth

Keeping the dogs out.

2009-05-31T09:43:00.003-04:00

My dogs are the love of my life. They are playful, fun, energetic, and totally adorable. The first three characteristics, though, are currently the bane of my existence. Playful, fun and energetic equal havoc on a garden.

My future husband constructed a fence to help my efforts. At first the dogs seemed disinterested, until they realized they could squeeze through the slats! Now they're romping in there regularly!

Chicken wire is our next attempts. That should keep those suckers at bay!

Pictures to follow.

My Status

2009-05-16T10:24:00.002-04:00

I've been gone for a long, long time.

Here's what I've been up to...

1. Working: Im a public school teacher, and work sometimes gets the best of me.
I'm also in the process of applying for a second job, I can't really share many details at this time, but wish me luck!
And... I'm finishing my master's thesis, so as you can see, Im quite busy!

2. Gardening: I've been a container vegetable gardener for my entire gardening career. This will be my first year with a real, in the ground vegetable garden. My fiance is currently building a fence to keep the doggies out, and I'll be updating this blog frequently come summer!

3. Planning a wedding! I've recently started a wedding blog, which you can find here! Visit me when you can if you fancy that kind of thing!

Leaving on a jet plane

2008-06-19T22:37:00.002-04:00

I will be taking off this time next week for about a month. Ill be spending time in China, Japan, and Thailand and won't be returning until the beginning of August.

I promise to take lots of lovely photographs and share them when I return!

Pinch them

2008-06-08T11:27:00.004-04:00

Got scraggly, leggy plants?? Try pinching them!

A few weeks ago, my mint was looking quite sad... in fact, thinking back, it looked quite sad all of last growing season too!

Well, desperate times call for desperate measures. I pinched. Pinched off the top leaves, and hoped for new growth.

Well, not even a week later, Im *so* happy with the full mint plant sitting on my porch steps. I love it. Love it!

When you remove the "terminal growth" or, the leaves at the top of the plant, it prompts the stems to branch. You can find many great articles online about pinching, this one is great from the New York Times. Google: A Timely Pinch Brings on the Bloom. The article features mostly flowering plants, but I've found pinching to be quite successful with my herbs, namely mint, lemon balm, and basil.

The best part about pinching edible herbs is that you're essentially harvesting in the process. With plants that are easily propagated from cuttings you can pinch a big enough piece and start a whole new plant.

*As a side note, along the same lines of pinching is deadheading. This brings to mind petunias, in particular. When you pinch off spent flowers, it sends the message to the plant that it has not done its job, reproduce. Therefore, the plant will continue to flower. If you let the flower go to seed, without deadheading, then its mission accomplished, and you're without. So go ahead, remove old flowers and enjoy beautiful blooms for much longer.

Pinch away and see fuller, more beautiful, productive plants. (Just don't go overboard. You've got to leave enough green for photosynthesis!)

In the making

2008-06-05T21:34:00.003-04:00

There are lemons in the making.

I've been lusting after a Meyer Lemon tree for quite some time, but never took the plunge. That was, of course, until Spring Hill Nursery had a free plant sale. Anything under $20 was free, all you had to pay was shipping. I was on it. I ordered up a Dwarf Meyer Lemon tree. Meyer lemons are slightly sweeter than a true lemon, has a slightly orange tint, and a fragrant skin. The blossoms have an intoxicating, strong, lovely scent. Citrus do best outdoors in warm climates, but in colder areas should be overwintered inside. I plan to keep the tree contained, and transport it dependent upon the season.

I've got high hopes.

I received my little lemon tree in the mail with a few buds in tact. I repotted it and hoped for the best.

Now I've got lemons in the making. Not only have I got baby lemons, but there are plenty of buds forming. Yum.

Herbs-a-plenty

2008-05-29T19:08:00.006-04:00

Last year I had horrible luck with herbs. I had tried, to no avail, to start a variety of herbs from seed. I potted them straight into the containers in which I expected to grow them and waited. For next to nothing to happen. My chives failed, my cilantro wilted, my parsley never germinated, and my basil was the only meager harvest (at best).

I bought a spearmint plant, and even that didn't take off!

The only thing that was successful was the lemon balm. Quite successful indeed.

Well,
This year I went a different route (with all of my edibles). I started indoors from seed. I used crushed vermiculite in nursery flats as well as peat pellets. I set up a "grow op" in my kitchen. A wire shelving unit with 2 flourescent light fixtures hanging over each shelf. I lowered the lights right down to about 1/2" above the top of the flats.

Though not the most attractive picture, this should give you an idea:

This year I've grown the following herbs with success:

Flat Leaf Italian Parsley

Sweet Basil

Lime Basil

Cilantro

Dill

Fennel

Chamomile

Spearmint

Lemon Balm

Chives

Chameleon

2008-05-26T12:38:00.002-04:00

It must be the case, that under certain circumstances and conditions (exactly which Im not sure) that colored daisies (in this case, purple) revert back to their natural state (white).

I am sure that last year I planted purple daisies in this very spot. This year, this flower, amongst many many more buds, are entirely white.

They must have reverted back to white.

Chameleon

Goodness

2008-05-25T12:14:00.003-04:00

I ignored some good advice last year. From what I understand, the best way to overwinter strawberries is to let them die back, cover them in mulch, stick 'em under the porch, and bring them back out when the weather changes. Well, I did none of that. When fall and winter hit, I just left them in their pots (both the mother plant and the runners that I had cut off and potted up). This spring I was delighted to see that though I had neglected them so during the cold months of winter, they had, indeed returned.

Now I've got strawberry goodness in the works.

Sunshine

2008-05-24T15:42:00.001-04:00

I posted up a picture of my dwarf coreopsis last year as well, so forgive me for being repetitive, but I just *love* these happy little sunshine-y flowers! They really brighten my day, and my garden! They are lovely.

Keiki

2008-05-24T15:15:00.001-04:00

To propagate an orchid, one way is to cut the spike down to the first node (that was not a flower node). With light the new branch will form another flower spike, but without light a stressed orchid will reproduce, making a "baby orchid" or Keiki. Eventually this new orchid will produce roots and can be removed from the mother plant. I am so excited as this is the first time I've tried this, and I was successful. The keiki will be a replica of the mother plant.

Protecting your loved ones

2008-05-21T16:13:00.003-04:00

I've started all of my veggies and herbs from seed this year.

I've got:
peppers of many varieties (italian frying pepper, sweet banana, red bell, purple bell, chocolate bell, etc.)

Little Marvel Peas

Birdhouse Gourd

Zucchini

Cucumber

Chinese Lantern

Strawberry (not started from seed, but last years runner plants)

Artichoke

Carrots

Spinach

Roma Tomato

Sweet & lime basil

Cilantro

Dill

Italian parsley

Fennel

Is that it??

Well, I will *not* have my hard work go to waste on a squirrel. They dig and dig and ruin, kill!, my plants. I've tried a few different methods to deter them.

Chicken wire, stone "mulch", cayenne pepper sprinkled on top of the soil, and plastic bottle "cloches". So far so good. Keep hoping for the best.

Canned Spider

2008-05-20T20:50:00.005-04:00

Last summer I started collecting empty coffee cans for my latest project (inspired by You Grow Girl, by Gayla Trail).

Using a nail and hammer I made holes in the bottom of the can for drainage and the back for hanging. I then spray painted them, potted up spider plants and hung them on the lattice of my porch. I used a medium gage wire to hang them. It adds a nice green quality to an otherwise not-so-planted space. I used spider plants as they don't need much light. They do get indirect, filtered sunlight during the day, but not much.

The spiders in last year's cans made tons of babies. Ive grown them through the winter, and have now planted them in the cans this year. Im happy with the results.

They've got a pretty color.

My heart is a flutter.

2008-05-20T16:13:00.003-04:00

Dogs and my garden. My heart is a flutter. Dogs *in* my garden is a bit of a different story. My heart *almost* stops.

My three loves: Tyson, Gracie, and gardening.

Wagon full of cacti

2008-05-20T16:07:00.005-04:00

I have been on the hunt for a wagon. I was in the market for one for a variety of reasons: 1. I had a ton of houseplants that I wanted to transfer outside for the warmer months, but was not up for making trip after trip. 2. Most of my outdoor plants sit on the ground, or the floor of the porch. I have been searching for plant stands, but not a one of them have been to my liking.

Well,
off to home depot I went in search of a little red wagon. They had none, of course, only wheelbarrows. Not exactly what I had in mind. I came across the great advice, though, to look in a toy store. Sure, they had little red wagons, Radio Flyers, for $80!!! Its a classic, but come on!

Craigslist was the next stop. On it I found a used, painted Radio Flyer for $35. I negotiated the price and came home with a wagon I could live with for a price I could afford.

Frugal gardening.

I loaded up all my cacti and succulents and decided I quite liked the way they looked. Insta-garden.

Botanical Beauties

2008-05-11T11:28:00.003-04:00

My students and I took a trip to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden a few months back, and I just figured I'd share some of the beauty we encountered there... It was a little cold for outside blooms, but everything in the greenhouses were just gorgeous.

Monster

2008-05-11T11:22:00.004-04:00

Im back from a long hiatus. Life takes over sometimes. Particularly, graduate school.

Anyway,
I've picked up a monster.

In home depot there was a huge staghorn fern being sold for a mere $13. It was in pretty rough shape, covered in dust, totally lopsided, with damaged fronds. Well, I just had to buy it. It was a great deal, and I got them to take 10% off. So, all for just over $12 dollars I took this humungo fern home...

I love it. love it.

My fiance thinks I've lost my mind.

Now I've got to figure out what in the world Im going to do with it.

Tillandsia

2008-03-01T22:43:00.002-05:00

I've received my tillandsia plants via the post.

I am just delighted with the seller (www.airplants4u.com). I was a little wary of ordering from a business that had no listing on garden watchdog, but it was worth the risk. His prices were more than reasonable, he sent along 2 surprise "bonus" plants, the shipping was reasonably fast... all around it was a great experience.

Tillandsia (commonly referred to as air plants) are a type of bromeliad, and are epiphytic, meaning they grow on trees in their natural habitats. They do not require soil, and absorb water through their leaves, as opposed to roots.

They are lovely little plants that bloom once in their life, but do produce babies.

I will mount them on a piece of driftwood (but they can be mounted on shells, rocks, branches, etc.) using a non-water-soluble glue like silicone caulk. They should be soaked 2-3 times per week using the hose, kitchen sink, or shower head. Some spritz their air plants daily, but from what I understand, its generally not a sufficient watering technique, though Im sure some are successful with it.

I now have in my collection:

1 Montana

1 Ionatha Rubra

1 clump of Tenuifolia Bronze Tip

1 Crocata v. Tristis

1 Cyanea

1 Aeranthos Mini Purple

1 Juncea

Garden Wedding

2008-02-27T21:58:00.002-05:00

Its official.

Im planning a garden wedding.

Jim and I were engaged this winter, and we've decided on a date, and a spot. Summer 2010, my parent's backyard.

I am thrilled.

We've started the planning process, though the wedding is far in the future, we've got stars in our eyes and ideas in our minds.

We're thinking home-grown potted flowers and herbs, gardens bursting with color, a ceremony on the front porch steps, a beautiful, lovely, flowy dress. The day will be gorgeous, and of course, Ill keep Patch of Earth updated with wedding related fun!

Projects

2008-02-25T20:42:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow I will be starting one of many planting projects with my after school program.

My students are in grades 3-5. Their interest levels (and knowledge base) are far beyond just "This is a seed, first come the roots..."

I am so excited for these projects...

We will be working on the following:

Reading about desert habitats and planting cactus seed. Though these are slow growers, I think they will be happy with the results. Cactus seedlings are a lovely bright green color, and are plump, like little jewels, or yummmm, candies! In a few weeks, they start to grow spikes, which is exciting in and of itself. I admit, though, that these children will also learn patience, as it will be months and months (and months and months and months...) before they reach any size to speak of. I started cactus seeds about 8 months ago, and they are now about an inch or so high...

Discussing that not all plants grow in a traditional way.
We will be:
Rooting Bridal Veil cuttings in water, and later using them in individual, mini biosphere projects.
Growing a paper white bulb in a pot of stones.
Looking at air plants (tillandsia) and discussing epiphytic plants

Reading books about and observing carnivorous plants. We will be looking at Venus Fly Traps and Cape Sundews specifically.

Making a "plant maze" in which we will set up barriers, something like a maze, inside of a shoe box. We will cut a hole at the end of the box to let light it. We will put a potted bean seed inside the box, and the plant will grow towards the light. This will show children that plants need light, so much so that they will go through a "maze" in order to get to it.

Read a book about tortillas, make and eat guacamole, and then *try* to root an avocado seed in water. This should be interesting, to say the least. The kids said "Is it going to grow tomorrow??" NO, no, not tomorrow. The last time I tried this at home it *never* rooted. Fingers crossed.

Make a mini biosphere. This is a terrarium of sorts, in which we will put stones at the bottom of a soda bottle (with the top cut off). We will put soil on top, and then the rooted Bridal Veil cutting. We will then seal the top with saran wrap and a rubber band, and discuss the water cycle.

At the end of the unit we will take a trip to the Botanic Gardens, wherein the children will have a chance to connect what they've learned in school to real life experiences outside of the classroom. And the trips are a great opportunity for children who are new to the country to have their first fun visits in NYC, and its great for producing lots of language!

New Addition

2008-02-24T21:29:00.004-05:00

Not garden related.

If you'll remember the "love of my life", my perfectly wonderful, incredibly handsome American Pit Bull Terrier, Tyson.

Well,
He is such a wonderful ambassador for his breed that he's convinced us to adopt yet another APBT.

Meet Gracie:

She is full of mischief.

Princess (now Gracie) was a dog that was taken into rescue off of the streets. According to her bio on petfinder (seen here: http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=970
0619) she was found on the streets of New York just having given birth to puppies, but there were no puppies to be found. Nobody knows what happened to them. She was taken into rescue, and was very shy. She ended up being fostered at my fiance's job. He fell for her and had to have her. We were thinking about getting another dog, and she was it!

We always knew that Tyson would adore having another dogs around, hes incredibly playful and loves both dogs and people. It will be a great thing for him (and for us -- as hes a very persistent player!!) and for Gracie. She now has a loving, secure home that is knowledgeable about her breed!

She is so lovely, very graceful (hence the name Gracie) -- nothing like Tyson, the big goofy brute! The two of them get along fabulously. She is incredibly affectionate and just melts in your arms. I think she will do very well here.

Shes learning a lot now, she wasn't housebroken, didn't listen very well, would take things off of counters and tables, really, she just has never had any rules or structure in her life, but just in the few short weeks we've had her shes made a ton of improvement...

She's settling in.

Sundew

2008-02-23T14:21:00.002-05:00

I am totally smitten with this little sundew.

It is so pretty, with its slender leaves and its dewey scarlet lashes. I love that it has some new growth coming, and I can only hope that I am successful.

Love Affair

2008-02-22T09:31:00.002-05:00

As the winter months have kept my gardening endeavors indoors.

Succulents have caught my attention, in a major way.

I love them.

Easy to care for, plump and pretty. Succulents are drought resistant, they don't require much attention, really, but like light.

Im also having great success with the cactus seedlings I started 8 months ago.

Hiatus

2008-02-20T19:23:00.002-05:00

I've taken a long pause.

School and work begin, and the gardening stops. Not to mention that winter has arrived, and in fact, is almost over.

I have, though, been keeping up on houseplants, and have just ordered a plethora (or quite a few, anyway).

I am patiently awaiting the arrival of 2 carnivores (a Venus Fly Trap, and a Cape Sundew), as well as a variety of Tillandsia (air plants). I plan to mount the plants on a piece of driftwood that is currently serving no purpose. Im so excited!

These will each be my first carnivorous plants, as well as my first epiphytic plants.

Ill post up pictures when they come, and Ill be sure to post updates.

3rd Time's a Charm

2007-10-09T06:58:00.000-04:00

Try, try, try again.

I've potted up 3 mango seeds hoping for a sprout and a gorgeous little tree, and it wasn't until the third that I finally got what I had hoped for.

3rd time must be a charm.

Im giddy with joy over my little mango sprout (and as I write this I am waiting for my ride to work, so photos will have to follow....)

Its oh-so-cute... and trust me on that one til later.

By the moon

2007-09-30T13:17:00.000-04:00

Forgive me for my absence.

I've got these beautiful moonflowers gracing my fence in the evening. They are simply gorgeous. They are mixed up with morning glories... Beauty by the sun and the moon.

Back to school, Back to work

2007-09-06T15:46:00.000-04:00

Fall brings many things: harvest, crisp, cool air, gorgeous foliage, and work work work. Its back to school, and back to school.

I've been missing, and its because my world just became quite busy. A teacher and a graduate student in New York City. Bear with me.

Fall also brings winter, for which I am preparing. I've got a greenhouse in the plans, in order to successfully save many plants without invading my inside space. (See "cut off" -- does this mean I can buy more houseplants??) My boyfriend (the handyman that he is) promises to build me a structure suitable for use. I've got my fingers crossed. I couldn't be more excited about my upcoming structure.

Updates to come.

Round 2

2007-08-26T11:26:00.000-04:00

I recently harvested the peppers that had grown so nicely for me over the summer (jalapenos, cayennes, italian frying, bell, and banana pappers) and I am delighted to see that after the harvest, the plants are all blooming and fruiting again. Yay! I assume that harvesting is sort of the equivalent of 'dead heading'... maybe. With deadheading, the idea is to remove the bloom to signal to the plant that it has not fulfilled its goal of producing seed, prompting the plant to bloom again (and again). Though the flowers of a pepper plant have already set seed in the production of a fruit, somehow harvesting the fruit prompts the plant to bloom again. For whatever the reason, I am glad.

Cut Off

2007-08-23T13:11:00.000-04:00

Cut off. That's what I've been.

I went looking yesterday for a pot for my newly acquired ZZ plant. A friend's coworker had been throwing away 3 healthy plants, so home they went with him instead. They ever-so-nicely shared one of them with me.

The trip was successful, but I ended up with 2 more plants (and 2 more pots). I took home a Croton, and another succulent plant.

My boyfriend vehemently stated that I don't need any more plants, that I've not got enough room as it is, and I still don't know what I am going to do with the container plants I will try to overwinter inside....

Ahh, addiction.

I couldn't resist the Croton. It reminds me of autumn, a favorite of mine.

Beautiful. Colorful. Overful.

Summer Camp

2007-08-13T14:20:00.000-04:00

My adventures in exchanges don't stop at seeds. I've also participated in a "summer camp" exchange with friends from a gardening forum. The idea is that you send out a small stuffie, and get one in return. Your house/neighborhood is a sleep away camp for your partner's little friend.

Chichlet came to visit me. We had trips to the park, walks around the neighborhood, and playtime with Tyson.

Hes going back to his owner in the very near future.

Safe trip Chichie.

Twister

2007-08-10T14:48:00.000-04:00

I was out of town this past week, and while I was gone, to the surprise of about 7 million people, a Tornado touched down in NYC, in my Brooklyn neighborhood, to be exact! Cars had been flipped over, pieces of sidewalks turned up, trees uprooted, just blocks from my house.

I was oh-so-worried about what I would find upon my return home. Visions of broken pots, bare roots, and smashed melons swirled in my head. I expected the worst.

Well,
I was delightfully surprised to find that *nothing* had been disturbed! Not even a fallen pot from the porch banister! I could not believe it.

Thank goodness for narrow routes.

Seed Buffet

2007-08-03T20:30:00.000-04:00

After a satisfying meal at the Chinese buffet, I took home one lychee nut.

I wasn't sure if it would grow, as they were lychee in syrup.

I potted it up, and sure enough, a seedling sprouted up.

I started it inside with the grow-op, but moved it outside a few days ago to soak up the sunshine.

Oh-so-cute.

Sugar News

2007-08-02T18:03:00.000-04:00

Well,
I had been told that I could not grow sugar babies in the container in which I have them, that it wouldn't carry even one melon to term. Well, I went against that advice, and so far so good.

Only two of my plants have done well out of four, but thats good enough for me. I had the two containers very close to each other, and hadn't noticed until today that the other two plants were failing, as the vines were sort of twisted together. I untwisted them and separated the containers.

Hopefully, Ill have watermelon juice running down my chin in no time.

Sweet.

Caladium

2007-07-31T15:38:00.000-04:00

I potted up some Caladium tubers in April. And I waited. And waited. And waited.
I had just about gven up when in June when I decided to dig them up and see what was happening. Some were rotten, some not. I had a glimmer of hope.

Caladiums require warm soil for any growth to take place, so I moved them outside and hoped for the best.

I had a few sprouts, then the squirrels dug around in the planter and shattered my hopes once again.

Well, I stuck it out, and today I have one gorgeous leaf, and many more that are on their way. The pink spotting (which I had not expected, they were supposed to be white caladium) goes beautifully with my newly painted porch. I've moved them there after having learned that they enjoy partial shade, and I couldn't be happier with the color combination.

Growing.

Seed Exchange

2007-07-28T14:05:00.000-04:00

I've just participated in a seed exchange, and I got my goods in the mail the other day.
What a delightful experience!

I've received the following seeds:

Marigold Mix

Black Hollyhock

Moon Flowers

Silver Dollar Flowers

Indian Blanket Flower (pictured)

Purple Bean Vine

All of the seeds I received were clearly harvested by the sender, which makes it even more interesting and exciting.

I've potted up some marigold seeds, as Im planning to wait until next year to plant the rest, as I've got my hands full already for this year.

I highly recommend seed exchanges. They are a fun, economical way to get your hands on new and potentially unique seed varieties.

Gardening Fun.

Cosecha

2007-07-28T13:53:00.000-04:00

Harvest. En espanol.

I harvested my first Cayenne peppers today. They looked so beautiful, deep red on the plant.

I've been waiting and waiting for them to ripen, and I am now satisfied.

I have hot sauce plans.

Rub-a-dub-dub

2007-07-28T00:51:00.000-04:00

Image taken from www.lovepeaceandhappiness.com

Who knew.

Luffa, or Loofah, comes from a plant?? This is something I've just learned. And Im happy to say that I have two lovely plants growing up the lattice on my porch. Im so thrilled at the prospect of growing loofah for christmas gifts. yay.

Loofa grows as a gourd, and the dried fruits serve as a sponge like cleansing tool.

Visit http://www.luffa.info/ for more information on growing and drying Luffa.
Squeaky clean recipients.

Score

2007-07-25T15:37:00.000-04:00

I have a love hate relationship with big business: Home Depot, Lowe's.

I have to say, though, that Lowe's has just made my day.

I was on the hunt for a succulent or two: Donkey Tail, Echeveria, Hens and Chicks....

For the price, this succulent garden is unbeatable.

$10.

For 3 succulents, (Finger Jade, Donkey Tail, and an Aloe [I think]), the rectangular ceramic planter, and the decorative rocks.

I think its great.

Tea Time

2007-07-25T14:18:00.001-04:00

I had ordered these beautiful Moroccan Tea Glasses from http://www.mightyleaf.com (which, by the way, has delectable loose teas and exceptional customer service!). I thought they were the most adorable thing, but I had never actually used them for tea.

When my spider plants started producing babies, and I decided to try my hand at rooting pothos cuttings in water, I decided it was time to put my gorgeous glasses to work. They are (in my opinion) the perfect size for my spider babies, and look just great on my windowsill surrounded by nice, botanical greenness.

To root spider babies in water, simply cut the baby off of the runner, and place them in a small glass of water with just the bottom of the baby sitting in the water. After a week or so you should start to see roots growing. Keep an eye on the water level and make sure the bottom of the plant is always touching the water. Wait until you have substantial roots growing before you transfer it to soil. Water roots are a little less tough than roots that have grown in soil, so make sure there are lots of em!

To root pothos in water, cut off a stem with a few leaves, and put the stem in water, ensuring that at least one (leafless) node is covered in water. Keep an eye on the level and leave the pothos there for a few weeks. You will start to see roots. Again, wait until you see a substantial amount of roots before transferring it to soil.

Another way to root the above plants is to simply stick a baby/cutting in soil. It should root in the soil as well, but I happen to like the look of the plants in the tea glasses!

Cure for the Common Cold?

2007-07-17T13:16:00.000-04:00

Useful and Beautiful.

The drapey petals of echinaea are unmistakeable. Not only is this flower very pretty, it is hused in many herbal remedies, including treatement for snake bite, anthrax, common cold, infection, skin cancer...

Herbal Relief.

Love of my life

2007-07-15T20:55:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine keeps urging me to include "dogs" in my blog (he clearly holds something against gardening). I told him that this "Patch of Earth" doesn't exactly lend itself to dogs....

Well, Roy, here you go:

Dog in a garden.

Tyson is a (close to) 2 year old American Pit Bull Terrier. He is the love of my life.

Wonderful dog. Playful. Tenacious. Loyal. Loving. Affectionate. Everything you would want in a dog. And handsome.

Photos

2007-07-07T11:57:00.000-04:00

I left my camera at home.

Photos for your viewing pleasure (to make up for the lack thereof in the last two posts...)

For more of where that came from visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alieliza

I'm counting on a plant sitter

2007-07-07T11:51:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm out of town for a week and a half, the first time since I've started my adventures in gardening.... Im worried sick about my plants, but hopefully they are in good hands!

I've outlined very detailed instructions in terms of watering and caring for my various indoor and outdoor plants and seedlings.

I sit here, waiting patiently for an update. It is going to be hot hot hot tomorrow and Monday, and I hope hope hope that the plants are hydrated and nourished!

This is a big deal considering all my hard work is left in the hands of a sitter.

My friend, though, wishes she were a gardener, and longs for a space, so I have confidence that she will imagine herself a seasoned gardener and lavish loving care upon my botanical friends.

I would hate to come back to withered-ness.

Visit this link:
http://www.yougrowgirl.com/garden/plantsitters.php
for tips on choosing a plant-sitter.

The kind soul at the antique shop

2007-07-07T00:20:00.000-04:00

Main St. Catskill has been revitalized, a renaissance of sorts.

Driving along, the antique shop caught my eye in that there was quite the cute cactus outside in a *very* cute little dish. I had to inquire.

Of course, to my dismay, it was not for sale, though, the kind soul said "would you like a piece?" Sure thing.

Now I've got myself a cute little cactus cutting sitting in a potting soil/sand mix, with hopes for roots. That man made me feel good. About gardeners. And antiquers.

Plants grow!

2007-07-03T12:30:00.000-04:00

I started this gardening adventure just this spring. I'm diggin' it.

I know, plants grow, but I was amazed the other day when I compared pictures from a few months ago to my garden today. To me, it is phenomenal. I am just tickled with the progress and I thought I would share:

The first is a photo from a few months ago (mind you, this was a complete overhaul).

The second is from today, and its still got months ahead of it for me to relish in all its botanical beauty!

Lemonness

2007-06-29T15:08:00.000-04:00

I've fallen in love with lemon-y herbs that emit a certain lemonness that makes me smile.

Lemon Verbena (pictured) is my favorite. Its got such a fresh fragrance that I just cannot wait to make use of.

Lemon balm is also very nice, but has a more pledge-like scent, though it makes an awesomely light lemony tea.

I've picked up a lemon-scented geranium as well, but I have yet to be impressed.

Recipe:
Mixed Berries with Lemon Verbena Cream
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/232569

ingredients
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons chopped fresh lemon verbena leaves, divided
2 tablespoons plus 1 cup chilled whipping cream
4 cups assorted fresh berries (such as raspberries, blueberries, and boysenberries)
Additional sugar

preparation
Mix 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon lemon verbena in small saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cover and cool completely. Strain syrup into bowl.
Mix 2 tablespoons cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons lemon verbena in small saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cover and let cool 30 minutes. Strain into small bowl; chill.
Stir in remaining 1 cup chilled cream.
Whip verbena cream in medium bowl until peaks form. Divide whipped verbena cream among 4 small bowls. Toss berries and verbena syrup in large bowl. Divide berries among 4 plates. Sprinkle with sugar and serve with whipped verbena cream. (Verbena syrup and verbena cream can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Bon Appétit, August 2005

Sweet Sweet Summer

2007-06-28T11:52:00.000-04:00

At least I hope,

Rumor has it that strawberries can be quite bitter in their first year, but I've got high hopes. Otherwise, I'll anticipate sweetness on my tongue this time next year!

My first ripening berry and I'm quite excited. If it doesn't taste delicious, at least it gives me something adorable to look at!

More berries to come.

Yum.

Sunshine day!

2007-06-25T16:40:00.000-04:00

This little flower brings sunshine to my day, and to my garden!

My mother talked me into the dwarf coreopsis, and I couldn't be happier!

So simple, yet incredibly cheerful.

Im so happy with my flower garden... if only the aphids and slugs would scram!

Flower girl.

Soon to be Mango Tree

2007-06-24T15:12:00.000-04:00

I am potting up this mango seed today. I plan to keep the tree as an indoor plant, as it is tropical, and well, I live in Brooklyn.

I cut all the fruit away from the middle of the fruit, and sort of scratched away the rest of the fruit from the seed case. I let it sit overnight to dry, and I took the seed from the case today. Soon soon soon it will be potted up... and "soon" I will have a mango tree on my hands!

Tropical delight.

Sugar Sugar, aaahhh Honey Honey

2007-06-23T17:36:00.000-04:00

I just can't believe the lovliness.

Sugar Babies are coming!

My first female flower on my Sugar Baby Plants. I find it to be incredibly adorable... the little baby sugar baby at the end of the flower.

I cannot wait for the deliciousness.

Yum.

Summer.

Sunny Garden

2007-06-21T18:44:00.000-04:00

In my beginner gardening furor, I purchased a Sunny Garden set from a (to be unnamed) nursery over the internet. It was, I come to find out, incredibly overpriced and very very young... 3 inch plants to be exact. Nothing like the pictures that spiked my enthusiasm (I learned that lesson very quickly!).

To my delight, however, the sunny garden is coming along nicely, except of course for the aster! It must be a slow growing plant.... miniscule at the moment compared to the others.

In this garden are the following:

Russian Sage.
Buddleja.
Echinacea.
Hollyhock.
Aster.
White Liatris. (pictured)
Sedum.
Coreopsis.

Im hoping for some blooms quite soon on a few of the plants. Yay.

Peppery Goodness

2007-06-20T16:36:00.001-04:00

I've got four varieties of peppers going. Jalapeno. Cayenne. Sweet Banana. Italian Frying Peppers.

I've had great success so far with the Jalapeno and Cayenne (hot sauce for everyone!) but recently my Sweet Banana and Italian Peppers have begun to look a little sad. Such is life... for the novice anyway!

I've got my (dirty) fingers crossed for a bountiful harvest.

Hello Hello

2007-06-16T13:47:00.000-04:00

I've just only started to get dirt under my fingernails this Spring here in Brooklyn, but I'm diving right in and loving it up.
I've got the whole summer to tend to my many endeavors --

*flower garden* dahlias, snap dragons, cosmos, asiatic lillies, dwarf coreopsis, petunias, white liatris, aster, echinacea, hollyhock, gerbera daisy, and the list goes on...

*containers* sugar baby watermelon, zucchini, purple plum radish, strawberries, luffa, peppers of many kinds, ...

*inside* phalaenopsis orchids, pothos, aloe, assorted cacti and succulents, spider plants...

Check back for frequent updates, musings, trials and tribulations, photos, wonderings...