Gardening

[cineater]

I don't have much Reggae but I love it.  I could be island folk, lol.

It might just be what you're eating that has the body all out of whack.  You probably ate differently over the holidays.  More processed foods and sugars.

I bought home hundreds of seeds to get going.  Onions, coneflowers, verbena, alum root and alyssum.  I don't even know what alum root is.  I know the onions like it drier.  The rest I'll have to research what they like to germinate.  Everybody is in promix and under the lights.  The hostas got kicked to the table but the coleus got to stay.  Nobody has lantana coming up yet.  I trust the heat mat now so it's staying on all the time.

But the really good news for the day, I recruited a daylily and an amendment leads!  The garden is fully staffed.  

Edited January 4, 2020 by cineater

[soon]

I think you could be right about the holiday diet. Right around the same area that my back hurts, some sorta 'organ' was uneasy for a while during the holidays. Just had some spaghetti, loaded with veggies in the sauce. My body is so off that it warmed me from head to toe.

Thats exciting about the new stuff to grow! Alum is the family of onion, garlic and shallots, right? Usually grown from bulbs/roots? 

What is Alyssum?

Thats great news that the garden is fully staffed!

I just started reading A Long Strange Trip, about the Dead. Its really fun so far. It seems like such a different time. A different world almost!

[cineater]

Here's Alum Root:  Compact mounds of mostly evergreen foliage, plus a long flowering period, make this a super formal plant for shade.  It's a native plant.

Alyssum is what I call Barbie bouquets, lol.  Little white or purple bouquets of flowers, a ground cover. 

I have not read a Long Strange Trip.  That should be an interesting book.  It was fun in the beginning.

When you said shakiness, the first thing I thought was a diet issue, blood sugar level.  Don't hate on me but I made cheesy potatoes for dinner tonight.

Good thing I looked up germinating instructions on all those.  The Verbena needs to be in total darkness until they sprout in 20 to 25 days.  Black bag, no lights for that.

Edited January 5, 2020 by cineater

[soon]

Alum Root and Alyssum both sounds beautiful. Barbie Bouquets!

Theres already some sad parts in the book. A deadly car accident. Jerry having some hang ups about how to relate to women. And I had no idea that Robert Hunter was born Robert Burn (like the scottish poet).

You are so lucky, eating cheesy potatoes for dinner! I want to make more too!! I think my shakiness is more from weakness, which is familiar to me. But still likely brought on by diet. Im planning to have lentil curry today and the spices - how my body handles the spices - should be a good barometer for where Im at. But first, cold spaghetti breakfast!

Hope the verbena goes well. I guess it doesnt get watered either if its placed in a bag?

I thin the coneflowers are sown directly to the surface iirc.

[cineater]

Now she's telling me these are annual verbena and don't have to go in the dark.  Not what I read but I'll go with how she says to do it.  And she's not liking my idea of planting one of each of the new plants in the plant sale and featuring them.  She says I can have what doesn't sell.  There goes that display.  The idea was suppose to boost sales of that plant the following year and give people a reason to come to the garden but okay fine.

The Dead story is not something I ever want to get too far into.  Brings me back to a time I'd rather leave in the past.  We had second Christmas.  I did get my phone cover with a dancing bear on it. 

[soon]

I think planting one of each plant thats for sale make so much sense! How on Earth not???!!! It does all that you say. Id be 1000% more likely to buy if I could see it. And Id be drawn into the garden more - potentially feel more invested, tell people about my nice time, maybe join.

That phone case sounds awesome!

I think Ill be missing second christmas. I hope they will come by for a Coffee Service though. Its infinitely better then what you or I know as coffee. Might just heal me. If so I just hope that the priest wont fill my place with incense! 

The basil I thought would be my long term keeper succumbed to something. A straggler is now the lead contender. Other plants are all taking off, like they are trying to say that they are just fine without me 

[cineater]

Feeling that bad?  You got through it before so we're going with better days to come.  In the meantime, we'll just see what kind of trouble we can get into at home.

Basil is probably something to do with water.  Herbs just don't like being wet or cold.  No lantana's today either.

Marsha is not very supportive of new ideas from somebody else.  She's a dream killer, lol.  Very frustrating to be around people who aren't supportive but the library idea is kicking ass!  Stand back and throw up blockers people, I'm still moving forward.

Of the seeds I have planted, the Alyssum should come up first, 7 days.  The onions in 14 days and the coneflower 10 to 20 days.  Verbena in 20 days.  And the Alum Root takes 3 to 4 weeks.

[soon]

Yeah, getting into some trouble at home would be nice. Any distractions. I just interacted with a coop employee about my predicament... their solution... 'stop being injured.' I am livid. I kid you not, thats what their unsolicited advice came down too. I would rip their head off if they were present, because I mean, they could just reattach it apparently . Some people think that all rudeness an cruelty is safe from behind professional speak. Its not, nor is their job. 

I musta killed the Basil with my water tossing method 

I hope Marsha will come around to your awesome ideas!

Its amazing the differences across coneflower varietals. My purple echinacea takes weeks to germinate.

 

[cineater]

OMG, 4 of the 7 library classes have waiting lists!  The other 3 are in February.  Hoping they fill up too.

People, people, people, if just don't do it was a solution, we'd all be perfect.  It's so frustrating when you're brain works wants to be active and the body says stay in your chair.  I think you need to explore educational opportunities of some sort.  Something related to the work you want to do or the lifestyle you want to lead.  Even if it's just reading books.

 

[cineater]

If you want to read what I'm reading, here's the book I have reserved:  Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes

Not sure when the library will get it in but it should be this week.

[soon]

That book sounds awesome! I have to read it too! Will track it down asap. Would be fun to read it together 

You wouldn't believe how many online certificates I've amassed while immobilized. Sadly when in pain I cant sleep and feeding and watering myself is difficult. This is turn makes serious reading difficult.

 

[cineater]

You have a priest?  Church women love to come over and bring you food.  You might want to reach out to them for a little help.

Not sure when the library will get me the book.  And of course between the garden and the wedding, I'm busy and distracted, lol.

[soon]

Nah, I dont have a priest. But I like to hang out with some Orthodox people and their priest. Amazing feasts all through the year! The Orthodox women arent into going to a mans house unaccompanied. But when they are all together the women do the coffee service. Yeah, I once had a church lady neighbour and she'd bring me fresh baked good and soup at least twice a week . Needless to say I preferred her to my meth head Ive got now 

Great book. Really looking forward to it. I might buy a copy, even.

Yeah, the wedding will be here before you know it!

[cineater]

Wait and see if you really like it.  I've learned, let the library be my bookshelf.  Books take up a lot of space and by using the library they have numbers to show that get them funding  meaning they can buy more books.  And when it comes to educational books in 5 years they are outdated.

Got a call from my first gardening club to schedule a tour of the gardens!  I did put the word out that we wanted to do tours, something else I have to organize.  I'm a little afraid this will take off like the classes did, lol.

[soon]

Thats very true, Ive been trying to cut down on the amount of books at my place. Trying to declutter in general.

Thats great about the garden tour! So many great programs I forgot about that one . 

[cineater]

I forgot it too.   I put garden tours on hold in my brain until I learned more about the construction going on.  I guess I'm moving forward with them.

I've been soliciting suggestions from people for ideas.  It's good to hear my ideas being sent back to me.  Or maybe we all think along the same lines but I'm pretty sure I've been saying that.

Vote tonight on if the group supports the creek project.

[soon]

Yep, looks like you are moving forward with the tours project! 

If they think its their own idea, maybe they will want to do all the work too?? 

I hope for the best possible outcome of the vote.

I miss garden business. Ive only heard from one person in recent days. And that was just to tell me that another fellow gardener was found trapped behind their toilet. Are we all cursed or something?  

[cineater]

I was going to ask how one becomes trapped behind their toilet but then several almost happened to me came to mind. 

I just hope what they are doing with the creek is the solution to the problem.  Paying for it though is going to break us and then you have the whole make the extension relevant thing going on.  The library is a good example of how to make yourself relevant and I'm going to follow their lead.

My friend told me the library classes showed up in her facebook news feed.  I don't know how that happens but I'm thinking no more promotion, we're booked up!

[cineater]

I think I told you I called in a suspicious looking backpack in the Walmart parking lot before Christmas.  Today they got another bomb threat and come to find out they had one in the fall.

I'm on my way to the library to get the book.  Darn, I just started another The Cat Who ...... book.  There's a whole series of them by Lilian Jackson Braun.  Somebody always get murdered and the cat knows something about it but the real story is this guy's life in a little town.  I'm reading  The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell.  Somehow that all ties in today. 

I have onions!  Both flats little onions coming up everywhere.  They must have just come out today.  That's 5 days as opposed to the 14 it was suppose to take.

Edited January 8, 2020 by cineater

[cineater]

This is a really cool book.  Instead talking about planting individual plants they are talking about planting plant communities.  Plants that work with each other.  And instead of trying to plant native plants that were in that environment in the past, plant plants that work in the new environment.  I like the concept here.

The herb garden has developed a group of people that meet once per month in the herb garden and topics to teach each month while they work the garden.  That's exactly what I'm going for!

The group recommended pledging money to the creek project.

Edited January 9, 2020 by cineater

[soon]

I dont now those cat books, sounds cute. Ha, yep, very timely!

I guess the library has Facebook placement?! Thats great!

Thats scary about al these bomb threats. God thing youve got your eyes out for it. We've had 6 shootings so far this year, two at air bnb's 

That book makes so much sense. It kind of sounds like using okant knowledge to 'go with the flow' ?

I'd join that herb group for sure Its all coming together!

This so exciting about those onions. They're vigorous growers!!

Are you pleased about pledging money?

 

[cineater]

The pledge money is kind of a double edge sword.  We probably just threw away that money and will lose the property in a couple of years because the Extension Center isn't financially sound.  On the other hand, what do we need that money for if we don't have the gardens to take care of?  For right now, we're joining the fight to stay where we are and do what we do.  And we use the heck out of that place running up the utilities, wearing out equipment and using the secretaries.  I consider it paying back for the services we've used. 

You always think it won't happen to me but shit happens to other folks who were thinking the same thing.  The bomb stuff is probably just revenge threats but it happens other places.

The wind is kicking up and heavy rain is coming in.  I scanned the property for flash flooding as we are under a watch.  We're ready.  Not much damage it can do to us if we do have flooding.

[soon]

I see what you mean about the money. And also hopefully it buys the time for a more permanent solution to reveal itself.

I do hope that you avoid a flood though. Make sure to put Kevin in a life preserver 

My anise hyssop is ready to shoot up its flowering stem!!! Kale is ready to up-pot.

[cineater]

Your plants are going to be way bigger than ours when it's planting time.  Do you have to do that because of a shorter growing season?

They have plans to beef up what the larger program is doing but they pay the head of that so little it took them two years to fill the spot.  How much talent did they just hired and will he stay if a better paying job comes along?

Flash flooding isn't a big issue for us.  Most of it is back flowing water so there's not a big current.  What's not tied down floats away and we go out in the woods and collect it.  The creek side of the property is the problem.  It looks like rapids out there when it really gets flowing.  We've lost land, faster as time goes by.  The problem seems to be with the downpours and not the drainage after a storm.  What they are doing is suppose to be a permanent solution that should stop the erosion well into the future.  That's not to say that things will remain the same up or down stream in the upcoming years.  Water hasn't got in the building but that's a yet.  We've been coming closer to that each year.  The building is old.  The location is awful for the public.  But they've got no money to go anywhere else.  It's highly unlikely any more tax funds will be diverted to the program.

That was the bad news.  They did just partner with one of the bigger hospitals for some programing.  That will bring in some money.  It's a long term partnership not our usual short term projects.

 

Edited January 10, 2020 by cineater

[soon]

These plants will always stay indoors - I clip the herbs for cooking and will start clipping the kale soon! I usually start peppers and tomatoes 4-6 weeks out. Not sure how that compares to you? I also tend to use varietals that are conditioned to grow here. 

I hope the building holds out the flood waters for at lest one more year! The creek needs some reinforcements?

Thats cool abut the hospital. Good for the money and exposure, but its a good task to beautify a place like a hospital. I definitely go and sit by the flower beds. Always see people gazing at the beds while smoking too.