Wordless Wednesday: To Push the Garden Boundaries

Winter Loss = New Possibilities. 

Reviving the raised bed and kitchen garden. 

Some stratified seeds from this season.

Awaiting the garden fence solution. 

Yellow Venetian glass vase. Venice on my mind. 

Seedlings in the basement. 

Digging in the Roots: A Pre-Spring Reverie

Viola odorata. 

After work tonight my husband and I walked to the grocery store. Along the way I plucked a few stray Viola odorata blooms and then cupped them in my left palm like small birds. From time to time—passing the halal markets and medical marijuana storefronts—I held my hand to my nose and drew in their scent. I instinctively wanted to bite into my violets because my brain recognized their sweet scent as a favorite candy. But I didn't. Instead I walked along enjoying the moment thinking about how much I love plants—especially sensual plants.  

Here at home the seedlings are growing in their little pots and plugs. I'm keeping up with my planting schedule (for the most part) but I'm not certain if I'll be able to finish things up before we leave for Italy.

We have a housesitting plan, a cat sitter, and a seedling sitter.

(I think that it's wonderful to know there are friends available to help you with your plants, don't you?)

Whatever doesn't get planted, at least I can buy at a local nursery. Portland is blessed with so many plant nurseries. [Sigh.]

One of my favorite images from the Yard, Garden & Patio Show.

I made it to the Yard, Garden & Patio Show a few weeks ago here in Portland. (I hadn't been in years!) It was a fantastic experience and I hope to post pictures from it eventually, but I know, I've said that in the past.

I mean it this time. It will happen. I will post the pictures.

This pledge is happening because I've been taking my writing more seriously. Being paid to write is a wonderful thing. Thanks to being able to work at doing what I love, a recent goal I've acknowledged is to finally organize my photos. This will help me professionally too. I can't wait to share them.

The plant room has been cleaned out again—for what I hope will be the last time. It is looking better and better but there is still much work to do. Last weekend the compact fluorescent light that has been keeping my plants alive for a few years popped and blew out. That's one more unexpected garden expense that needs to be attended to but it's worth it! That room is cheerful during the dreary and rainy months because of that light and those plants bring so much life into the dead of winter.

This is probably the reason why Mona (the partially feral cat) lives in that room now. She's always loved it back there but now it's her room—at least that is until is warms up enough to be outside all day.

Yesterday I made it outside for a bit. It was the first work I'd done in the garden in a long time. My health has not been great. I had a bad infection for several weeks last month but I toughed it out and am ok now. I'm amazed by how easily I lose my strength and conditioning. I feel strong when I exercise regularly and walk a lot but after a few months off I feel as though I have to begin all over again.

Luckily, it's worth it. The benefits of exercise for me are undeniable. Nothing makes chronic pain go away more than exercise. I guess it really is important to stay limber.

Happy (early) St Patrick's Day!

Since I won't be here again until after Monday I thought I'd leave you with this. I was born an Annie, and internally, I'll always be a little redhead named Annie. There's just a wee bit of Irish in me, can you tell? And I do love the color green, now don't I?

(This post is dedicated to Father Cathal Brennan. RIP I still miss you very much.)

My mom with Father Brennan. 

Growing On

Japanese maple (Acer japonica) in my backyard.

I'm still feeling a lot like this seemingly vulnerable leaf on one of my Japanese maples, but as days have passed, and the leaves have all opened up, the leaf no longer sticks out. I'm taking this as a sign. As it lifted up its head to the sun it was enveloped by the support of other leaves around it. 

In the garden I am comforted.

Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) growing above the Pacific Ocean.

My trip the the Pacific a few weeks ago also had me viewing an understory of nearly nothing by salmonberry bushes and their blooms. I tried for far too long to get a nice shot of their hot pink blossoms but the wind was simply too much. Instead, I did capture this berry.

Morning glory vine (Ipomoea) on a tombstone in Oysterville, WA.

In my photos I also found this lovely rendition of a morning glory vine on a gravestone. I don't believe I've shared it yet. Eternal blooms fascinate me more and more as I age. What flower would I want on my headstone? Why? I am such a plant nerd it's impossible to choose just one. Besides, in the technological world we live in I'm much more likely to desire something akin to a slideshow. Oh! I am so ashamed at times to be so spoiled by the world around me. We're lucky I think.

Dudlyea brittonii seedlings. 

Many of the seeds I was unable to plant last year made it into production this year. Above you'll see one of my favorites. I cannot wait to see these grow up. They are such beautiful plants.

Unknown Agave I grew from seed.
I guess these little "friends" area telling me that it's time for the plant to be moved to a larger pot. 

It is time to repot older plants I've grown from seed. This is a plant that really spoke volumes to me when I looked closely at what it was saying to me. "Plant me. I need more space. If you don't, I promise to break this planter. It is weak. I am not." Ok, maybe I'm totally exaggerating.

Me last month pruning the willow arbor while waiting to be picked up to go out for the evening. I can prune in a linen dress. Wow, the things we learn when we wait impatiently...

Being able to climb up onto a ladder to prune was a huge undertaking for me. In the past I would have been too dizzy to do this but not anymore!

Hellebore plant (Helleborus orientalis) pregnant with seeds. 

Collecting seeds for my Etsy shop Milton's Garden Menagerie has started all over too. Even though I am still not 100% about where I'll be going next in my life, I do know with complete certainty that I want seeds to remain—and plants too!

Cuttings from my Begonia boliviensis I grew from seed. The propagation goes on and on...

The Seed Labor-atory Grows

I am currently in my zero gravity recliner recuperating after two very long 10-hour days in the garden. The weather had been cold and wet so I'd put off dealing with all of my seedlings. When the sun arrived earlier this week, I rushed out like an idiot and jumped right in. Now I have garden rashes on my forearms that are both topped with a nice sunburn. My back is killing me and I can barely move my fingers. Was it all really worth it? I keep asking myself this over and over. And the answer I keep coming up with? Absolutely!

Part of my springtime mess. Sure, I have a potting area, but there is a pile of stuff there right now. 

When you look at my seed starting numbers for 2011 you can see why I am so tired. You may find yourself wondering too if I am nuts, and yes, I might be because these numbers are totally ridiculous.

Indoors: I planted about 302 different plants.

There were 1658 peat pods or plugs, etc.

 As of yesterday, 340 plastic 4" pots had been potted up. (Many of these contain several seedlings.)

Outside: I planted about 300 different plants.

They were planted in plug trays or rectangular biodegradable fiber flats.

I have not yet started to process these, but I imagine about 200 plants will be potted up. 

I have also been potting up plants from flats I planted a few years ago—not all plants grow quickly. Some of them actually have surprised me. They looked rather small in their pots, but their roots were really ready to go and grow on.

Eventually, I will plant some of the plants, watch them grow, and then collect their seeds. Some of these plants will be traded, and the rest will be sold on Craigslist—or else to friends and family. 

The back garden before severe editing that will begin soon.

Some of the seedlings in their new pots. 

Scene of springtime that kept me focused as I worked. 

From time to time I take breaks and reconsider where to add my garden goodies. 

I purchased this great plant hanger a year or so ago at Molbak's Garden+Home up in the Seattle area, and I found the hanging buckets at IKEA. What's so great is that they hold 1 gallon plastic pots. So far, I have only chosen two of the five plants for the buckets, but the possibilities are simply endless. (I know the same plant would look better, but I am all about the seeds and I need to have many different plants.)

Then there are the houseplants that I arrange, and then rearrange. This is always a fun way to spend my time both inside and outside and it is a great break in my seedling routine. The houseplants are so much happier because of it too.

This Tradescantia sure made a mess when I brought it back inside the house last fall. Now the other houseplants that lived beneath it all winter have babies. Next year I am going to collect the seeds and keep that from happening again. I have no idea which species this is, but I think it's Tradescantia fluminensis. Any thoughts?

This year I purchased this planter at IKEA. Like the other ones from last year, it is also made to hold a 1 gallon plastic containers. I had a small one stuffed in it in this picture, but you get the idea. I love that it can hang perfectly on a chain link fence.

Lastly, there is another new addition.

I am one of those folks who grew up in a home and garden that was like a museum and mom would have cringed if this had ever arrived in her space. I too wondered about it when I first saw it, but I was with a foster girl, one who is likely to be in the system until she is an adult, and she really loved it.

In her world, no one can afford things like this, and yes, they are seen as completely frivolous, but the fact that I would buy it and hang it outside actually mattered to her. When you are caring for a child of meth, one who's mother chose the drug over her children, this kind of thing does matter.

Wearing my big heart on the sleeve of my house's eave mattered to her, and for this reason, it mattered to me. I wanted to model the kind of behavior she craved in an adult, and so I obliged.

To my surprise, my husband liked it a lot. It reminded him of the 1960s and The Beatles, and over time it has started to remind me of Keith Haring's art from the 1980s. I think it was a wonderful addition to our home and I cannot wait for the fern to perk up. 

If you are interested in purchasing one for any reason, here is the link:

Mac's Yard Hearts (I bought mine locally at Al's Garden Center, but I think they can be shipped too.)

Greenhouse & Blooms

This is what has been slowing me down, oh right, and the seedlings still left in our basement, and the foster kids I chase after every weekend. Many of this year's seedlings are stored currently in this greenhouse across the street from my home that our neighbor has nicely allowed us to use. I carried them over there, now I get to start shlepping them back!

And these need to be moved too since this is the other side of the same greenhouse, and what you see is more of my fine work.

I missed bloom day, and so will post randomly. Below is the beautiful Green Rose (Rosa viridiflora 'Green Rose').

This is some kind of uncommon Dianthus I grew from seed years ago now. It is actually a bit more hot pink than this, and it is the funniest little punctuation of color swinging around in the air above its wine barrel planter at this time of year.

New Year, Sore Throat

I wish that I could have been given a better New Year's present. My throat is killing me and my lungs are filling up with phlegm. When you have an auto-immune disease, these little viruses can cause a lot of havoc. Everyone I know has already had this setback, but now it is my turn. As long as I can rest, I can get over it.
The seedlings in the basement continue to sprout. At least, again, I feel as though I am busy and growing because of them despite my immobility. My planting schedule is very much on track. Today I will work on putting more of my 12-weeks (before the first frost) batch into the fridge for cold stratification. Then I can prepare for my next batch scheduled for January 15th sowing.
We have another wind storm blowing here in the Willamette Valley. As I sit writing this I can see the limbs of one of my Doug firs being hurled hither and thither. I love those trees so much, but their needles can be messy. At least the street cleaner is here and their truck can clean up some of the debris.