Encouraging Signs

One week in and my seeds have started to sprout! Even though I have a basic understanding of the science that causes plants to grow, every time something I planted from seed begins to appear I can't help but feel like it's a little bit of magic.

The ones in this picture are, I think, snapdragons. I am reminded why I should have labeled the containers: all sprouts look exactly the same at this point. But, I think that the snaps, lettuce, and possibly broccoli have pushed their little green heads up. The last two are even more surprising because earlier this week I accidentally knocked the tray these were in to the floor of the laundry room, completely spilling and jumbling up the contents. So I have no idea what is lettuce and what is broccoli at the moment. Ah well, I'll just let them grow and expect it will become evident which is which in the relatively near future.

GardenGate 2009

Spring-like temperatures have arrived here in central Indiana and my gardening projects are off to a great start! On Thursday, FH and I hit the local Lowe's to pick up some supplies.

On the agenda for this year are my old standbys: lettuce and peppers, both with seeds saved from last season. Since we're in a warmer climate now I decided to experiment a bit and sowed some of the lettuce indoors, some of it outside directly into a container of potting soil. The peppers will start indoors, of course, and I've started some extras in hopes that I can trade with co-workers and neighbors for a tomato or some compost.

We stopped by the Indianapolis Winter Farmers Market on Saturday morning to see what the Slow Foods heirloom seed sale had to offer. We were a little late so choices were somewhat limited but we picked up a packet of broccoli and a packet of pickling cucumber seeds to try.

In addition to veggies, this year I'm going to try for some flowers. I posted more about this on my other blog, but I am attempting to grow flowers for my June wedding (I am insane enough to be doing my own bouquets, boutonnieres, and a couple of assorted arrangments ... though we are not doing floral centerpieces.) I've got some calla lilies, ranunculus, anemones, sweet peas, and snap dragons in the works. Frankly I will be satisfied if they grow at all, so no worries if they don't bloom mid-June, but it would be so awesomely satisfying if I could use them for the wedding. I'm doing everything I can to weigh the odds in my favor (choosing a selection of flowers with bloom times from mid-May to early July so that an exceptionally cool or warm season won't screw me, staggering start times so that I have waves of developing plants), we will see.

Waiting for them all to grow is the worst!!! :P I am so impatient.

Blocking Day

It's like Boxing Day, only completely different!

Today I blocked the manly leg warmers and an ear warmer I made on the way back from Indianapolis. Maybe I will actually get around to putting up a pattern soon. I have this horrible habit of making things, writing all the stuff down for a pattern, and then waiting forever to block and photo the item by which time I've lost all my notes and say "screw it, I'll put up a pattern of the next thing ..." In any case, I have high hopes that I will put up a pattern or two in the next couple weeks.

I also moved my dear little lettuce seedlings to their grown-up pots today! We have this wonderful neighborhood gardening collective in Buffalo called Urban Roots where I picked up some potting soil, yet another kind of lettuce seeds, and a few little herb plants. In addition to transplanting the lettuce and putting it outside I put together a nice-sized pot of rosemary and thyme (both of which I bought as plants today) and added in the basil plants I started from seed to live on the windowsill in the kitchen. That way they'll be handy when we want to cook with them. Also, I got a cute little lavender plant to live on the bathroom windowsill. I have this wonderful vision snipping off a few fresh lavender leaves to toss in a hot, relaxing bath at the end of a long day ...

There are lots of gift giving occasions (birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, all that jazz) in my near future so some of my knitting will probably be a secret for a while. I have lots of time (and yarn) but not lots of money so, everyone, expect hand-made gifts! Which is what I usually do anyway I suppose.

Job-wise it looks like news is on the horizon so stay tuned. I promise the next post will at least have a few photos, evidently I am feeling like a slacker today. Just thought it was about time I checked in.

A time for growth ...

As you all know, I am currently unemployed. This can be discouraging at times but I am trying to look at it as a time of enrichment. In addition to the time I spend each day looking for jobs I have a number of projects that keep my time a little structured and my life a little more interesting. Right now I am working on my knitting and my blog, repairing a vintage bicycle that I bought from the theatre's prop stock when it went belly up, and starting this years vegetable garden with some seeds I saved from last years plants. And after a mere 3 days, here is the progress on project number 3!


Now I took that picture yesterday morning and let me tell you they've grown even more since then. If you want nearly instant gardening satisfaction start some lettuce seeds 'cause they just take off like a shot. These seedlings are arugula on the bottom and red leaf lettuce on top. I clearly have WAY too many of them (I planted like a zillion because I didn't know how good the seeds would be and thought most of them might be duds) so some thinning will be in order. Unfortunately my red pepper and basil seeds are a little slower on the uptake but we'll check back in a week or so to see how they're doing.

I leave this afternoon for an interview in Milwaukee, WI. Wish me luck everyone!