.pity party.

my friends are starting seeds for their gardens . . . being in the PNW means that we have a longer growing season than when i used to live in RI . . . but . . . my house only grows mold (this means no window hydroponics - not that there are any windows that have sun hitting them anyway) and my yard only grown mushrooms and mold (no sun hitting the ground there either) and all the community garden have 3 year waitlists.



uuuuugggghhhhhh......


feeling sad today.

here's a few shots of the former glory of my gardens from the past:

getting started with our first cold frame.  built by the man-friend.

heirloom lettuce.

lavender, rhubarb, peas, chamomile, basil, lettuce, raspberries.

my raspberry bush always produced early and then had a flush in late summer/early autumn.

carrots!

the bees loved our echinasea.

peppers!

tomatoes and basil. best combo on earth.

the miracle of pollination.

the most delicious arugula i've grown to date.

chamomile and tomatoes = good companion planting.

the rhubarb got so big!  but i don't mind because it shaded my lettuce from the hot new england summer sun.

oh i miss it so much.

.berry picking.

last week after a delicious breakfast at our favorite restaurant, the man-friend and i went down to sweet berry farm to pick raspberries and blueberries . . . the rasp season was almost done so it took a while to get a full basket, but the BLUEBERRIES . . . OMG, the blueberries are PERFECT.



after the picking, it started POURING and we drove home in the rain to make raspberry/blueberry jam. also, the man-friend went out to the garden and picked some rhubarb, and while he made the crust, i mixed up the filling for a blueberry/rhubarb pie.

we shared pie, coffee and ice cream with our roommates and a few friends. there is ONE LAST PIECE left. and i think that since the man-friend is off camping without me (he even took the DOG!) i think i'll help myself to the pie!

---------

don't forget, tomorrow is the LAST DAY to enter to win the GIVEAWAY - a winner will be chosen on monday!

.how does your garden grow? v6.

.how does your garden grow? v5.

.how does your garden grow? v4.

.how does your garden grow? v2.

.how does your garden grow? v1.

.happy first day of spring!.

meet tom bombadil

the garden is slowly getting on its feet. we've had a few awesome days of sun and warm weather and the garlic and daffodil bulbs i planted last year are sending shoots peeking out over the layer of leaf mulch i spread at the beginning of the winter. my raspberry plant is covered in new buds. the seeds i started just a week ago are growing like crazy! i totally missed the seed swap i was supposed to go to today because i was in the providence St patrick's day parade with the providence roller derby and it ran overtime. but still, i am super excited about this growing season! i learned a lot last year (like don't plant everything at once, stagger it, or you'll have way too much lettuce and it will all go to seed before you can eat it). i got us a new garden gnome, tom bombadil, to join our gnome from last year (john barleycorn). this is going to be fun! now if it only wont rain all summer like it did last year . . .

.good day.

new-ish mural on the street where i met the man-friend for pizza (this was taken by ME back during the last time it snowed)

today i slept in, watched LOST on my laptop, met the man-friend for lunch (subsequently received free pizza- yes!), had a great walk in the sun, bought some cute leg-warmers for my sister's new baby, drank my first iced americano of the year (yum!), got a new straw cowgirl had for my HUGE head, took hudson to the dog park, finished planning my garden, planted the first round of seeds in my starter tray, set some beans to soak for a nice batch of vegetarian chili tomorrow, had some dinner, ordered some goodies from neo hippie mama, and am now about to get ready for roller derby practice!

whew.

i do have some awesome photos to share with you . . . a fun announcement about an art show i have a painting in, and hopefully a GREAT announcement about what home team i have been placed on for the providence roller derby and what my derby name will be (still narrowing it down . . . and still accepting ideas, PLEASE give me your ideas!).

so, hopefully i'll fit some of that in tomorrow before or after work at the massage studio.

for now? off to practice giving good solid hits, checks, blocks and whips at roller derby practice.

.ps.

i want to make one of these for next winter in the garden.

.guess who's excited?.

this girl is excited.

.i hate waiting!.

today, i missed the delivery of the seeds i ordered for my garden by MINUTES. i saw the UPS truck down the street as the roommate and i headed off to run errands. we considered sitting in the car and waiting to see if my package would be delivered . . . but decided not to. when we got home from running errands what did we find but an "attempted delivery" slip? sad times. now i have to wait til MONDAY for my seeds!!! i can't wait to get the little plants started indoors so i can transplant them outside when all this crappy weather lets up!

mmmmmmm growing green things! i love it!