Basil My Way

When I couldn’t readily find organic basil plants, I planted my own organic seeds (that I happily came across at a big box store); now they’re up and growing well! I suppose I can move the “garden sculptures” back into their places throughout the garden since the seeds are now no longer potential bird food. I’m not yet seeing any bursts of growth from last week’s fertilizer application. Gardening requires—and builds patience. My computer is acting up so if you don’t see any posts—pray for it to work again. Don’t give up on me, Lord willing, I’ll be back soon.

One Way or Another

My search through the local garden centers for an organic basil plant was fruitless and we haven’t had time to make the trek to the distant multi-vendor farmers’ market so I bought a packet of organic basil seed. Though I’m getting a late start and the packet instructions say that it will be seventy days until harvest, I’ve decided that it’s better to grow organic (though I confess I gave in on the golden oregano and hope for the best). Perhaps with judicious fertilizing (too much and the flavor disappears), the seedlings will grow quickly. To keep the birds from breakfasting on the seed, I’ve temporarily clustered my mini garden sculptures (aka silly straws) to crowd them out. But then again, they may just use them as handy perches; if so, I’ll pull out my seed packet and plant again.

Surprise!

What a surprise the dove had when he/she landed on my balcony railing and came face-to-face with me! I was definitely surprised but recovered more quickly. The dove immediately flew back to its mate in the tree and they both hastily departed. Too bad, I like doves. I’ve heard somewhere that doves mate for life. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology says, “When taking off, their wings make a sharp whistling or whinnying.” http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mourning_Dove/id All this time I had wondered if the sound came from the exotic throat of a misplaced tropical bird!

The honeysuckle fragrance surrounded me like a romantic novel as I planted new additions in the garden. The air had a peaceful feel, that is, until it suddenly swarmed with white-winged black insects! They liked my hair, my clothes, everything—except the buckets of plant water. I nearly swatted myself silly but they finally diminished and gave up. The empty pot among the herbs (2nd picture) awaits basil. I wish I had it today for my open-faced avocado sandwich but I do have golden oregano.

Begin Again

My oregano plants used to winter-over outdoors well and sprout new growth from the roots as long as I kept them watered. The last two years have been an exception; this year I found that the roots were as dead as the stems. So if I wanted fresh oregano (I enjoy it on open-faced avocado sandwiches and it’s my husband’s favorite herb for cooking), I’d have to buy a new one.


I enjoyed the yellow-green color of last year’s Golden Oregano so I bought another one this year. I brought it indoors during last week’s cold snap since it was newly planted and the garden center had it in a sheltered space. Oregano can dry out quickly indoors but it’s fine. I’m looking forward to lots of oregano-seasoned avocado sandwiches this summer!

Season’s First

These long-stemmed Sweet Williams make up my first garden bouquet of the season with flat-leaved parsley leaves for a fresh fern-like backdrop.

After weeks of record-high temperatures—even into the eighties, it’s suddenly cold again. Though the heat is switched off for the season, it’s warmer inside at night than it is outside so I’ve hauled the newer plants back in. Hopefully the frosty nights won’t last.

Time Will Tell

Oregano plants sometimes come back in the spring if they get enough water throughout the winter. Though the cold outdoor weather turns the once bountiful stems into brown sticks overwintering outdoors usually works better than bringing them in since indoor air is too dry.

I always leave some of the dead stems in place to remind me to water and that there are live roots beneath. New growth comes from the roots but I was excited to find lots of tiny seedlings in its pot; wow, I could have a superabundance of oregano—my husband’s favorite cooking herb! But…were they really oregano? I didn’t want to declare anything to you if I wasn’t positive so I searched internet images of oregano seedlings and unfortunately they don’t match very well. They may be the interloping tiny white wildflower I found in another pot—but why such an abundance in the oregano pot and only one other? Time will tell.

Singing in the Rain

A young mockingbird either sang despite the rain or fussed because of it; I don’t know which since it didn’t tell me. By the time I, camera in hand, realized that maybe I could actually photograph a bird it had flown. Nevertheless, the raindrops on the branches are beautiful.

In winter it can be a little harder to get green in one’s meals but parsley though small is stalwart. This flat-leaf variety I grew from seed has survived temperatures in the upper “teens”! It’s nice to have some fresh herbs for seasoning. And as a bonus—parsley contains several vital nutrients including the vitamin C I’ve been looking for!

New Sprouts

My husband’s herb seeds are sprouting already, beginning new life in the new year!

My newly planted indoor pots are also sprouting—this is the third one. I didn’t mark what I planted in each because I thought I would remember; I do know that the seedlings are either lettuce or parsley though.☺

Mud Pies

Though my husband is a non-gardener he tells me that he really enjoys reading this blog each day, “It’s refreshing.” He does say that he grew things like “giant” corn stalks when he was young.

Today he reenters the gardening world with a creative gift from family, a tiny greenhouse of miniature flower pots to be planted with “fragrant herb” seeds.


Much like the set-up for Oskar’s growth, this kit has soil “pellets” that spring to life with the addition of lukewarm water. The little “soil muffins” grow and grow to be twice the size of the pots! There’s even soil left over. Mud pies. My husband declares it, “messy fun.”


Next come the nearly microscopic seeds, mint, marjoram and the tiniest ones yet—chamomile pressed into the fork—fluffed soil.


And finally, the clear plastic greenhouse gets closed up to hold in the moisture that helps seeds germinate; then it greets the world from a sunny window sill. The sun is burning off the frost outdoors and warms us indoors—inside and out.

True Purpose

It feels so good outdoors today, I didn’t want to come back in. I made the most of the occasion by sweeping up the balcony a bit—any excuse to be out there will do since I’m getting cabin fever with all the Christmas preparations; this is always an exacting task since the “floorboards” have space between and I don’t want to send any potting soil below. The pineapple sage and leftover basil stalks are still fragrant as I brush against them.

Inspired by Gayla Trail’s Grow Great Grub Organic Food from Small Spaces, in which she insists that “grub” (food) can be grown in the smallest of spaces—even a windowsill, I eyed my set of flower-decorated garden pots. I’ve lovingly carried these pots around since I was given them as a parting gift by my co-workers at my first “real” job; I was moving on to greater things. The pots however, have become a place to collect odd things that need recycling but I don’t know where to put them back into the cycle (light bulbs?).


I read a lot about “re-purposing” these days and I enjoy giving things additional purposes (often to keep them out of the landfill) but there’s nothing like getting back to an object’s (or a person’s!) original and true purpose. So I read the list of food plants that will grow in a “slightly shady” window, matching it with my supply of lettuce (two kinds), parsley and chives seeds. I emptied the pots, washed them thoroughly and added a thin layer of gravel for drainage, added soil then seeds, watered them and set them on the window sill. I’ll have to remember to water and drain them in the sink since the hole plugs are long gone and the holder doesn’t allow for saucers (I could put the whole thing in a saucer but it wouldn’t look as good). The “rooster plant” that reigns in this window has to move over; I’ll have to move them all out of the window at night to make way for the blinds. The seeds take about two weeks to sprout; I’ll keep you posted.

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. Colossians 1:15,16 NIV

Hardy Sorts—Sort of

My remaining outdoor garden plants have much more space around them now that I’ve brought many indoors for the winter. However, I have a little more room to arrange them; I enjoy decorating.

Where rearranging is less of an option, I’ve grouped some water globes in a vacant pot. I’ll watch to see how the sun shines through them in the afternoon to see if I need to move or spread them.

I love colored glass and got to see the Dale Chihuly exhibit twice when it came to town. The exhibit featured a walkway with a strong Plexiglas ceiling covered with a kaleidoscope of lighted colored glass. Walking through the color wonderland thrilled me! I’m excited to share a link to a picture of a similar installation! http://www.chihuly.com/ceilings-persian-pergola-ceiling-2002_detail.aspx

It was so cold last night that it was only 33 degrees at 9am! Yet these are plants that survived it, covered with a sheet: Tropicana Canna, Sweet Potato Vine, Hyacinth Bean Vine, Parrot Leaf, Daylily, Basil, Pineapple Sage, Peppermint, Victoria Blue Salvia, Mexican Petunia. Remember, watering is vital to plant survival in the cold; dehydration is what kills plants in the cold.

The sickening sound of three beautiful shade trees being chopped down to prevent future problems with the continually problematic community water pipes has begun.

Double Blessing

On the rare occasion that I find one of my favorite herbs--Pineapple Sage, I buy it quick; what a treat! The leaves really do smell like pineapple and give a hint of pineapple flavor to fish and chicken. The pointed leaves also add flair to salads.

I also enjoy their magenta stems but their red flowers are what I seek. Though small, these bright red jewels are rare among herbs and stand out. Red flowers aren’t usually my favorites, though you can probably tell that I’m smitten by red hibiscus (the attraction to those is a special memory), but Pineapple Sage flowers make my favorites list. The plant was blooming when I bought it but not since; I missed photographing it then and hoped it would bloom again so I could share it here. I was delighted to discover that it had indeed bloomed again.

Sometimes the herb can last two seasons outdoors, dying back and sprouting again in the spring, if you keep it watered but that can vary with how severe the winter is.

It’s a very cool and cloudy morning in the 50’s with temperatures expected to drop throughout the day as the clouds drop rain. Tonight’s temperatures in the 30’s may be the turning point of bringing in the more fragile plants that can be overwintered. The window areas are beginning to get crowded but once the pear leaves outside drop I can place plants farther away from the windows since there will be more sunlight.

Amazingly, the pear leaves are still green; they usually turn red and yellow but I only see a tinge of red. The autumn foliage in the mountains is reported to be the best in years; hopefully our hills will be dressed in similar finery!

Another Fleeting Beauty

At last! My Mexican Petunia has bloomed at last! The blooms only last a day and the delicate petals are already shriveling but they’re pretty, especially when a plant is covered with them. Happily, there are more on the way.

The plants didn’t seem to “feel” the earthquake but apparently the water main did…it’s broken again. At least the plants got their water since we fill jugs with faucet overflow—I rarely use water straight from the faucet for the plants, which benefits both the environment and our budget.

The Mexican Petunia has competition from the red hibiscus today. Thankfully, the glamorous hibiscus lasts longer. However, contrasts are unfair as they each have their own beauty, doing what they were created to do.