Lady bugs are apparently really good for the garden, so I'm off to Portland Nursery tomorrow after work to get a bunch to combat the aphids. Maybe it's a bit extreme but I'm sure the other gardeners in the building could benefit from them too. I just sprayed the Morning Glory and the Sage with soapy water which is somehow suffocating to aphids, but I'ma go out tonight to rinse them off as per the directions I read here. Also they don't like Basil much, weird because something has been munching on it. Slugs? I'll try putting pennies in that pot, a trick I heard off a craft board.
Mom, the tobacco spray sounds good, but it might be a waste of good tobacco too... :D
Urgh, I feel like they're all over me now.
Horrible horrible creatures.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Saturday, June 30, 2012
A da garden
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| Cilantro and basil are the newest addition to the patio. Unfortunately it looks like some pest is munching on the basil... |
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| I feel like the chamomile is my greatest achievement, going from that teenytiny thing that nearly died to this. |
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| Pretty damn tall! |
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| This was doing so well unil about a week ago, when I noticed it is also being nibbled on... |
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| Blurry, but the thyme is flowering and I'm pretty sure the rosemary is getting bigger. Yay! |
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| The remaining hens & chicks, lookin pretty cute in that damn can! |
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| I replaced the morning glory that was in this cutty sark pot. The morning glory got huge but then started to shrivel. |
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| I have no idea if the color change means it's dying or if that's just something it does...? |
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| One of my spinach starts. I've got pots and organic soil for them, but due to pesty munchers outside, I need to find something to support it near the window so's I can keep it inside. (Pardon the dirty window, I realized I need to wash it when I saw the pic...) |
| So that's what's going on. The eucalyptus died, and I had already given the rest of the seeds to a friend.So now I'm off to get a bunch of books from the library, mostly field guides to finding edible plants, and some kinda shelf for the window for the spinach. And I got more seeds...calendula and hollyhock. Oi, what to do with all these plants! |
Sunday, June 10, 2012
photo-less post
Well, I've been a while in posting, but I have been rather active. In the last couple months I've been to The HP Lovecraft film fest and Wonder NW, the coolest geek fest in town. Unfortunately my camera batteries died, and I just keep on forgetting to get more...
My garden is doing alright, but the anise, which looked strong and healthy in my last post, is now dead. :( On top of that the eucalyptus isn't lookin so good either.
The chamomile is doing great, and the morning glory...WOW, the moment I brought it indoors it shot up and up and up! I've gotta find a bamboo stick or something to let the vine wrap around something. For now I've put it back outside so it doesn't eat my blinds.
I also started a new triangle scarf with red fingering weight yarn. The pattern is super easy, and weirdly, I can't find it anywhere anymore... Essentially you just do a yarn over increase near the end of each garter row. Use larger needles and get a lacier effect. Mine's not so lacy.
So hopefully I'll remember to get batteries and take pics of my loot from geekfests and crafts and plants soon enough.
My garden is doing alright, but the anise, which looked strong and healthy in my last post, is now dead. :( On top of that the eucalyptus isn't lookin so good either.
The chamomile is doing great, and the morning glory...WOW, the moment I brought it indoors it shot up and up and up! I've gotta find a bamboo stick or something to let the vine wrap around something. For now I've put it back outside so it doesn't eat my blinds.
I also started a new triangle scarf with red fingering weight yarn. The pattern is super easy, and weirdly, I can't find it anywhere anymore... Essentially you just do a yarn over increase near the end of each garter row. Use larger needles and get a lacier effect. Mine's not so lacy.
So hopefully I'll remember to get batteries and take pics of my loot from geekfests and crafts and plants soon enough.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Eucalyptus & other stuff
First, finally pictures of my Noro scarf in progress! I guess I burned out about 3/4 of the way thru the first half. Haven't worked on it in a while although it's not really scarf weather anymore here in P-town.
There is a teeny tiny sprout in my eucalyptus starter! It is about half an inch tall and the leaves are nearly microscopic, and it's a sort of redish and greenish hue. For the most part I left it in my bathroom because it stays warmer in there, but on sunny days I'd try to put it in my kitchen window. I think I'm going to designate it my indoor plant, maybe try to train it to be a bonzai tree?
So I just read the back of my morning glory seed packet and the flowers don't bloom for 75 days or until late summer. Meanwhile the leaves themselves are getting prettier...But it was left outside for a while, and I noticed a dusty white spot on one of the leaves...too much sun? I took it back inside.
The Anise looks good, getting big, but checked the chamomile yesterday and it was limp and all floppy. I brought in the chamomile for most of the day yesterday, and watered it outside last night. Still looks sad today tho.
Most of the succulent terrariums are doing alright, except the hens and chicks in the coffee jar outside don't seen to be doing well. I don't know, maybe the colder mornings or too much sunlight or too much/not enough water. Thinking of getting a couple more jars and breaking it up into more gift terrariums.
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| Feathers and fan lace Noro scarf |
There is a teeny tiny sprout in my eucalyptus starter! It is about half an inch tall and the leaves are nearly microscopic, and it's a sort of redish and greenish hue. For the most part I left it in my bathroom because it stays warmer in there, but on sunny days I'd try to put it in my kitchen window. I think I'm going to designate it my indoor plant, maybe try to train it to be a bonzai tree?
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| that teeny tiny seedling! |
So I just read the back of my morning glory seed packet and the flowers don't bloom for 75 days or until late summer. Meanwhile the leaves themselves are getting prettier...But it was left outside for a while, and I noticed a dusty white spot on one of the leaves...too much sun? I took it back inside.
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| Mostly the one in the upper right looks questionable... |
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| Anise |
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| Chamomile :( |
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| Sage, rosemary and thyme! Lookin good! |
Most of the succulent terrariums are doing alright, except the hens and chicks in the coffee jar outside don't seen to be doing well. I don't know, maybe the colder mornings or too much sunlight or too much/not enough water. Thinking of getting a couple more jars and breaking it up into more gift terrariums.
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| My new favorite terrarium, the hens & chicks in the really tall glass. |
Friday, April 27, 2012
garden update
Yay, there has been a bit of progress with the new plants/former seedlings!
The chamomile is slightly bigger, the anise is at least 2x bigger, the morning glories are tall and green (but no flowers yet) and the sesame seed jar/terrariun is sprouting all sorts of new shoots!
Last weekend I took a big risk and started a couple eucalyptus seeds, but it's gotta stay warm, which it hasn't. This is Portland, Or, the most schizophrenic city when it comes to weather. For instance, starting Saturday we turned on the a/c, and by yesterday were considering the heater again...Anyway, I'm wondering if I should just keep it under my bathroom light or bedside lamp until it starts to sprout.
After two days of carrying my largest bowl outside to water the herbs, I also decided I need to splurge on an actual watering can. There's a new nursery just down the street from where I live, so this weekend I'll give them a visit, and get round to more garden pictures.
Hopefully I'll have more info on the nursery and some pics to post by Sunday, although Tony's band Stormwreck is playing Saturday night and I've heard it'll be a late show, so could be I'll be recuperating.
The chamomile is slightly bigger, the anise is at least 2x bigger, the morning glories are tall and green (but no flowers yet) and the sesame seed jar/terrariun is sprouting all sorts of new shoots!
Last weekend I took a big risk and started a couple eucalyptus seeds, but it's gotta stay warm, which it hasn't. This is Portland, Or, the most schizophrenic city when it comes to weather. For instance, starting Saturday we turned on the a/c, and by yesterday were considering the heater again...Anyway, I'm wondering if I should just keep it under my bathroom light or bedside lamp until it starts to sprout.
After two days of carrying my largest bowl outside to water the herbs, I also decided I need to splurge on an actual watering can. There's a new nursery just down the street from where I live, so this weekend I'll give them a visit, and get round to more garden pictures.
Hopefully I'll have more info on the nursery and some pics to post by Sunday, although Tony's band Stormwreck is playing Saturday night and I've heard it'll be a late show, so could be I'll be recuperating.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Indoor and patio gardening
Kay, so I don't know how long I've been absent, but mostly I've been sick and reading, and/or obsessed with gardening...not so much crafting, except a little collage-ing and jewelry making.
A month or maybe even two ago, I got started with a pre-potted herb garden from Trader Joe's, sage, rosemary and thyme, then the heather. I think I got the seeds for the herbs after that (from Powell's of all places), lavender, chamomile and anise, plus some others. Then, waiting for those to seed, I bought the succulents and have been hunting for jars and glasses and other cheap/cute/odd things to use as pots and terrariums. My favorite place is and always has been Village Merchants, but Value Village is great too. Except I bought a big brandy snifter which broke when I got home.
On to pictures!
Succulents for the window sills:
Outside herbs:
And my absolute favorite:
And some collaged glass jars for candles and whatnot:
Oh, and my supervisor at work let me take a bunch of BiG, old out of date magnets home to craft with. That weekend I found the greatest pictures to glue to them, so maybe next weekend?
A month or maybe even two ago, I got started with a pre-potted herb garden from Trader Joe's, sage, rosemary and thyme, then the heather. I think I got the seeds for the herbs after that (from Powell's of all places), lavender, chamomile and anise, plus some others. Then, waiting for those to seed, I bought the succulents and have been hunting for jars and glasses and other cheap/cute/odd things to use as pots and terrariums. My favorite place is and always has been Village Merchants, but Value Village is great too. Except I bought a big brandy snifter which broke when I got home.
On to pictures!
Succulents for the window sills:
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| My attempt at terrariums. |
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| Extras, outside. Coffee can. |
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| My favorite is the sesame seed jar. There has been new growth. |
Outside herbs:
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| Chamomile in a strainer |
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| Anise, which had pushed a taproot out the plug after 2 weeks. |
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| Heather, re-potted, and lavender, which you can't really see yet, plus I might've accidentally killed. |
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| Thyme and rosemary. |
And my absolute favorite:
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| Jar from Value Village. |
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| Morning Glory seedlings in a starter plug, on top of soil and rocks or glass pebbles. |
And some collaged glass jars for candles and whatnot:
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| Most of the pics came from Bitch Magazine, Juxtapoz and High Fructose. |
Friday, March 2, 2012
Weekend Agenda
Kayso I haven't crafted in a long time. Like 3 weeks? Today I even brought my Noro scarf to work and couldn't find the pattern (until it was time to go home...) BUT I have been looking at crafts *ogling, obsessing* on pintrest in all of my free time, outside of a bit of reading and indoor gardening research... So I figured, if I'm stuck in this apartment for who-knows how long, I'd better get used to it! And so came the birth of the list...
Dreaded Tasks for the weekend
Get rid of sewing table and random huge box in the living room
Move dinner table over a bit (away from the window)
Find ladder & boards for quick shelf in front of window (for the garden!)
Get hooks and yardsticks or board for coat rack
Possibly look for hanging baskets?
Oh, yeah, organize the stash! Maybe use the closet for now
*w/shoe rack*
Then collage the vase from mom *get more mod podge* Find
twigs for decoration?
Try the anthropologie knockoff necklace
I kinda have a horrible habit of making lots of plans for my days off, so if I'm lucky I might get one or two of these things done in addition to the usual weekend chores. Where will I find an old ladder, preferably wooden?
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