Dead of Winter with White

No snow this week to dampen the spirit of the spring. It is still a bit nippy at your toes (my toes remain in sock but the boot of a broken foot is open-toed), but, there is hope in the somewhat green horizon.

Field of snow drops.

I welcome white that is not snow. I should not complain. Columbus received little snow this winter.
John and I attended a class at the Franklin Park Conservatory this weekend and were a bit disheartened with news that the average last frost in Columbus is the first of May. Cheez. I have all of March and April to pine for the smell of dirt. There are always peas. And lettuce. And greens. And cabbage. And broccoli. All is not lost. John will start clearing the gardens of good days and we are planning to extend the cold frames. At the CRC we had a youth group that planted spring seeds in little pots. They did mark them but who knows what is planted in what. It will be good.

After the classes we joined Erin, Karlene, and Liza (she sews with me and watches small children run around the conservatory. This weeks eating out was all about ice cream. And ice cream at its best. Jeni’s. Poached Pear Sorbet, Buckeye, Pistascio, and Berry with crispy things. It is truly good.

With continued cold things come inside. These guys seem to live in severe conditions. Even my bathroom. I think they call this a stink bug or blister bug or ugly bug.

It is reported that there is an epidemic of the little guys trying to move to warm places – like my bathroom.

I suppose it is all good.
Maybe.
Happy Birthday to Jean, who is embracing her 60 years and looking forward to 60 more.
Later.

A Slap in Face

Winter once again has slapped me in the face and sent me flying back into the house.   Argh. 

Oh well.  I can live with it.  I suppose I have no other choice than to suspend thoughts of young healthy little sprouts 

. Except….

Little Paper Whites will soon be lifting all spirits in the house of Jean. Maybe I will invite people for the bud opening.

Outside it is a bit white and very cold.

Notice how Zorro enjoys the snow.

I spent a few hours at the Franklin Park Conservatory at a gardening class.

Back inside kids at the CRC filled the peat pots with dirt ready for little seeds. They also started a terrarium with cacti and venus fly traps. A bit of green in a gray world.

Even with the cold outside there are wee places of warmth – Buckeye Donut down by the OSU campus. The fresh donuts looked amazing but for wheat-free, meat free people as myself it serves up great felafels and humus. Yum. My little friend, Erin, found the fries with some kind of seasoning extra good and found Buckeye Donuts really cool and warm.

All is good.
Later.

Diary of a Shut-In

Shut-In may be a bit dramatic, even a bit over-dramatic, but mostly ‘in’ I am shut.  It has been almost two weeks since the discovery of that tiny break in a bone – I am thinking just a smudge of dirt on the x-ray.  I was talking with this stranger walking her dogs and she emphasized not driving in the boot that so accessorizes my foot.  Her boot got stuck between the accelerator and the brake causing a run-in where she ran into the car in front of her three times.  Not for me.

This morning I did get a rare treat.  John drove me to the MidGarden.  The CRC had boxes of unclaimed collard greens that were on their way to the compost.  

 

It is bright and sunny today although a hint of cool was definitely still in the air.

Notice the pile of Christmas tree trunks waiting for spring and vines of peas and beans.

There was a frost last night that did add quite a bit of beauty to the thyme and sedum that exist between the rocks in the front yard.  

Speaking of food.  I made a really great tomato/lentil soup.  The star of this soup was fresh kale from the garden.  The kale and mustards have survived an amazing mild winter.  In the cold frames I still have some chard and spinach.  I planted more spinach, lettuce, and bok choi in the cold frames this week (I was very careful with my foot.).  While at the MidGarden John and I planned for a long coldframe next to one of the raised beds.  I will only supervise when the planning goes into effect later this week.  Yeah.

All is good and almost spring.  

Later.

At Long Last Winter

Our first measurable snow has come and will soon be gone.

 

The temperature in the last few days has not risen above freezing.  

Not much going on in the garden. The huldrefolk seems a bit upset.  

I did try to reassure that spring is coming. It is unclear the sex of my huldrefolk (I never want to embarrass a member of this clan. I have not seen the cow-like tale of the unmarried females so always have assumed it to be male.) I do not take time to visit in the winter.  Maybe I could hire a huldrefolk sitter.

Inside the rugs has been ruffled.

 My burrowing cat has found new (and lower) 

challenges for those long winter days.

I come home to find all my rugs in a wad.

I did have some good times preparing for indoor planting. The group Clintonville for Change came by the Resource Center and carved out a part of the basement so I can start seeds and use the grow light until the sun decides winter is over. Yeah! I have started pouring over all those seed catalogs. I also joined Derek’s Helping Hands garden project’s winter meeting. There can be nothing better that talking vegetables. The big discussion: higher yield vegetables vs. specialty vegetables. It was heated.

It is all so good.
Later.

Christmas forever, fungii forever, and horseradish occasionally

It is that time of year. The great Christmas tree roundup. For their trunks, of course. We are looking for about 30-36 this year.

We had a few good days so we were at the MidGarden. We laid down cardboard, from the the kitchen in the box, and covered with hay bales.

We hope all the weeds will be gone by spring – a bit of tilling – and a row of Christmas tree trunks tripods with green beans.

While moving the hale bales we discovered a bit of amazing fungus. They were a bit frost bitten but quite amazingly growing gray fungus. I thought about tasting it but decided against.

Last fall several CRC volunteers and staff planted herbs in a round pre-existing garden at MIdGarden. If you look carefully you can see the garlic coming up in a peace sign design. It will be good – looking and tasting.

I keep watch this one tree that was planted at the garden. I have yet to figure what it is. Late summer and fall it sprouted hard round seed-looking globes. I gave up trying to identify the tree. But this week I revisited the tree. The globe was mushy and a nice orange.

I had to taste. It was good and sweet and it did not kill me. But I still have no idea what it is.

Look at this.

It came into the CRC and no one seemed to be taking it, so….
It is a horseradish root, I think. I am planning to plan to do something with this. I am not sure as yet but I will let you know. Maybe a little vinegar.

Back to MidGarden.

It is so good.
Later.

First of year, first of snow

This second day of the New Year and there is snow.

It is not much but it is the first. I am predicting a light snow year with temperatures about normal. Maybe wishing is a better word.

There was a bit of vandalism at the CornerStone Garden. The parsley was cut to the ground along with a couple of brussel sprout plants.


Someone who does not like parsley and brussels.

The cabbage on the other side was not bothered. They are still struggling in the cold. The cabbage in the cold frames is doing a bit better. I do wonder about those little green cabbage worms. How do they survive in this winter weather?

They have totally attacked my winter kale.

In a few weeks I will start some cool weather plants in the CRC basement for early planting in the cold frames.

I did eat a few radishes from the frame out in the back yard. Very good eating. Speaking of good eating. I threw everything in the refrig – brussels, potatoes, turnips, carrots, celery, onions, red peppers, and some of what was left of my kale.

This will be my meals for the next few very cold days.

It is all good.
Later.

It is all about the kitchen

There was no time for gardening this week. There was no time for anything but the kitchen. The kitchen. The kitchen. The universe is all consumed with my kitchen. A bit trivial. But it is the kitchen.

First there was the kitchen in a box.

Then, slowly a kitchen.

There will be a short wait for a countertop. Actually, I have not even chosen a countertop. I have not chose pulls yet either. All will come. I did choose the shelf liner.

A bit of color. The rest of the floors need one more look.

And another look at the new tile.

All is superficial and all is good.

Later.

Christmas, Floors, and Coldframes

My holiday plans are minimal, but there are a few Christmas events that stir the emotions.

I have been on a short trip to Oklahoma.  It was a good time.  Mom cooked for me, including mash potatoes and green peas.  There was also a bit of celebration for Dad’s 86th birthday.

Upon my return, Erin, Karlene, and I had to fill Christmas stockings for the Sunday morning breakfast.

What would the season be without the gooey confection loaded gingerbread houses shared with friends.

It was a great project. There was only one gingerbread house kit. So the girls divided up the gingerbread parts so each had a part to decorate (and eat).

Enough good spirt, on to floors.

I got home to really great dry floors. I have spent the last two days trying to organize ‘stuff’ back into the rooms. They are still bare but looking good (at least, to me they look good).

Finally – a bit of garden. I am experimenting with cold frames.

I am trying cabbages, turkish oregano, parsley, chard, and lettuces. I will try more in early spring. I also hope to be putting in some cold frames at MidGarden.
And the really great thing about Christmas is the Christmas trees. John will soon be gathering those used-trees for garden support. We can have many tripod supports at the MidGarden. More vertical gardening.

Later.

No garden talk just floors

It is all about the floors this week.  The noise, the smell.  And good results.  Not finished as yet but almost.

Here is day 2:

Notice the black is almost gone after two sandings.  It really gummed up their machines.

Day 5:  all sanded and the first coat.  It will dry a bit less shiny and will be a bit darker after coat 3.

While all this work is being done, this is my small bit of the world in my house.

Floor posts and maybe even garden posts later.

My little inside chaos – but it is good

Chaos.  Living in chaos.  But just a bit of chaos and it is just my chaos.  

It is fine and it will soon be finished.  They say the floors will be done by Friday.  Yahoo!  

You can see where the old – maybe original – kitchen cabinets and appliances were located.  Before the renovation that joined the kitchen and back bedroom there must have been a small closet that became part of the kitchen.  It made the kitchen a bit bigger.  

 

Nothing to report in the garden.  It is raining, as it has been for the last few days.  Today we have flash flood warnings, again.

Later I will slog through the mud to do my errands.  

It is all good.