Seeds Started!

 

A sure sign that Spring is on it's way, despite very cold, windy days: Bob's been busy starting seeds. Above is a shot of the multiple varieties of peppers that are already well under way. Last year, Bob constructed several shelves in the upstairs corner window. He used a heating pad and had tremendous luck; this year he has two more heating pads. (*1) I think he's growing poblano, shishito, "Jimmy Nardello" and... maybe one more? Plenty for us and even plants to give away to lucky friends.

Look at how nicely that top row is growing! The peppers did so well last year. Bob pickled some and froze some more; we're still eating them mixed into sauces and soups. Soon, these seedlings will be followed by tomatoes, onions and all sorts of other vegetables. 

I particularly like this innovation: Bob placed a curtain around the seedlings to create even more light as it reflects off the white fabric. I also think it protects those shy little seedlings from our persistent curious gaze.

If it were a sunny day, you'd see delicate infant plant shadows. I'll try and take another picture when we finally get some sun...

Me? I have zinnia seeds to start when my seeds finally arrive. The particular kind I like to grow- Zinnia linearis "Starlite Mix"- is a bit trickier to start and I like to get a jump on in-ground planting. I know others will disagree and tell me to just throw the seeds directly into the ground. But I hate living with bare earth and have tulips planted in that area so it's more effective to start them indoors. This year, however, I'm going to watch them like a hawk and cover them with a sheet if it even threatens to frost. We had such a late frost last spring that I lost all my zinnia and heliotrope seedlings; I was heartbroken and furious. Such is gardening!

(*1) Bob had such good luck with the heating pad that I decided to get two more for his last year's birthday. As we were heavily quarantined, I thought to order them on line. Little did I dream that because they were manufactured in China, which we had recently embargoed, that it would take like 4 months for his birthday gifts to arrive- well after the need for heating pads!

Ketchup

No, despite the title, this is not a posting about tomato based condiments. I meant the title as a catchy alternative to... catching up. Very funny, right? A busy time of year, hence my sloppy blogging habits.
I have been preoccupied with gardening and trying to balance the intense purchasing/planting/starting seeds. As I have previously reported, I initiated a couple of new beds (one for shrubs and one for asters) and also developed a fixation with different types and colors of lilacs. And to boot, I have rekindled a neglected interest in starting seeds of plants not readily available in nurseries (or way to expensive to buy the quantity I long for...)There's always something new in the horticultural world if you're a plant geek!
And studio time... I have two new major pieces going which I will post soon. One has a labor-intensive edge that I had to fabricate and took what seemed like forever but it looks great. The other piece is elaborate and simply requiring amazing amounts of sewing, through thick, shiny white vinyl. And in the midst of trying to get a grasp on studio time, I had to run into New Haven to pick up four pieces from a show that is closing. (I got a good mention in a newspaper review. Yay!)
And then, of course, there was Bob's birthday (which date he shares with the Buddha.) Bob made out like a bandit, getting all kinds of novel and nifty things including new striped shirts, a nesting set of French serving dishes and a smart phone. The phone is proving smarter than us, so it may take a while to unlock all of it's apps and marvels; that's where the plastic pretend phone pictured above comes in handy...

And then we have had to eat. Have you ever been blocked as to what to have for dinner? It's as if you've eaten everything at least five times and there's nothing left to try. And then the food that still exists untried is inedible because it contains hideous amounts of salt, high fructose corn syrup, GMO ingredients or is full of stuff that unpronounceable. (Never a good sign!) But leave it to Bob to explore the enlightened world of creative plate coverage. Just look at what could have been a banal beige meal! He rendered it lovely and delicious... fish sticks with onion rings and braised Brussel sprouts.
I am also on the verge on constructing that mosaic wall I've been threatening to build (I guess I am not the only one with a wall obsession). I think I have a sufficient quantity of busted and shattered dishes plates and platters to commence. I don't want to begin it and change my mind about decoration or pattern; it wouldn't be the easiest thing to amend! The wall will have to wait- much like the terrace project- until the frenzy of Spring has abated.

Transitional Chaos

This posting is going to run heavy on pictures and lighter on verbiage as I'm so tired from moving furniture and stacks of art work and books! My hands are all curled up like little dead animals. Bob and I moved the large cabinet that was in my (old) studio last night after I got home from work. It weighed a ton, but it opened up a whole new dimension in living room horizons... Yes, we have a living room. It's still in upheaval, as seen in the above photo, but it's getting there. Tomorrow, we move the flat file.

And of course, we have to be doing thirty thousand things at once... like starting seeds. Sun flowers (two kinds) and morning glories (Flying Saucers). Don't ask where those are going to be moved to, after we relocate the flat file to my new studio. Lets' move them at least twelve times!
And remember that nice empty, open studio? Well, not for long. take a look at this:

Piles of art work and boxes and raw material for collages and junk. It will get better eventually, as all this is going into the studio annex. I am really going to try and keep most of my working space unencumbered by clutter- see how long that lasts. Hahahahahaha.

I love having a studio annex. I can store all my completed work and the raw materials like fabric and paper out of the way. Looks different, doesn't it? I hope our friends Sheldon and Louise see this posting, because this is the room they stayed in while here in March! It will take a couple more days, but then i should be able to settle in and start making art!

A Seedy Avocation

We know we really live here because we're sowing seeds! Last year was too hectic and disorganized to really sow as many vegetables and flowers as we usually do; I think we started morning glories and planted most things from pre-grown nursery stock.
This year finds us (so far) sowing annuals (thunbergia, tithonia, heliotrope, castor beans) perennials (delpinium, holly hocks) and vegetables (three kinds of okra (!!) award winning English onions, lavender, brussels sprouts, and savory). This should keep us busy for a while! All of these infant plantlings are residing on a table in my studio. Add another layer of dirt to our already soiled floor...
Bob also started Indian yellow snow peas that are up and quite happy outside. Our blueberry plants are beginning to flower and I hope they aren't bothered by the chilly (although truly more seasonal) weather.

There is certainly something so encouraging about sowing seeds. Life may suck at times, but small seeds get tucked into warm, moist earth and they grow. It's satisfying and comforting. One night last week, I just couldn't fall asleep. I went downstairs and filled cups and trays with potting mix and started some more seeds. I spent a good hour or so, considering what a funny thing it was to be doing at 1 in the morning. But then it was gratifying to see they germinated just fine.