Just one more...

Lichen, that is.

Gardening in Small Spaces Update

Here is a recent visit to the pyxie cup lichen growing on the fence. I loved seeing them full of water, but could not really get a focused shot. The most vertical one in the middle is about as good as I could get. I just love having found this little garden. Here is link for the post from Feb. 2007, my first discovery of them.
Growing on the same cross brace on the fence, I also found the seedlings above. I think they look like foxglove. What do you think? It seems all of the foxglove around the place are on the same biannual schedule. That means this will be the year for blooms.

Hope to see you...

A Dine-Out for Homelessness

Jan. 30th, 2008

Armondo’s Café Italiano

310 Wells Ave S.Renton, WA 98055

Click here for the Armondo's webpage.

A percentage of the total profits for the day are donated to Way Back Inn and HOME/ARISE to help local homeless children and adults. Fundraiser is from open to close

and includes dine-in, lunch, dinner, and to-go orders.

Proceeds Benefit:
• Way Back Inn & • HOME / ARISE
Local non-profits providing shelter to the homeless

in South King County.

Contact: Way Back Inn 425-432-6766
Home/Arise 253-852-2057

Thanks to Armondo for the support!

- Petunia's Gardener / Way Back Inn supporter

Garlic Galore

Apparently, I missed harvesting some of the garlic bulbs last year. Now, I have several clusters like this one sprouting up. Just what I needed, too, because I didn't get any planted in the fall.

When do you plant and harvest garlic? What variety do you like to grow?

Rock Garden

To be a contented gardener in the Pacific Northwest, it helps if one has a certain fascination with stuff that can even grow on rocks. This rock sits in my garden and I just noticed the healthy garden growing on it.

January Garden

The January 2008 Garden. It doesn't look that much different than November, but some different than January 2007! Click on the Garden-Monthly Photos label below to see other months.
Parsley, inside the cloche. I see lots of calendula seedlings too.
Swiss chard, inside the cloche. I think early lettuce will be very happy inside here also. Now if I can just keep the ends from blowing open and letting in the chill.

Alternative Blooms

It is the twelfth, but not last, Bloom Day (the comments in that link get you to other Bloom Day posters) hosted by Carol, over at May Dreams Gardens. The idea is to capture any blooms we can find, even in these unbloom-time months (for some of us).

I wasn't successful at finding blooms, but I have been enjoying the texture in the garden from these dried blooms. Anise hyssop, above. The tallest part being about 6 foot. I suspect I'll have seedlings all over the garden this year. There could be worse things!
And Bee Balm / Monarda. I would have zoomed in more, but I liked the lines created by others stalks in the background. Click on the "Bloom Day" label to see postings from prior months. I see I should have some blooms in the yard by February!

Headline: Neighbors Share Gold!

Thanks to our Homesteading neighbors, our pumpkin patch has become a little richer. Used goat straw (see the cute girls here)! For two garden years, my mulch of choice was used sheep straw (see the sheep here). We've had a whole year without them so I was happy to have the goat straw today.
The pumpkin patch only had burlap green coffee bags over it to keep down the weeds. So, I flipped the coffee bags over onto the grassy pathway (hard to mow, anyway) and spread the straw on the pumpkin patch. Later, I may add more coffee bags over the straw to help it break down and to discourage weeds. Thanks, Neighbors! Just what we needed!

Yes, a beautiful January day and a needed mid-winter Garden Tend. I'll post a sunny garden overview photo in a few days.

Geohenge

Hey, those phone boxes pop up everywhere! This travel bug has traveled 9,707 miles and stopped in 34 caches. And now it has had its photo taken with a grand collection of pyxie cup lichen. This was on the top of a pole above my head. I had to just hold the camera up and shoot. More about geocaching here. Or click on the "geocaching tours" label for other outings.
Above... In the northwest, anything is a potential host for lichen and blackberries.
While I hate to see this non indigenous resident in the woods, I suspect it has been there a while. We didn't notice this VW during our walk in the summer, probably because of the blackberries. It does instantly attract geocachers. (but ask DH who actually found the hidden box!) Reminds me of our Carhenge and Car Art Reserve vacation find. I do have more Car Art photos to post, some day.

January Pumpkins

I see this outside my window and smile. As sad as I am that I didn't get some of the pumpkins cooked before they turned squishy, I don't mind them decorating the pasture either.

This isn't the pasture with the garden, but I'm starting to think it would make another good pumpkin patch. I am glad that the pumpkins I cooked did produce a lot and I still have some in the freezer just waiting for pie time. There are also a few still in the garage. I will try to cook them this week.

After I took this photo, it started snowing again and we took off to do a little geocaching in the snow. It stopped, but we still had a nice outing. DH gave me hand warmers to slip inside my gloves. Now they are in the toes of my house slippers!

Now back to what I was working on this time last year. See here. Finally, we've made more progress and are now starting to discuss distribution plans. This is what happens when we had to clean up the office up to get in the new desk. It is much more pleasant working on projects in here now. So if you are reading this, family, hold us to it.

Welcome, Fresh New Year

Well, no, this isn't a resolution to keep my desk clean. It does look like a fresh new start, though, doesn't it?

This is my new, old Post Office desk I posted about here, on Dec. 1st! I finally washed it, shuffled out the temporary table we had in the room, and brought in this one. This room also has an office desk of about the same age and color. The office desk is rather consumed by all things electronic, so, the Post Office desk will be handy for other projects. Garden planning too, as many books and catalogs end up on the shelves behind the desk.
Above, you can see the underside of the desk. It says "Property of the Post Office Department Mfg. by Corbin Cabinet Lock Co. New Britain Conn. 1946." I had thought that it could be the zip code of 01946 since I've seen the 0 dropped sometimes. Apparently, it was made in 1946. Connecticut zips seem to start with 06.
You can see "we" didn't waste any time moving in. This wooden chair goes with the other desk I mentioned, above. However, for computing comfort we have a different chair we prefer. This one works just fine for the Post Office desk.

And for those New Year Resolutions? I prefer a more goal oriented approach. See Carol's guidelines for garden goals (or otherwise) using P.L.A.N.T.S. as a handy reminder.

Happy New Year, everyone!