Imagine My Surprise

I was working on a few small projects in the yard this weekend and was in and out of my little garage a couple of times. I was moving a few things around when I noticed the craziest thing! These two plants were growing!

Let me back up. Last year when I was looking around for some things to plant in the front yard (which didn't actually happen until recently), I came across some perennial hibiscus plants that were on sale. I snatched a few of them (6? 8?) and had every intention of planting them in the front yard. Well, time went on and I never really got a chance to get them in front, so I ripped out some other plants I hated in the back yard and thought the hibiscus would be lovely there. I planted most of them in a smallish spot and had 2 left over. So, I set them in the garage and barely thought of them since...I figured they were dead since they were in such tiny containers and left there all winter. All. Winter. When I stumbled upon them in the garage, I was floored to see new growth! How the heck did they live in there with no water? Luckily they had light from the one window in the garage...it's like a gardening miracle!

So I potted them in 2 of the biggest pots I have and I'm hoping they make it (the ones I planted in the ground are coming up again, but no flowers yet).

Let me tell you, these hibiscus are HUGE...

See what I mean? That's my hand over a flower last summer!!

They are also beautiful...it will be a surprise to see which colors come up where...

Doesn't this one remind you of a peppermint candy?

So pretty! I can't wait to see what happens.

Tell me...have you had any garden miracles?

Life Lessons...From a Tomato

I've got spring fever. I daydream about warmer weather and fresh herbs right from my backyard.

So naturally, I ordered the new seeds and supplies catalog from an awesome place, Seeds of Change. They're certified organic and do some great community projects. As a bonus, the catalog is seriously fascinating reading. 


It got me thinking about my tomatoes last year. I definitely learned a few important things. And I realized these lessons didn't have to be just about the tomatoes anymore...


Embrace diversity! Difference is a good thing! There are more colors, textures, shapes, and sizes out there than you probably realize. Embrace them all. There's more out there than just generic, hothouse tomatoes.

Have patience & hope. I was so excited for my tomatoes to get here, once they started growing. After eagerly checking their progress week after week after week I started losing patience. I started losing interest. And I started thinking that my tomatoes were going to rot before they actually produced anything edible. But then, their true colors started showing and I felt a bit silly for losing patience, interest, and hope. Who am I to rush nature? It'll happen when it's supposed to and that's that. 

There are always going to be a few freaks. Nuff said.


Sometimes things aren't going to go the way you expect. From the moment I bought my little tomato plants, I had been daydreaming about all the tomatoes I'd have by the end of the summer. I was thinking about all the different ways I could enjoy my big harvest. I secretly wondered if I could convince my mom to help me can some tomatoes for later. Oh, the possibilities! Then my plants only produced a few tomatoes. Not even all at once so I could make a batch of salsa! One precious ripe tomato at a time. Which brings me to my next point...

Enjoy what you have. I admit, this one is sometimes difficult for me. I sometimes think more about the things I want instead of making the best of what I have. But boy, when it came to my tomatoes, I savored each one! 

Learn something from the experience and make it better next time. Honestly, this is probably my personal motto. I try to learn something, even from really crappy situations {cough, last job, cough cough}, and try to make it better the next time. You can bet I'm going to (try) growing tomatoes again this year. But I'm going to do a few things differently. We'll see how it goes.

So tell me.... what lessons have you learned from a tomato? Or carrot or cucumber or pumpkin or...whatever!

PS- I've also learned a lesson or two from this amazing tomato!!!

Eat Your Heart Out Georgia O'Keefe!

{Note: The following blog post is rated PG-13 and may not be suitable for young audiences. Reader discretion is advised.}

I like Georgia O'Keefe. She was unique and her work was larger than life- you probably know her best by her up-close-and-personal paintings of flowers.

Anyway, you probably already know this, but some say O'Keefe's paintings were ... hm, how shall I put this delicately...reminiscent of genitalia. There. I said it. See for yourself. 

source 

Don't worry, this isn't an art history lesson... but it IS about the weirdest plant I've ever owned...one that Georgia O'Keefe, if she were still alive, might have a field day with!

Remember my pretty little Lipstick Plant? My sweet little plant? So pretty and green.

Last year sometime, my little plant got one or two tiny dark purple flowers. Nothing too exciting happened with them and I didn't think much more of it. Then this year, around Thanksgiving maybe, a whole slew of teeny fuzzy purple buds started popping up on the plant. They took a long time to grow, but they kept growing taller until finally, it looked like something was growing up from inside the plant. "Cool," I thought. "Like a tube of lipstick."

Day by day the "inner flower" made its way up, until one evening I was walking past, while on the phone with my mom, and I stopped mid-sentence and blurted, "Ohmygoshmom! My plant! The flower looks like...well it looks like...a ... a penis! I'msorrybutthat'swhatitlookslike!"

 

I felt a little dirty looking at it. Although, that didn't stop me from snapping a few pictures on my cell phone and texting them to a few people, my mom included (hey, she asked!). 

Yes, some people do say it also looks like a thumb or finger. OK. Fine. I'll go with that. I wasn't thinking anything else would happen until a friend said she was curious to see what would happen when it bloomed. Cripes. It might do more!

And bloom she did. The next morning I woke up to this:

Pretty, huh?

Appropriately enough, I had a whole bouquet of what I lovingly refer to as "penis flowers" just in time for National Condom Day.

This was taken after a couple of them had bloomed...

What a weird little plant. I kind of love her.

Erm...wait...should she be a he??? Or perhaps a he-she??

Is This a Sign?

I noticed a tiny, new shoot coming up on my Jade plant in my office at work yesterday!! Exciting, in and of itself!

When I looked a little closer...

...Do you see what I see? A lovely little heart? My friend BK said, "It's like love is shooting up everywhere."

I'm not sure about "love"... but I do have some minor CrushGate updates....

Stay tuned. :)

Color!

Finally! My Yellow Giant Belgium is turning! Lovely, yes?

It's the Simple Things...

 Tell me, what simple thing has made you happy today?

Hello My Lovelies!

My pretty Giant Yellow Belgium. You are looking ravishing these days- all round and perfectly formed. Keep up the good work!

 

Oh, my sweet Bell Pepper. Although I'm excited to see you in all your yellow glory, I must admit you look stunning in green too!

Look Ma! My Very Own Circus Freaks!

Remember how I wanted to grow tomatoes? And eat them?

Yeah, well... that was before I started growing circus freaks. (As you view these, you may want to hum a creepy version of that clown song)

The tomato on the left and in the first picture above used to be small and perfect looking... So what happened???

Apparently, my little freaks' condition has an actual name. Catfacing. From what I understand, it can be caused by cool temperatures when the plant is blossoming. That seems odd to me, it's been really warm here! I haven't used any herbicides or pesticides or anything. I'm trying to be chemical-free. So who knows what contributed. Somehow the blossom got screwed up and the fruit couldn't develop normally.


I wonder if the look as freaky-deaky on the inside...

Sigh. I hope the rest of my tomato babies are going to be OK.

Have you ever had any weird stuff like this happen?? Do tell!

In the Garden Right Now...Part Deux

 

Just for fun.... here's what that Bell Pepper looked like just one week ago. 

NOT in the Garden Right Now...

...my first Jalapeno! Because I ate it!

And it was good. I sliced it up and threw it in with some pasta, olive oil, fresh tomatoes and herbs, and a little salt. At first, I only threw in a few slices of the smaller end, as I didn't know how spicy it would be. It tasted so fresh and so... pepper-y, but very mild like a Bell pepper. Mm. Later, I sliced up the rest and threw it in with my leftover pasta, but first I ate a slice with the seeds. Whew! That side packed more heat!!

I can't wait for more!

In the Garden Right Now...

While I Was Out...

SO much happened...in the backyard, anyway. :)

The basil plants exploded. Trust me... this was much smaller when I left.

So did the parsley.

And the tomatoes. This is the same Black Krim I posted here. Pay no attention to the grass....it also grew like crazy while I was out (apparently it rained almost all week).

Lastly...

I have a baby jalapeno pepper!! Isn't it so cute?

It's pretty phenomenal what nature can do...I'm grateful I can watch and learn and enjoy. :)

Tell me... how does your garden grow?

New Life

I've been growing some parsley and sweet basil in the kitchen this spring. I have loved watching the tiny sprouts push through the soil, unfold, and stretch up toward the light. 

My kitchen counter and windowsill is crowded with baby herbs.

Mmm, I can't wait to use this parsley!

What are you growing this spring?

More Nature...

Ah, Spring. You had me at "hello."

My little magnolia tree is quite the sight, don't you think? From far away, she looks like a pink cotton candy tree.

Here's one of her blooms, wide-open.

And here is a close-up of the firecracker center.

Pretty cool, eh?

One Tulip, Different Days

I'm not feeling particularly creative today and wasn't sure what I wanted to post. So, I thought I'd share a few more pics (my latest distraction/hobby?). I've been playing around with the camera a lot lately (as you've seen) and what with spring happening before my eyes, I've had plenty of material.

I rescued another chewed-on tulip (squirrels?) from my little flower bed on the side of the house. Can you believe this tulip...

is the same as this tulip...

and this tulip...???

with only a few days separating them?

Pretty cool, huh?