These are the salad days

Is that a phrase? Anyway, I'm referring to days when I come home from work and it's WARM OUTSIDE! I immediately get on my gardening clothes and go outside for a few hours. Today, I planted some of the hundreds of petunias that I grew from seed. I never have a plan. I just garden like an abstract action painter might garden. It's all over the canvas / yard and it never stops being created.

These are the extra-special tulips I was waiting to see. I bought them at the very end of the season last year in Minneapolis. They are lovely. The rabbits ate the green and pink ones I think.

The tiny green things above are the petunia seedlings. Small, no? I could tell that they were loving being in a big space vs. 100 to a tiny cell in the tray. I'm curious to see if they are all pink like their parent plants.

Tragedy in the land of seedlings

If I get more than a bowl of tomatoes this season, I would consider it a small miracle.

The weather has been nothing short of unfriendly if you're a seedling trying to acclimate yourself to living outsie -- cold and rainy. After a heavy rainstorm two nights ago, I thought I had seen the fallout yesterday but I was wrong. Upon closer examination this morning, I had a tragedy playing out in my backyard. Some of the bins (mini greenhouses) had gotten rain inside even though I had covers on them. About 3 inches of water had sent my cups of seedlings afloat and some tipped over completely. I gasped when I saw it all. But just when I thought there was no hope, the sun came out and I quickly moved all bins to the sun and poured out any water. Let's hope they can survive. And the flats of flower seeds that I planted? It's like they are small pools of water sitting on my patio table. Very sad and disappointing.

In the midst of all this tomato tragedy, there are still some pockets of spring success. I do love my tulips! The cool weather has prolonged their blooming schedule.

Below are what I think are my first "crops." Radishes.

And back to more tulip pornography!!

What happens while I'm at work?

Usually, I AM at work but I took a day off today. And this is what I woke up to. Does this sort of activity go on everyday?

The road and sewer project continues. Half of the road is ripped up and with the rain, it's not a good situation This truck was going up and down the street in short bursts trying to pack down the road so the mail truck and anyone else who wanted to park on the street wouldn't sink into the old culvert. Hmmm, apparently things went awry and the truck got into the culvert.

The driver abandoned the truck and walked down the road away from the scene. But soon, help arrived.

Soon, the truck was back on the road and cones went up to alert people not to try parking on the side of the road. Yes, I'm procrastinating here and this seemed like something good that needed to be recorded. Otherwise, I might have to start a project around the house. 

Outside

I dug up some of the garden and planted greens this past weekend. It wasn't all that bad. The soil is finally starting to become workable and less clay-like. I planted greens, radishes and peas.

 One of my very special chestnut trees. They are going to really pop soon. 

What is it about photographing what the human eye sees? It's never the same. This was so interesting to me and when I see the photo now, so way? That must be at the heart of what happened to the art world when photography emerged and tried to make its way into the world of "fine art." Not to sound like a dinosaur but back in the 1970s when I was in college studying art, the debate was still going on to some extent! Photography was trying to become a legitimate area of study. 

It's here

Spring, that is!

I just came in from hanging some laundry and uncovering the portable greenhouses (clear plastic bins).

Everyone made it through the first night spent outside. It probably wasn't all that much colder than it gets in my house at night.

While I was outside, it reality hit.....I'm behind!

So today I'm putting away the paint brushes and getting on my gardening shoes for some planting.

I have a nice selection of kale, swiss chard, lettuce and radishes that should really go in now. I'm assuming we won't get anymore frost. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Rise and shine!

Let's lift the covers and get some air and a little sun today.

Small but so far they're all surviving living separately and not all crammed into seed cells in flats.

Tulip porn.