For now I'm stuck using Guy's make-believe FujiFilm A210 from, like, five years ago. Until I can scrape enough pennies together to buy the camera I really want, it's a waiting game. (Usually, I would just buy the camera I want, but with my 401k lately blown to smithereens, and my job situation eternally uncertain, it seems prudent to dig in and wait for the big deflation NPR's constantly yammering about to dial that price tag down a little bit.) The waiting is the hardest part.
I got my first seed catalog today. Do you know these people? They're in Maine. I was born in California, but my family comes from Maine.
I've never received this catalog before. I see they have some negative reviews on Dave's Garden. Does that matter to you? Who the hell are those people, anyway?
This catalog has some cool season tomatoes with shorter DTMs than I've ever seen. I generally rely on 'Stupice' at 60-65, but these people have 'Polefast' and 'Tigrella' at 54 and 55, resepectively. They also have a 53-day French filet bean called 'Straight 'N Narrow' (does not sound French) and a 75-day winter squash called 'Cream of the Crop'. I've seen the glaucus pumpkin from New Zealand named 'Jarradale' before (100 days). Why don't I grow that? Perhaps I shall.
I did some fall planting today. This is Rosy Buckwheat (Eriogonum grande) I grew from seed.
It doesn't look like it's ready to get planted out, but the roots are coming out the bottom. I'm pretty sure that means it's ready to plant. Besides, I did an experiment last week and planted one out, and it's doing fine. When it flowers it looks a little bit like this:
But imagine it with a better camera, please.
I also planted out more of the Checkerbloom (Sidalcea malviflora) that I grew from seed.
It doesn't look like much now, but tip it out of the pot, and the tuberous root is ready to rock.
Here's the insect that populates my garden during the winter. I think that's its head.
I was in the garden last night and found two of these dangling from a leaf. I thought what I saw might have been discarded "skins" or something, but when I went down this morning they were gone, so I guess they sleep by hanging. Crazy insects.
Ceanothus 'Ray Hartman' is blooming lightly. I'm not sure what to make of that. This is not February or March.
I know Ceanothus will re-bloom in the fall if you prune it in the spring. But I hope a few flowers now won't mean fewer flowers later. I count on the the spring bloom.
On the other hand, Fuchsia boliviana 'Alba' is always putting out.
8 comments:
Sorry to hear about your camera, but the photos are nice anyway.
I'm down the coast from you but I'm also seeing my ceanothus bloom, as well as my pluot. Strange weather, hope the pluot blooms again at a better time.
I looked at the online version of Pinetree and they have Cosmonaut Volkov. I've had success with that this year and look forward to planting it again next year. Two that look intriguing to me are Black Krim and Anna Russian. Thanks for pointing the supplier out. Have a nice remainder of your weekend.
Hi Chuck, bummer about the camera. You probably can get a better deal than amazon, they are not the best prices usually, but easy. I do my Canon though, just had to read the owner's manual to work it properly. I got that Pinetree catalog too and leafed through it. Bad reviews on Dave's usually means the people really wanted to let it be known that there is a problem. It would affect my decision to give them my credit card number. Paypal maybe. Your seedlings do look good with those roots and ready to go.
Frances
You have way more fortitude than me. One little scratch and I bought a new camera, though now I take the old one on short road trips, just in case.
I quess when you have no money the whole concept remains rather imaginary. How can spending something that doesn't exist hurt?
I envy your Ceanothus. It usually melts down here in NC. Those blue flowers are lovely.
I wouldn't mess with a seed company with bad reviews. There's too many good ones out there.
Sympanthies re: your camera, but I agree the pictures are still good.
Sorry about the camera, Chuck, and hope you get your dream camera some day. Guy's camera may be make-believe but the photos look real.
Is that one of those Indian Stick Insects hanging around your garden? Heard some brought in as pets escaped and multiplied.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Heh, don't you just love plants that "put out"? That walking stick is way cool...seems like ours are skinnier. Your dream camera is very exciting, I can see why you'd rather wait. I'm so rough on my camera that I want to pick up the Olympus that's water/dust/shock/freeze-proof, but it's just a point-and-shoot.
BTW...I've ordered from Pinetree before with good results. I got that catalog too, and was pretty excited to have my first 09' "book of temptations" already.
Sorry to hear about your camera, but the photos are pleasant anyway.
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