Daily Notes- April 8

                                             

If you have nothing else to grow this Spring- no seeds, or bulbs etc---you can set the root end of celery, carrots, onions, fennel in water- just a half inch to one inch- as the bottom is the only part needing to be in water--and wait.  A sunny facing window would be prefect.  And because you are taking care- of so many things right now- this will be easy- just freshen the water every few days. Pour out the old and add new.  And wait.  My favorite is the end of a bunch of celery.  It starts making little celery leaves quickly.  Jude on Spirit Cloth has vegetable ends rooted and growing on her new deck. The photo above is from Food52.

I was cleaning out a drawer and found some seeds.  I still have a nice collection of half gallon empty plastic milk jugs.  I still have a quarter of the large bag of potting soil.  No problem to start a few more seeds- the tomatoes and peppers.  Out on the back deck five of the jugs have tiny seedlings- still with the seed leaves only (two tiny leaves) and none of the true leaves (ones that look like whatever it is you are growing) yet.

I made my masks with interfacing inside- very hot and sweaty inside the mask.  I don't think that is the correct way for it to be.   None of the vapor I was producing was evident on the outside.  So perhaps it is a good idea? As nothing can get inside either.  Any one out there have an opinion? And I am seeing folded thin wire and pipe cleaners (folded double) used for the nose piece- to press into the top of your nose to hold the mask in place.

I think the population has hit the wall so to speak.  Few blog posts.  No commenting.

Yesterday we pruned the Mugo Pine into a more flowing Japanese Garden shape.  Sort of like a real life sized Bonsai.  Now-- flat and moving right and left-- not up.  Under the north side is a stack of rocks.  Round one at the bottom and then a flat one (balanced) and then several small round ones in a row. A very heavily pruned rhododendron (over 30 years old and still only four feet tall but 10 feet wide- leaves and flowers touching the grass) next to the Mugo and the stacked rocks. To the other side a PeeGee (smaller) rhododendron relative which was pruned two years ago and now needs  works again.  But not until it blooms.  Gorgeous lavender.  I prune flowering shrubs after they bloom.

Husband has gone out to begin a new project in the yard.  He says there is "too much to get done" but I think he looks for jobs to do- to make the day go faster.

Finally, the scourge of leaf blowers have attacked the street I live on.  I don't know why.  The leaves in my yard were blown- (Riley and I hated every minute) by husband in the Fall- for hours.  And they are still where he sent them.  No need for any further leaf removal.  There are a ton of acorns embedded in the lawn.  Only a good rake will move them.

The book I am missing is Blood Of Roses by Marsha Canham. If any romance reader out there has it, I can pay postage, read it and then send it back promptly.

Only one library is Maine has a copy but all the libraries will be closed thru August.  I am assuming-- as they say the virus will be here into the Summer and beyond.  Here in Maine the Governor tells us the unvarnished truth.  Thru the Summer.  For the first wave.  Viruses are the gift that keeps on giving long after it has outworn it's welcome.

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