Seed heads

My co-worker, Melissa, at Gale Woods Farm had me take some photographs yesterday in her greenhouse. Eighty degrees and lovely with the aroma of black soil and compost I took a few for her.

Onion seedlings with heads of seed were still attached to their slender green bodies. I love the balance of daintiness and strength that was displayed throughout the flats. I desire to live with such balance!

Skeletons in the Garden

Isn't this a great title for a painting? It conjures up such interesting images! When combined together they would make a really good story (who knows-- there might be someday such a painting of mine whose title this is!).....

I came across, in the New York Times the other week, a visually yummy paragraph within an interesting article: "If you make a four season garden you have to learn to accept decay and see the beauty of it. It's about the texture and shape, the seed heads and the skeletons....."

The skeletons in my garden became more apparent last week as the weather broke 50 degrees. However, they are now again mostly buried due to the recent weekend snowfall (24"!).  So I have had to temporarily put my spring fever bug back on the back burner and again derive pleasure from the simplistic forms protruding from the snow....

Softly bristly and green

Remember this last late winter I had purchased some seeds from this great seed company? Well, Spring arrived and I planted them expectedly, and due to life it took me longer than intended to get my then-sad-looking seedlings into the ground. At the time, it really didn't look very promising... Well, nature did what it does during summer - lots of rain and warm sun and then, with great excitement, I saw happy bees at the sweet little yellow flowers. And as it is with any fruit, the flower then produced what I had hoped to see ~ hedgehog gourds! in all of their softly bristly and green glory! What a delight they are and how fun they are to feel!! I'm curious to see how they continue to grow as the season comes to an end. Will the softly bristly green remain? We shall see.....

Seed catalog already!?

I just received my first 2010 seed catalog, even though November isn't quite done. I've never heard of Pinetree Garden Seeds before - I wonder how they got my address? No worries, though, as I am delighted with the descriptions I have come across in the first few pages of their catalog. Two examples: Cheddar Cauliflower - "this unique and beautiful cauliflower is the color of cheddar cheese and retains this dramatic shade when cooked...." and Cosmic Purple (carrot) - "With a stunning shade of purple skin, this unique Danvers type carrot is a delight when harvested..... when sliced in coin-sized pieces, the inner yellow core is surrounded by orange flesh and encircled by the purple skin that will remain colorful after cooking...". What fun! Oh, to plant all of these..... what enjoyment it would be.... the inspiration of color and form, from the garden to the table!

Oh dear, it's been a while since I've written....

I haven't forgotten; I just haven't known what to write about when there's been so much to write about! I'm inspired by so much right now: my new purchases from Wet Paint: a paint brush (Monza #4, Short Round) and colour shaper (soft Cup Chisel #0); a story emerging from the layers in my painting (the work in progress up above); the return of the robins (I believe it was this past Friday); the planting of seeds (dinosaur kale, giant groundcherry, elecampane.....) from Seeds of Change; a slice of leek morphing on my kitchen counter (the rings of green, gold, the miniature detail in such thin delicate sections!); the arrival of the pigs (not to mention the baby chicks and soon to be arriving piglets and lambs!) at Gale Woods Farm; the publication with so many ideas from Surface Design Association; the noodling around in my head on new patterns (stay tuned!) to create for my grant proposal.....

May you be as inspired by your environment as I!