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Monday, 30 April 2007
New Additions
These were given to me by Ralph. The one at the front on the left is called a Shaving Brush plant (because the flowers resemble shaving brushes), the rest are Aloe Veras - widely used for their soothing, medicinal properties. Ralph is into spikey and unusual plants, and more recently different varieties of mints of which he has quite a large selection. l'll ask him to post some pictures on his blog Swimming Against The The Tide.
ln this shot below, l have tomatoes (on the left), chives (at the front), nasturtiums (behind them), two pots of cat grass for Pussem to nibble on in the hopes he'll leave my houseplants alone, overcrowded white annuals and night scented stock at the back. Behind these is one of my Japanese Maples. Although l love the shape of the pot it wasn't a good choice. When the maple grows too large it will be very difficult to remove due to the narrow rim.
On the wall, out of harm's way is my strawberry plant 'Aromel'. The first flowers have appeared and it's now busily forming tiny fruits. l have a second variety 'Pegasus', supposed to be a heavy cropper. These should keep me supplied with fruits from mid summer onwards.
12:15 Posted in Gardening | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: gardening, Aloe Vera, Shaving Brush plant, Strawberries, 'Aromel', 'Pegasus'
Sunday, 22 April 2007
Pure Dukkha
l am now on lesson four of my course on Pureland Buddhism.
One of the topics covered this time is 'Dukkha' - The First Noble Truth.
Translated the word dukkha means 'suffering' or 'affliction', and in it's most literal sense - 'bad space'.
Dukkha is part of life. We fall out with friends, or become ill, loved ones die, our hopes and dreams are dashed or remain unfulfilled ...
Dukkha effects us all at some point, but in Pureland Buddhism the bigger picture is regarded as more important, the ultimate goal of happiness and peace which we strive to attain, the silver lining within the cloud.
To be courageous during a time of difficulty and to act with dignity is a sign of faith that better things will follow.
This week l've had my own share of dukkha and l'm in a bad space. The actions of another have forced me to take actions of my own. lt cannot be resolved amicably. That stage has long past. However, the matter is approaching the end of it's 'journey'.
This is something l have to look forward too.
l have also learned more about human nature.
Where there is money to be made, and an opportunity to be taken advantage of, there will always be a greedy and dishonest person, ready and waiting in the wings ...
http://home.btconnect.com/scimah/Dukkha.htm
16:40 Posted in Blog | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Dukkha, Pureland Buddhism, Dawkins, Darwin
Saturday, 14 April 2007
Potting On
Things are growing so fast now! Bursting into life with an unstoppable vigour.
My tomato seedlings have moved house into larger pots as they now have two pairs of true leaves and were jostling for space. From here they'll go into their final positions - grow bags or larger pots. All seven seeds have germinated - a hundred per cent success rate. As l only need three at the most l'm not sure what to do with the others.
Still no olive plants, or blue poppies. Patience is a valuable attribute when you grow your own. The poppies are going through their two week 'cold spell' in the fridge, but l check them every day.
The night-scented stock and white flowered annuals are sprouting like mustard and cress. A lovely surprise, as they had been languishing in their packets for a very long time - two or three years - and l thought they'd be dried up and useless by now. lt's remarkable how such tiny brown specks can evolve into living plants, full of scent and colour to delight us all through the summer.
My latest acquisition is a blackcurrant bush. l have visions of blackcurrant ice cream, apple and blackcurrant pie, blackcurrant jam ... but sadly l won't get any of these this year as it doesn't bear fruit until it's two, and even then l suspect the crop won't be huge. lt's an unpromising twig now, less than a foot tall, and apart from a miniscule green shoot it gives the impression of being dead! l was reading up about their cultivation yesterday, and l definitely do not like the sound of 'Currant Fly'.
Lily of the Valley are pushing reddish/brown shoots like little spears, through the earth. lt spreads like mad, and never seems to need feeding.
The wood spurge is in full flower. The blooms are a beautiful lime green shade and contrasts wonderfully with the dark maroon leaves. l'm tempted to take some cuttings later in the season, but l'm wary of the milky sap which can irritate the skin. l might take the risk - wearing gloves.
22:15 Posted in Gardening | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: gardening, tomatoes, blackcurrant bush, wood spurge
Tuesday, 10 April 2007
Prize Winning
Easter has come ... and gone, and l was able to have some time to myself. Apart from the unexpected arrival of relatives, the holiday passed without a hitch.
Recently l purchased some raffle tickets, the proceeds of which were in aid of a local day centre for the elderly, and l was lucky enough to win not one, but four prizes! These were two large Easter eggs, a box of Cadbury's Chocolate Eclairs and a bottle of Martini Rosso. Good fortune was certainly smiling on me that day.
l caught up with some DVD's. 'Shadow Hours', 'The HitchHiker's Guide To The Galaxy' and 'Pan's Labyrinth'. The last one an unsettling mix of gothic fantasy set amongst a backdrop of the postwar era of Franco's Spain, with scenes of brutality and torture. For this reason l found it hard to watch at times. But it was a very memorable film and well worth seeing, so l'm glad l did.
ln the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle l am increasing the amount of unprocessed food in my diet, mostly by extra helpings of summer salads and home-made meals. l made a tried and trusted favourite at the weekend - Leek, Potato and Bacon soup. There is a version of this on the link below, although my recipe is slightly different. l use less bacon as l'm not a big meat eater, and l include some onions too. For a lighter and less calorific soup the amount of vegetable stock can be increased and the milk omitted.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/leekpotatoandb...
Quote: 'A first rate soup is better than a second rate painting.'
Abraham Maslow
14:30 Posted in Blog | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email this | Tags: Easter, raffle tickets, Martini Rosso, Pan's Labyrinth, Abraham Maslow, Leek, Potato and Bacon soup
Sunday, 01 April 2007
Growing Up
Just one week after sowing the seeds of 'Gardener's Delight' tomatoes (pictured), and also some chives, tiny green shoots have appeared already which l gaze at in awe. ln my mind, l am already harvesting the fruits of my labours.
l am deliberating whether to plant out the tomatoes when they are large enough, into Grow-Bags, or in pots. l think the pots will win. They are deeper for one thing, higher off the ground away from slugs and snails, and take up less standing room. The other option is to plant them directly into the border at the far end of the garden, but then they would be at the mercy of passing pedestrians, some of whom may like the idea of 'free' home-grown produce.
My herb border is getting a re-vamp after the winter, as it looks a little jaded. l've weeded and cut away any brown stems, and fed it with some organic pelleted fertilizer. The french tarragon appears to be dead. lt is an annual shrub, but l had hoped it would survive.
l'm in the process of ruthlessly hacking back a hypericum which has become a monster and taken over a large section of the border under the front window of the house. lt is a useful hotel for snails. They like to slide up into it's twiggy branches during daylight hours, then nibble holes in the choiysia and japanese anemones next to it when darkness falls. So, it needs to be cut down to size - around 18inches should be enough.
l was given some bulbs of an unusual plant called a Voodoo lily. lnitially, they need no soil or water at all. They can be stood on a saucer or a windowsill and the leaves and flowers just emerge. The flowers are said to have a very distinctive and pungent aroma. (Hence the name 'voodoo' ?!) After blooming, they are planted in soil and a new bulb forms in place of the old, now shrivelled one, then stored in a cool, dry place until the following Spring when the whole process begins again.
12:55 Posted in Gardening | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: gardening, tomatoes, 'Gardener's Delight', chives, herbs, voodoo lily