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Habitat gardening

repost

It had rained overnight and it was still overcast and sprinkly with sun expected in the afternoon ;  perfect weather for 'gardening'.

The grass along the fence which the mower knows to miss was long enough to yield to gentle tugs and once unearthed was laid down on the ground along the fence where it will return to the earth and enrich the soil. 

The plant not grass - I think it is feverfew;  will have to google images (I have gardening books but oh that Net is proving more and more such a resource) - got left to grow;  a garden volunteer.  It smells lovely when touched and then fingers sniffed.

This fennel plant I dug up from the boulevard outside Vic High where it would soon be mowed down and put  alongside the (possibly) feverfew plant.  The fennel still looks in a bit of a thoughtful state about getting about the business of growing and feathering and looking so pretty but I am hopeful.  I cannot seem to find the other ones I tucked here and there about the garden:  I am prepared to be surprised if and when they shoot up.

The lily of the valley which were so visible a few weeks ago went into hiding; actually, they were over/whelmed/grown by the blue bells and daffodils.  But I knew they were there and got three fragrant successive bouquets (the last one is on the table as I write) by successfully snooping.

Today the spent bluebells, the spent daffs got tugged out and added to the line of plant material along the fence and will creep forward each year, perhaps, and replace the grass.

Oh yes, I admit and agree that this Australian bushmint bush is dead - likely.  It survived two winters but - likely - died in this last severe one.

The stem and leaves are not highly fragrant like its less hardy cousin or I think it would have been added to my potpourri collection.  But still it stays in the garden and offers beauty in a way of seeing.  Or hearing:  the wind plays music on its brittle leaves.

At its base is a Scotch thistle still in its container.
It came from the garden of friends in my Eleven Block Garden adventure and I had intended slitting it into the swath of ground beside the path but somehow it has remained where I first set it down and I am becoming used to it there.

It can spread once it blooms and although its babies are easily pulled up I will not risk the upset of neighbours so will keep it 'picked' in my garden.  It is such a stunning plant and beneficial to insects.

The area beside the verandah stairs where I plopped in a chair and a footrest and a bit of dropped sky in the guise of a bowling ball served me very well last autumn as a garden shelter from the very windy winds.  And again in the winter when we had a lot of snow and I stomped it down and stomped across it and sat in this chair in the midst.  And the neighbourhood cat came and sat on my lap.  And I had a pleasant thought or two for the snow for giving such an experience.

Today I tugged out vegetation that was starting to hide the sky ball and tickling the turtle's tummy.

The southernwood on the verandah did survive the winter and its soft wispy foliage stains the fingers with scent each morning when I go down to get the newspaer and on when to'ing and fro'ing from home during the day. 

The scented geranium that flanked it did not live to enhance another season;  it rarely does, even in our (usually) moderate climate.

So I went on a search for some more;  plant sales have not turned up any in earlier quests so I headed to the nurseries.  Nothing.  Well, actualy there were a few, but not the kind I wanted.  And the thought of battery chickens crossed my mind as I wandered the aisles, an image that I will be sure to get by if I fail to come up with some scented geranium either from local markets or someone's garden clippings. I am hopeful.  I could have bought fennel from a nursery but, as in the case of the ones now planted (or hiding) in my garden, they have so much more personality, so much more meaning because I know where they came from and how I obtained them (it was a 'rescue' mission, remember, one step or two before the lawn mower).
The boots .....

... and the gloves continue to enjoy the outdoors while the mere mortal had to make do with doors and windows wide.

Cinnamon-flavoured coffee

Cinnamon has a nice taste,  sweetens satisfactorily and has health benefits.

Popping a stick of cinnamon in with the morning coffee offers all of these benefits.  And it's fun to see how the stick has uncurled after its dunking.

Pictured is the cinnamon prior to immersion.

I wonder if this would work with tea .... 

 

Earth day nature walk

Earth Day.  7 a.m.  A stroll through Uplands Park in Victoria with a congenial group of people.

There was much to see and hear.   I was looking more than photographing but this rock urged more than the lens of my eyes. It reminded me of the relief maps we did in grade seven.  I wondered what world this was conveying.

 

 

 

 

 

There was no hesitation in digging camera from purse when I saw this arbutus tree - this s.p.r.a.w.l.i.n.g   arbutus tree....  I have never seen anything like it before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sculpting with window screening: baskets

When a roll of black nylon'y window screening presented at a church sale a few years ago the fabric aspect captivated me and it has made its appearance as a garment or two since then.

I've been wanting a couple of bowls to hold fruit, to replace this wicker one.   

Crocheting ones like these was considered;  what to use as the fibre brought thoughts of black twine,  or Greek braiding  a length of  black cloth into a tight strand and then crocheting or coiling it.  These remained as ideas.

This morning the thought of the remaining black window screening came to mind and I had just meant to check to see how much was left .....

......then I got to forming it into a basket shape .... got out the T-pins to take the place of slip had I been using clay .... liked the first one .... made another.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like the airy shape, the casual containment,  the look of them on the plant stand that came indoors from the deck last autumn and assumed  kitchen status and purpose.

New-century modern: wearable garden; hat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The four states of being .....

.... physical, mental, spiritual and temporal.  I am slowly beginning to understand about the temporal state.

Garage sale finds

This tea pot was nice looking;  the interesting part was that it was a solid piece:  the  lid did not detach.

The seller at the sale told me it was from Peru but had been a gift and she had used it for decoration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bottom looked like this.  Reminded me of these salt cellars.

Bought it; brought it home;  decided it could not be for tea;  reminded me of how, in India, we kept water in terra cotta vessels which evaporated slowly through the porous material and kept the water cool.  

Poured water into the hole in bottom imagining it must be funnel shaped and would keep the water in the vessel when turned upright again.  It did!

It is now sitting on the counter and I will check the  temperature of the water after awhile.  The vessel has been glazed so maybe it is not meant as a cooler. It can't be cleaned other than rinsing so I don't think it is meant for something like milk or syrup.  ???  

 

 

 

 

 

A lot of interesting meat grinders have shown up at the Friday church sale recently and I assumed someone had gotten rid of their collection - and thought what an interesting thing to collect and to wonder how they displayed them.

This showed up on Friday, maybe part of that collection.  

Did not think until just now to place an object beside it to show the size.  Imagine a penny sitting on the cutting board to which it is attached.  It is the smallest meat grinder I have ever seen.  One of the lady sellers thought it might be meant for spices.  ???? 

I did have another must-have meat grinder in the past:  check it out here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Out and about in the 'garden'

repost

For some reason the photos I am trying to upload to illustrate this posting are appearing on their sides so I hope to solve this problem soonest:  they are viewable but it is just too weird to expect readers to tilt their heads onto their shoulders. 

I'm going ahead with the post anyway!

All 'winter' here in Victoria  BC  the 'garden' is accessible to  eyes and ears and nose from windows and deck and veranda.  The daily to'ing and fro'ing across the land  from home to sidewalk frequently turns into a side-trek of exploration.  But the temperature does dictate being outdoors in the 'garden' and forgetting about time.

I  say 'garden' to qualify that it - and my role in it - is more of a being than doing.  I do dig and plant and dig out and water and trim and compost and scold squirrels in the hazelnut trees and wear a gardening apron and read articles and books on gardening and seek answers for questions like how to prevent the peach tree from getting black on its leaves and wear gloves (vinyl) when I rescue the raspberry canes from the bindweed and wear gloves (leather) when I put shovel to earth and foot to shovel and expect something major to occur in way of dislodging dirt.  So this is gardening.

But all that is more the result, rather than the aim, of what I get from spending time observing and enjoying. 

Comfortable seating is a must.  A place to relax.  A time to relax and not see chores that should be done but the simple delights of what is right here, right now.   A spot to sit alone or with a friend;  with a book or without;  a cup of tea is always a good companion. As is a neighbourhood cat. 

It is time now - warm enough! - to be out and about in the garden.  I will leave off the  apostrophes, now that I have explained my meaning of garden.

During the winter the slinkies and the pinwheel and the bright plastic hangers remain part of the garden and offer movement and colour.

The warming weather brings the bowling balls back into the garden.  They come indoors in the months when there might be frost outside  ever since the year when a friend of mine, who also likes the look of  spheres of 'marble' in his garden, had one burst apart when water got into the finger holes and then  froze.  I wonder if it made a huge noise. 

The smokey bowling ball sits on a stand that I think was meant for a candle and is flanked by two small birds.  It is under one of the plum trees now - it may move:  re-arranging things in the garden I much enjoy - in freshly-turned soil where some wallflowers might get planted.  Some trees seem to want grass (meadow rather than lawn) under them so a human can sit on the ground with trunk of tree as backrest.  This plum tree is more a chair- or bench-nearby tree thus the turned soil.  Sometimes you have to live with a tree for a year or two to get the feel for the rightness of what is required.  Sometimes trees change their minds.  The neighbourhood cat was visiting and is in the damned sideways  picture  which you will see if when it gets posted properly.  I like it when cats visit me in the garden.  I like it when I see raccoons at dusk or at dawn tiptoeing through.

The amber bowling ball is in front of one of the several mirrors in the garden, this year in a different place.  Last year I could see it from the table where meals are eaten outdoors.  This year it is visible from the deck where meals are eaten outdoors.  The ball may move when more meals are eaten at the table on the grass than at the table on the deck.

Two small green bowling balls are in a bed still wearing a leaf covering.  A slinky nods approval at their presence and isn't about to whisper the secret of what those leaves will uncover.

Two yards over there are chickens.  In the corner nearest to the chickens I have put two roosters.  The kind that will not crow at four a.m.

Obviously I solved the problem of the sideways photos - thanks to a nice man named Don  over on the Picasa Help site where you can explain the situation and people respond with what they think is wrong and offer solutions.  I decided to leave the 'process' of this posting rather than delete my grumblings and pretend it never happened.  Such an adventure of discovery and learning.  As for the remembering of the learning.....ah, that's another issue.....and why I have notes on the wall above the computer!
 

Proposal for personal chair design

Energy is used entirely in the construction: energy body-produced/body-directed.

When one wishes to be seated at a table or desk or under a tree or at the beach etc. conscious thought will motivate the energy to form around the body in the exact position needed/wanted to give optimal support.

For sitting in a theatre or in a car or on a plane etc. the energy will accommodate the existent structure in its exact positioning.

A further feature, if desired, would respond to changes in body temperature, need for movement etc.and adjust accordingly to regulate temperature, movement.

Falls could be 'cushioned', the body responding to an understood  "recline" intent.

The invisible chair could be made visible with colour, light, contours.

Respectfully submitted.

 

 

Moving ; packing not necessary

Stand in the middle of  a room and imagine it empty, clear of furniture, appliances, accessories; everything!

Now think about moving afresh into the space.  Thing is, when we have already lived in the space we are 'experienced residents' and know about lighting and sound and temperature; about ease/restriction of movement; about things that make us feel good in our environment. Etc.  Worthwhile knowledge when 'moving in' for the second time.

The Kitchen

 Would the frig and stove occupy new places....  What about the table and chairs -  such an important part of a kitchen, where we sit and eat and talk and read and are influenced in all of these by what is around us - would the table and chairs be placed differently.  Maybe moving the frig and/or the stove would facilitate this. Or moving the table and chairs require the frig and/or stove to be moved.  

Imagine the counter(s) cleared.  Hard to imagine?  Then physically take everything off the counter and put it on the table and stare at the bare counter; then decide what to put there.

Open cupboard doors;  open cupboard doors can lead to thoughts of how easy it would be to get things in and out of cupboards without having to open and close a cupboard door each and every time;  can lead to the thought  and  then action of removing a cupboard door - or two! - or all!!  Can inspire a  'convenience mindset' and many small changes and a "why didn't I think of this sooner!"  Can (and usually does) lead to niggling wonders about just how many dishes/pots and pans/gadgets/utensils/stuff we actually need or want.  What would we be getting rid of "because we are moving".  Well, we are.  Moving.  And it is fascinating to declutter in such a situation without the urge to keep something in case we need it in the next place so we pack it and move it and then unpack it and realize we don't need it - or want it.  

What else is now NOT in the kitchen in our imagining.  How does the space feel.