ImPerceptibility

Archive for the ‘Growing Something’ Category

Looks like the breeze is blowing a little cold today.  Whats up with this?  It’s April. Those are dogwood blossoms under all that snow.

At least it’s starting to melt!  The new leaves on my Japanese maple are happy.

I was excited when I walked out and saw the crocus that have bloomed since yesterday.  I was more excited when I realized a bumble bee was anxious to have his picture taken.  You can click on the pictures to enlarge if you want to see the details.  My kids were excited to see the pollen on the bee and the youngest swears she can see eyelashes!

The girls and I had a lot of fun sprouting the Fortune Plant they received as a gift. When we left for vaction, I watered them both well and hoped they would make it. To make a long story short, they did. Not only did they make it, they got a little out of control.

The first plant was reasonably well behaved. She grew at an appropriate rate and was just above the bottom of the curtain when we came home.

The second plant wasn’t so well behaved. She grew up behind the blind.

Entangled herself in the cording.

Grew through the little turney thing that opens and closes the blinds.

And up over the top of the cabinets.
I’m not sure but isn’t that an un-godly rate of growth for a fortune plant? Do you think it is dangerous? Maybe, like my daughter suggested, it is trying to eat us. I’m not sure. I’m going to keep and eye on it. If it starts creeping down the hall towards the cat, It’s outta here.

My daughters received a fortune plant as gift a few weeks ago. It’s a huge seed that has been stamped with a message. When the seed grows up out of the soil it tells you your fortune. One of ours ended up looking like this.

“Do you think it can bite?” my daughter asked. It looked like a big green monster.

“I don’t know, put your finger in there and see” I told her.

She said that was a great idea. As long as I went first!

It was one of those days when I realize my kids do have some common sense after all. I sometimes wonder about that.

Later, I was telling someone about it. My older daughter looked up from her gameboy just long enough to tell me that it would be good if the fortune plant bit me.

“Why’s that?” I asked her a little annoyed.

Because then you would be fortune-ate.

Apparently they have one of those senses of humor too. :)

It really made my day.

I decided to plant potatoes this year. Not in a garden, I don’t have enough room for that. I planted them in a trashcan.

I was searching for a web article about growing vegetables in containers. I came across this site – Taters in a Barrel. I had to try it. I have an abundant supply of wood shavings courtesy of my husband’s woodturning hobby. All I needed was a trashcan and some potatoes.

I chose blue skin potatoes. Actually, they chose me. It was the only variety left at the garden center. I then chose a blue trashcan for them to grow in. Ok, it was the cheapest can at Lowes. But I liked it best anyway. I planted the potatoes as directed and waited. In just a few days they were growing above the soil. I carefully covered them and waited. Every few days I re-covered them with a topsoil/wood shaving mixture until they reached the top of the trashcan. The vines grew right out of the container and are now tumbling quite nicely down the side. I have to wait until September to see if I actually get any potatoes. But, I’m feeling confident.