Our Trip to DC

All 5 of us plus my mom and sister took the train down to DC to see two Smithsonian Museums yesterday. 

I was disgusted to see Monsanto's attempt at improving their image plastered all over the Metro.  

If you would like to know more about this company, watch Food Inc the documentary 

or look at this site http://organicconsumers.org/monsanto/index.cfm

At the National Museum of Natural History we saw many things

 such as these Dinosaur Eggs, just in time for Easter! 

In the Orkin Sponsored Insect zoo we saw these Hornworms and was really grossed out and worried about my garden this year!  

We looked longer in the Ocean exhibit then we did last time and found some very neat things!

We learned more about mammals too! 

We played 'hide and seek sister' and 'what does a not quite two year old think of all this' games.

It was a memorable trip and it is a shame we only get down once a year.

 It will be easier when the kids are a tad bit older. 

Garden Frustration and Hollyhocks

I really need to get my own tiller. I'm caught in this polite battle between my well meaning neighbor who offers to do it every year but never seems to get to it until weeks later.  I feel rude badgering him but I also feel rude getting someone else to do it (not that I HAVE access to another one at this point but if I did). I know it is a big favor but I'd rather just do it myself, have my own control over it, and be my own but only hurdle. I hope for my birthday I can get a small electric tiller. The tiller above is $169 from Costco.  I long for soft and fertile earth!    

Meanwhile I'm getting most of the rest of the seedlings started or tempered outside...because it has been so nice out. Thease are the seedlings from the last seedling post. I cover them up with light tops at night and on the sunny day I put them in the yard. I didn't water a few enough so they have died but luckily it was just the  Coleus mix....I'm not overly concerned over the flowers/foliage plants...I want FOOD and GOURDS!

 Here is my latest set of seeds going into the seed thingy (yes, that is a technical term) I'm being more selective with peppers this year but I guess I have three more then most people! I think I might be a little obsessed with variety. I have two kinds of cucumber. I really hope all this energy towards seeds will do me well. This is the first year I have been quite so orderly and knowledgeable about it. I know I have a lot more to learn, that is what the next 30 years are for!  Next I need to maintain the soil better, fertilizer and pest control. I also have a goal of having a 4 season garden.

Now if I only had the garden ready I could feel really good...

* whistling.....

Thease are some of my last wave of seedlings. The two other tomato plants I got and a flower maybe. I have to remember to start a second seeding of some of them in a few weeks so I have plants of different ages to spread out the harvest. 

Last year I planted Hollyhocks and I forgot about it but now they are coming up, so very excited!  

Quince, Daffodil, Bird in a Tree

Seedlings Out For a Day

I'm patiently (!) waiting for a friend or the neighbor to help me till my garden this year...I am ITCHING to get started. I cut the sides so they are straight and clean. It measures 24 x 24 feet! I hope I can grow a good deal of food this year!

Here are my babies!

Spring Peeks

This is one of the only crocuses not stepped on by the children.

Do you see the rhubarb just about to poke up?

Quince buds are out now. I hope this year the bush will make fruit.

New round of Seedlings

I've done three more sets of different combinations of seeds in the Parks 'Biodome'. I am liking that I can test the seeds (to make sure they come up) before I waste space and dirt on the entire seed pot. I planted two kinds of gourds...6 seeds all together and only 1 came up.....I understand that the four from 2 years ago may have been too old to use (the Seeds of Change Birds Nest Gourd) but only 1/4 from the new Parks Apple Gourd....Mama just wants a whole h*& of a lot of gourds.. Darnit!

My basil, brussel sprouts, broccoli and onion are doing well. These are from my first planting and are now in cowpots. I need to get them outside soon, just have to prepare the bed. 

This is some microgreens I am growing in the bowel I had after lunch at a taco place. 

It is a recycled paper fiber bowel with some waterproof liner...seems to work well. 

I have some tomato plants and flowers in these pots. I am very concerned they are not getting enough light. My jerryrigged lamp set up and 3 hours of light in the window isn't cutting it for optimal growth. A friend has a farm with a greenhouse but I don't know if I can be away from my seed babies that long. I do admit that the zucchini I planted way to early might have to go over to her house for an extended trip! 

This lettuce was planted in my 'winter plot' in December and covered with a large pretzel container that had it's bottom cut out. A rock partially covered the top and helped it not blow away. It looks delicious!  These garlic scapes were planted in late winter from the little part of store garlic heads. You know, the small little cloves that seem like too much work to skin and chop...so I just put them in a corner of my herb plot! Very happy about this! It does bode well for future winter growing projects. 

March Woods Adventure

A crayfish

and lots and lots of creek fun

MuMu is My Nickname for My Sister

Happy Birthday to my sister who drives me in all directions including totally wacky.