Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Bleeding hearts bloom like the hair on Beyonce's baby: a rambling ode to Spring

Black tulip
My mind wanders to the garden today. As I wandered through it yesterday in the late February sunshine, my eye spied tiny pink violets blooming violently, daffodils with buds formed, and hyacinths growing up, quickly, much like a beloved 14-year-old girl next door. The soil around them was crumbling, apparent that the movement of their growth was fast and quick. The hot pink nubs of the rhubarb shout to me in all caps from across the yard, their color shocking in the brown soil.

Our garden is so much a perennial garden, leaving this time of year to bareness and a view of brown dirt in the beds, and quiet.

The leaves on the spirea are forming, teeny tiny dots of bright coral and the fire stick euphorbia has grown 3 inches straight out of the ground. Soon, I know, this whole area will be full of tiny firey red sticks emerging into the warming air. Glancing at the back bed, the gnarled root base above the soil level shows me the home of my beloved bleeding hearts. Sure enough, an inch or so of growth is showing, but I know how strange they grow and bloom. I will check every day on their progress. I think of them as babies who are born with a full head of hair. Our bleeding heart emerges almost immediately with blooms, using energy to both grow green growth, and to bloom its dainty pink nodding flowers all at the same time.

I try to not be overwhelmed. Spring can be overwhelming to gardeners. I look at the many rose bushes, especially the old climbers and ramblers, and see they have new growth showing. It's time to cut them back, and this year I intend to aggressively. But surgery in February has humbled me to be still, and to heal. No lifting, bending, or workouts at the gym for 6 weeks. I look at the roses and know they won't wait. I run through thoughts in my head, "What if I only cut and AdRi picks them all up and lugs them to the compost bin? Would that be allowable?" I suppose it might be, if I only did one rose bush every few days. But at that rate, it might be summer. Spring waits for no one, and while I revel in its quickening, I sit on my hands and am patient. The roses will be fine, and I will heal. And the bleeding hearts will bloom away, just like the hair on Beyonce's baby.

Monday, February 27, 2012

The world would be a better place with more baby head planters

The world would be a better place with more baby head planters
Am I right or am I right? Previously, I introduced you to Edgar, but here are the two most recent additions. The dainty, smaller one has eyelashes, but only on one eye. And the other? Well, it's a Cabbage Patch Kid. Need I say more? These are by the artist Tim Brock and are available at Salvageworks here in North Portland, in case you would like some baby head planters yourself. You know you do. I know AdRi is hoping I stop at 3. We'll see about that. We will see.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Hey look at that, I have a new column!


You might know that while I was gallivanting around in Australia this past December, the paper I had an ongoing gardening column in for over five years folded. The newsprint industry is a tough one these days, and unfortunately, this long running LGBT publication didn't make it.

But in its wake is a brand new publication picking up where Just Out left off. PQ Monthly is committed to showcasing a diverse cross section of our community and I'm really excited to be a part of the team. My writing there is more than gardening and with a title of "Cultivating Life" I plan to write about gardening, cooking, preserving and healthy living. The publication is available in print throughout the Portland area, and of course, online as well.

We just launched this past week and wow, the community is buzzing. Check out the debut of "Cultivating Life" here, and as always, big thanks to all of my blog readers who have hung on with me through over seven years of blogging here at Lelo in Nopo. I can't believe it's been seven years!

Here's to a new and exciting year...

Friday, February 10, 2012

I have a new obsession, and a garden trend prediction for 2012

Okay so I may be obsessed. Just a little obsessed. Hairdos in the garden. Meaning, plants in pots shaped like heads. I've had one in the kitchen sitting atop our coffee maker for the past 8 months or so. His name is Edgar.
Have you met Edgar?

Some people have walked in and stopped dead in their tracks asking "What. The. Hell. Is. That." Apparently it may be frightening. I find Edgar to be delightful.

And it's with this delight my obsession is growing, and over on Pinterest I have a whole board for Hairdos in the Garden.


I'm envisioning amassing a collection of them in our garden this year. Curly hair, medusa hair, dreadlocks, fancy combinations, mullets. Oh the thrill of it all. I love it when I get like this. And as for the potentially frightful aspect for some? That's only an indicator that I love it more. Weird is always, always good.

And as a garden writer? I officially predict wild hairdos planted in pots shaped like heads to be an official new trend. (at least in my own garden.)

More garden stuff over at my place on Pinterest here.


I spy a little girl behind  Edgar