(no subject)

[elainegrey]

Our deck is crowded with plants. I've tried in years past to keep a log of the state of the various plants so i can know how old various plants are, how long i've had them. Last year, though, i did not care for the garden the way i have in the past. Some of the distraction and disinterest is becoming so interested in wild flowers and wanting to photograph them. Collecting from the vacant lot had more attraction than tending the garden. Thoughts of moving and of the drought also became a block in my thoughts about the plants. I've been distancing myself.

I do have a collection of nasturtium pods that have been sitting in brine for six months. I should pickle them and perhaps start another collection of pods. The lemon tree has done beautifully -- i ensured it was well watered with whatever shower water or vegetable rinse water or what have you.

I suppose sometime when it's a touch warmer outside i should do a purge of plants, or perhaps i mean consolidation. I suppose i want to practice shaping the geraniums, testing what pruning and wiring can do as i dream of making espalliered and hedged plants.

Comments

[zlabya]

As a fellow gardener, I love reading about your garden, even if it's not all "good". I've been purging these last couple of warm days--invasive species that are running wild.

Do you eat the nasturtium pods? I know the flowers are quite spicy and nice in a salad--what do the pickled pods taste like?

I'm saving some seeds for planting next year. I think the pretty bi-colored zinnias are hybrids, so heaven knows what any flowers that come up will look like. This is my second year with marigolds, which were uniformly marigold-maroon with yellow centers.

[elainegrey]

The pickled nasturtium pods are also known as Capuchin capers or English capers. I'm expecting they taste something like real capers. Fresh the pods are an even stronger spiced taste than the flowers.

Seed saving! I used to do a great deal of that with my rood garden in Philadelphia. I have beans i saved from plants a couple years ago, marigold seeds, sunflower seeds.... Maybe i'll plant them this year and just see what comes up.