This past Fourth of July weekend, we got to see fireworks on a rooftop porch of a friend’s house. What a great location to be able to see the show without navigating the traffic and getting fed lots of tasty foods. They have a little garden going and we got to enjoy some of the basil from the garden. Nothing like freshly plucked herbs to dress up any dish. I have to remember to harvest from my own garden too. Sometimes I make dishes with the plan to use certain herbs I have growing. But because they’re not in the fridge, I completely forget about them when I’m in the midst of cooking. Like yeah, I actually have to go and harvest my own food.

The new batch of sage seeds sprouted in a week. These have grown for a week since sprouting and I’ll probably transfer them outside in another week or two. I’m growing sage indoors and outdoors to see which environment is better. I’m also experimenting with the thyme to see which fares better. So far, the thyme seems to prefer the outdoors, even with the unpredictable temperatures ranging from 80s to 40s this month.

As for the old sage seeds, I dumped them all in the pot and nothing sprouted. I think they were just expired. I have no idea about the chili pepper seeds though. I didn’t know chili plants were so challenging to sprout from seed.

While every one was onto broadband, I was stubbornly, frugally clinging to $5/month dial-up. “I hardly ever use the Internet!” “I’m on the computer plenty enough at work all day!” One day, after much convincing and peer pressure from the sister, I finally gave in and got DSL. I got the low end (768 Kilobits per second upload, 1 mbps download). It was wonderful. I could even talk on the phone and be online at the same time! Years later, to last year, I was again hearing it from my sis about how unacceptably, inhumanly slow my Internet was. I told her to can it. Then Verizon started to bill my Internet and phone funny. $40 became $60 and I called to ask about it. That’s when the sales pitch started. After all was said and done, I became a convert to FIOS. After the Verizon guy left this past Saturday to install the FIOS, I tested the Internet. It’s amazingly fast. Here all along I was blaming my 5-year old slow computer when really it was the connection speed. I love it love it! Every saved minute is worth what I pay for it.

This past weekend I went to a couple of hardware stores looking for new sage seeds and a third rosemary plant to kill. The one we went to Saturday had sage seeds. After battling weekend traffic in the shopping centers, I got one packet of seeds. Sunday, we went to another hardware store and finally found rosemary plants. I also got new chili pepper plant seeds. Serrano this time. And on a whim, brussels sprouts. Yes, I am attempting one vegetable in a pot on the balcony. I got a big pot planter to go with it. I will find out exactly how big this plant gets and how many brussels it’ll yield. Experiment!

… or maybe just thyme.

In anticipation of rain on Thursday, I finally transferred some plants from the windowsill to the large pots on the balcony.  I figured the rain would help the plants along as they acclimated to the transfer.  I ordered this set of small trowels and spades specially made for indoor or container gardening.  They work perfectly.  Now, I just wait and let everything grow.  I suppose that’s the hard part.  The waiting.  I haven’t the patience!  The mint that’s been outside since March hasn’t really grown much since it’s been potted but at least it’s still alive. Look really close, smack dab in the middle is the midgety mint plantling. One day it will grow into an indestructible weed. Until then, I’ll just have to buy mint from the store.

I got the basil from the grocery store. See how hardy it looks? They did a good job.

The lemongrass I got from an Asian market.  You just put it in water and it roots.  Imagine that.  I actually still have a stalk in the fridge.  I thought I’d cook with that one.  Make a curry or something.

The thyme is still inside, I’ll keep it inside until it grows a bit sturdier.  Right now they’re about a centimeter tall.  I might even just leave it as a windowsill plant.

My chili pepper seeds never sprouted even though I’ve tried planting them three times now.  I guess they weren’t viable.  The sage seeds didn’t sprout either, I’ve also tried those three times now.  If I see a rosemary plant, I’ll definitely want to try to grow that again too.  I love the flavor of rosemary.  I’ve killed 2 rosemary plants already though.  Maybe the third time’s the charm.

Today is the vernal equinox! This weekend is much much warmer (close to 80 degrees!!) and today is particularly sunny. I think working in cubicles gives me a false sense that the days are dim and dreary. Now I know it’s just our working conditions that are dim and dreary. Today, with windows to enjoy the full on sunshine, I figured out why the orchid’s leaves look like they’ve been fried crispy.

It’s always the fine print that gets ya.

The windowsill is full on baking sunlight in the mornings. I moved it away and applied soothing aloe and sunblock on those poor crispy leaves.

Look, here’s another sign of spring. The chinchillas are hot and molting.

At this rate, my debt will never be repaid! I just blew through another hundred bucks for gardening supplies! But I needed them. Really and truly needed. Spade and trowel without which, how would I dig the soil? Trimmer and pruner for trimming and pruning of course. And in anticipation for lack of precipitation, a drip waterer -terer -terer -er -er -er. So that’s that. My two new favorite activities lumped into one.

Update on the garden:
Uh oh, my orchid is already looking a bit dry. Drying flower bud, yellowed dry areas on the leaves. I poured some water in there. Hope it’s not too late!

Something sprouted! I forgot to label the pots I grew, I think it’s sage. Sage is supposed to be the fastest to germinate of the seeds I planted.

We spent today at a hardware store looking for seeds, soil, fertilizer, and inadvertently, an orchid. Yet another orchid. They had these mini phaleonopsis with small leaves and about 1- to 1.5-inch wide flowers which were so cute and beautiful. There’s just something about the colors of an orchid, so vibrant and drawing. So it didn’t take much convincing before it ended up in the shopping cart. Cross your fingers for it! This time, I have to take care of it, not my dad. We went home and Dad repotted into a larger container for me and then onward to start my small herb garden. Since the temperatures are still uncertain outside afterall, it’s still March, I decided to just stick the mint which was rooting already into a pot outside. If it makes it, great. If not, I know where to get plenty more. For the rest, I decided to start them indoors. Chili pepper, sage, and thyme. I’m also going to try lemongrass and basil when it gets warmer. I prefer growing perennials but basil is such a versatile herb. I’m dreaming of salads and homemade mojitos.

As predicted (evidence I’m clairvoyant), the cymbidium bloomed this winter. I also noticed two new sproutlings which are probably plant stems with leaves rather than more flowers. We may have to spend some cold winters at home in the coming years if we want those new stems to reward us with any flowers.

I think back to last winter how I kept the house at freeze-my-bum off temps and feel like it was worth it. The hard part is finding that just right temperature that will induce cymbidium blooms without killing the phaleonopsis.

Look how pretty!

October 11

October 23

October 28

October 31

November 3

It’s been a while since I’ve paid any nevermind to the flowers around the house.

October 11 – 10:17 AM

October 11 – 2:55 PM

October 11 – 10:49 PM

October 12 – 9:21 AM