Springtime In the Garden

Things are picking up in the garden and now that I am done with my semester I felt like I could spend some time to photograph the garden and blog a little about the goings-on. We are sharing a plot at our friend's house where we are growing potatoes (Adirondack Blue, Banana Fingering, and Golden potatoes) and Walla Walla onions. In the near future we are going to be planting tomatoes and peppers there. These photos were taken a while ago and we haven't been there since, so some developments should have occurred. We have some Adirondack Blue potatoes planted at our house which are coming up so our plot at Mike's should have a decent amount of potatoes coming up. I believe we planted 40 in total. At the house we planted blueberries, strawberries, rhubarb, and Thai hot peppers. Tomorrow I am intending to put in my Mary Washington asparagus -- very much hoping that they transplant well. The blueberries are looking the best of all the new plants. Which reminds me that I also planted Red Russian Kale, Redbor Kale, Giant Indian Purple Mustard (absolutely amazing, by the way), Tyee spinach, and arugula. This is all making me consider that I probably should have taken some photos of all these new transplants. Well, tomorrow is another day, nothing says I can't do it then! What I did manage to take photos of today were the flowers that were planted by the previous owner. She and her at-the-time husband were very much into growing native Ohio flora so there are a lot of flowers already planted. Because I am new to the region I am quite unfamiliar with the majority of the plants. This year should prove to be very enlightening as far as learning about Ohio plants. I am also not exactly sure what is a weed and what isn't for the most part so I am pulling things out when it becomes apparent. I haven't been blogging as much because I've been juggling two part time jobs and grad school. I am really looking forward to one day having only one thing (imagine that, one job) to focus on so that I can spend my free time in the garden again. This week was the end of my second semester of school and simultaneously the same week that I finished the longest book I have ever read (Anathem by Neal Stephenson, clocking in at 890 pages). I only have a week and a half before my summer class starts but I am going to relish in all its simple glory.

Spring is Here

Spring has officially come to Cincinnati, and dang if that isn't a lovely feeling after such a long winter! This year we are going to primarily grow vegetables at our friend's house. He has a big big backyard with lots of sun. Tonight we went over to do soil tests and we tilled the garden bed too. I don't have any photos yet but things are coming along. About a week ago I set out some seeds for all sorts of spring vegetables: two kinds of spinach, two kinds of kale, four types of carrots (with more on the way!), two kinds of mustards, peas, and artichokes. I can hardly wait for the mustards, we are growing Misome, an Asian mustard green, and Giant Purple Indian mustard -- my absolute favourite. Giant Purple is a very tender mustard and has fantastic purple colouring. Come to think of it, we are growing a lot of purple veggies this year (Cherokee Purple Tomato, Red Russian Kale, Cosmic Purple Carrots, Giant Purple Indian Mustard, to name a few, oh and purple basil!). I also think I have three, if not four kinds of basil. I'll be darned if we don't have a freezer full of basil pesto come Autumn! I am also in the throes of figuring out what to put in our own yard. Our backyard is very shady so I am focusing on plants that would thrive in that environment. Our front yard is where I would like to grow an herb garden, have pollinator attractors, and edible perennials. I never thought that I would care so much about ornamental plants, but here I am with a list on my fridge of all the plants I want to put in the backyard. As I mentioned to a friend earlier today, I am having to hold back on the idea of having a frontyard that is completely covered in blueberry bushes and lavender. Very tempting, I must say! Needless to say, I am very excited about all the potential that our new yard has, even in spite of having so much shade.

Meet Puma

Two weeks ago we brought home a fantastic cat from the SPCA. He's a big black and white man cat who looks sleek and full of finesse like a jungle cat. So we named him Puma. Turns out he's a little clumsy, but he is really friendly. Right now he is passed out next to me -- I think he's tired from taking so many naps! In other news, it recently came to my attention that the heart-throb boy band, One Direction, now has a song called Little Things. Silly. I haven't heard it yet and will hopefully continue in my blissful ignorance.

Coming Along

Things are moving along on the house and we're getting close to having all of our major projects done (painting, copper rack). Which is not to say we don't have a list a mile long of things we still need to take care of. Joel's workshop is getting very organized, so much so that he's been able to complete a few projects including these saw benches.

This is the copper pot rack that he's been working on. We got the copper S-hooks yesterday and hung the skillets and pots, next is to get the spice racks to fits (they will be on the bottom two rungs.

If you are interested in making a copper pot rack as well, here is the link to the article from This Old House Magazine. I will post a picture of the rack once it is full of pots and spices. This is what our house looked like at Christmastime.

In the above photo you can sort of see our paint job for the dining room, here is a fuller view of what our colours look like.

The landing upstairs has gone through a couple changes. It was plain wood panelling and we wanted to paint it to disguise from how terrible it was. We (read: mostly I) made a bad colour decision. And for how many colours we have in our house (four), one isn't so bad. I give you the lime green landing:

Then amended (first coat) of Admiral Blue.

But the thing that is the best about all of this is, we've been able to actually start cooking again. I have also started eating Paleo again (meat, vegetables, nuts, eggs, and a little dairy). So here are some photos of what we have been having for dinners as of late.

I have had a ton of energy since I started doing Paleo again. I haven't lost any weight (a nice side effect of eating better) but I feel really good physically. More to come soon on house projects!

Little poem

Little wind little sun little tree - only one. Little bird little wing little song he can sing. Little need he should stay little up and away. Little speck and he's far - where all little things are. Little things for me too little sad that he flew. --David McCord 1925

New House Update

Well, this post is long overdue but hopefully it won't disappoint! Most of the house is still very much in flux. My studio is not quite in useful shape but I'll be working on that as soon as the semester ends. Our dining table is still in the living room while we put on finishing touches in the dining room, not all of our books are on their proper shelves in the library -- and the list keeps going on. But here is where we are at the moment. I'll go room by room with before and after photos. This is our living room. The off-white and pink paint job is before, red is after.

The dining room.

Our bedroom. It was a crazy electric blue (first photo) when we bought the house, not really our style. So we toned it down with cool blue grey.

This is Joel's workshop. We still need to paint this one since neither of us is wild about the sunset mural on the wall.

My studio. The first photo is as it was when we toured the house. It was the master bedroom of a 50-something year old woman. Now it's my studio and at the moment is covered in seed pods and photo prints. Again, I'm tackling this after the semester is over.

This is the study inside my studio. It's a funny little room under the eaves that is big enough for my computer and a pull out couch (for guests, or knitting -- win-win!). You can see it in the second to middle studio photo (in the doorway).

And the library.

Joel's parents came down to help us move in one weekend and it was super helpful! We got two rooms (library & bedroom) painted, the wallpaper scraped off the dining room and a whole slough of odds and ends. Our friend Mike also helped us move in (we helped him move into his new house just a month before).

More photos of the house will come as soon as things start to fall a bit more into place. I'm already designing the front and backyards in my head for next spring. The backyard is not my first priority because it is ornamental, as opposed to our front which will be edible (though still ornamental.) I wish someone would have told me that buying a house during your first semester of your masters degree was a crazy idea -- or at the very least that it was hard work. So, if any of you are contemplating these two things: highly consider waiting until your second semester when you have already found your groove! That is my word to the wise for the day.