Mud Pies for the Adult Gardener

Last weekend, I finally got out to my garden and PLAYED!!! Spent a glorious afternoon with my hands wrist deep in soil blocking mixture and water. For weeks now, my soil blocker had been calling me. This spring's finicky weather worked against me. I was fooled into direct sowing only to be hit by cold weather and then by scorching heat and freaky cold spells!! As a result the seeds took too long to germinate and  then grew so slowly that they were old before they reached full size. My current plan is give my seedling a fighting chance by starting them in soil blocks. The evening before, I mixed up a batch of blocking mix for my soil blocks. Added water, mixed and let it sit to ensure that mixture was evenly moist.

Two years ago, I bought 2  soil blocker mould to avoid using plastic pots in my yearly seeding starting routine. More than 20 years ago, I read Elliot Coleman Organic gardening book and was immediately attracted to the idea of using soil blocks to start seeds. I had just moved to the US at that time and the idea of spending so much money to buy a contraption to press mud into mud/soil blocks that acts as pot was ridiculous. I was still converting Malaysian Ringgit to US Dollars - $4.50 Ringgit to US $1.00 was tough to swallow. But a good idea will stick with you. When I started being serious about growing heirloom vegetables it made sense that I grew them as green as I could.

Blocking mixture - soil, perlite and coco fiber

Correct blocking mixture yields perfect soil blocks

Essentially a soil block is a soil pot made of wet soil mixture, shaped and compressed with the use of a soil blocker. A seed is inserted in a depression in the block. The seedling grows uninterrupted, its roots air-pruned when it reaches the edges of the block, creating a strong root system. There is no transplanting shock because it is not in a container.  I love that I do not have seed starting plastic pots to clean and store. It is essential to mist the soil blocks daily to avoid it drying out. I start minuscule seeds in my 15 soil block sets and larger seeds in the 4 soil block sets. If I am working with the soil block in early winter I sometimes start off the seeds in the 15 soil block sets and later pot up  into the 4 soil block set  before setting out the plants in the garden.


I'll keep you posted on how this year soil blocks work out.


N.B. - birds have started to peck out the seeds in my soil blocks. Since the weather is warm, they are flying all over my garden. I covered the soil blocks but the wind blew open the fabric cover. Hopefully they left me enough seedlings!!

Eating from my garden

As May drew to a close and sunny June, despite the June gloom reputation, settled in,  my garden started to take off and provide me with pleasurable eating. I started off eating blueberries with my breakfast cereal, slowly adding blackberries, then came the strawberries. Now, I am in heaven!! I am eating my morning cereal with all those berries and tree ripen bananas from the garden. Imagine!! 

Harvest the fruits

slice the strawberries and bananas, scatter blueberries

Milk Star on blueberry

It has been many years since I have devoured, yes that is the correct expression- DEVOUR- because that is exactly what I do, tree ripen bananas from my garden. Almost every year a banana plant or two would flower. Invariably it is almost Fall when it does so. I half heartedly let it flower but more often that not chop off the flower, sometimes offering it to my Filipino friends. This is because there would not be enough time for the fruit to develop before winter. Somehow last year, the timing was right and I let it develop combs of bananas. Sceptic that I am I never thought it would ripen. It sure took a long time but now I have delicious bananas!! I was going to cut down the whole stalk and let it ripen away from the tree. Luckily for me, my dear husband suggested that I leave it on the tree and enjoy them tree ripen. So each day I can be seen plucking individual bananas and eating them right under the tree. 'Ice Cream' banana does its name proud.

Banana grove

Ripening combs of bananas

Top combs ripening first

The first tomatoes are also on our dinner menu. Speckle Roman tomatoes with fresh basil from the garden, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil makes a fine lunch. Cherry tomatoes are the sweetest fruits in my garden bar none. They are so beautiful with the sunlight shining through them.Olive oil, chopped garlic, pinch of chili pepper flakes, fresh basil sautéed with those cherry tomatoes makes a delightful sauce served with spaghetti. 

Heirloom Speckle Roman

Sliced Speckled Roman, Basil and fresh Mozzarella  Cheese

Cherry Tomatoes glisten like jewels in the sun

Spring 2010 in my garden

I thought I would post some updated pictures of what is happening in my garden. It has been a strange spring. It seems like we had a lot more rain then usual but that also means it was colder longer than normal. Seedlings sprouted but never really grew. I had to pull up Kai Lan, Garland Chrysanthemum/ Tong Ho and Broccoli Rabe plants because they grew too slowly. They were old before they grew of size. Basil plants set out in March are only just taking off as the weather warms up.Next year, I will work on a cold frame structure or hoops to increase warmth of seedlings.

Moorish Tortilla !

First there were the projects with the scraps of yarns.... then more yarn was purchased to finish off the project that the scraps started. See where I am going........ One of the places it lead me to was the making of I fondly refer to as my Moorish Tortilla! Beautiful vibrant Tortilla.

Luscious Moorish Tortilla!

Hooking my way through the Web

After my fascination with making Amigurumi last year, I was left with various quantities of yarn of various colors. I visited various sites on the internet and was inspired to make a couple of fashion and home items. Here are some samples of what I made and the original that inspired them.

Surprisingly warm necklace

White Flower Necklace-Creative Yarn

Hand Warmer -Creativeyarn.blogspot.com

Oatmeal, Tan and Gray Hand Warmers

1st logical yarn scrap project

Hexagon How to-Attic24.typepad.com

Here is Crochet Cake I made for my friend Charlotte's birthday last year. She complained that I never made her a birthday cake so "I did"! Hidden under the Crochet Cake was a delicious Flourless Chocolate Cake Kit from William Sonoma. So I made her a cake And no I did not- she had to make the cake herself. Clever right??

Potions, lotions, markers and crayons - for the Grown Up Girl

I was too excited to receive the Sephora catalog, me thinks.  What am I talking about? Have you seen the Tokidoki line of makeup? Sumptuous!! Markers for grownups. Those beautiful colors. They had me at first glance.

When I read that those waterproof eyeliners can be used to draw temporary tattoo on skin......  Simone Legno, Tokidoki's  creator is shown here PLAYING :) What fun!

I have been fascinated  with Tokidoki for awhile now. Last year I bought my daughter some Tokidoki rain boots! Now I just want the whole makeup range they have at Sephora. I am not sure if it is the makeup I want or the gorgeous packaging they come in... maybe both.

I love those oh so cute characters. Take a look and see if you dare disagree with me!

These past few years I seem to regain my interest in makeup... subconsciously regressing into the teenager I was. Ha, ha. Don't get me wrong I do not wear all that much makeup, actually almost none most days. I just love the colors and the packaging and the promise of how it can transform me into this Beauty. Just like jewelry that I make and love,  do I wear them? Rarely. So much so I think the holes in ears for earrings have become smaller.....I actually have to make a conscious effort to put on jewelry and...makeup. But I do love them.

At 50, I am more about skincare routine than makeup. (don't open my drawers or those pots of eye shadows will come tumbling out!). I am a Philosophy Girl! I cleanse with Real Purity at night and Micro Delivery Exfoliating Wash in the morning on a good day. Otherwise, Real Purity morning and night. Hope in a Jar has been my main moisturizer for 5 years. It just sinks into the skin like a tall drink of water, like the cliche but oh so true. Most important is I apply sunscreen each and every day- Dr. Denese SPF30 Defense Cream, a full spectrum tinted sunscreen moisturizer. I truly believe that sunscreen is the most important part of my skin care. Unfortunately, despite all the sunscreen I am getting freckles!! Relatively wrinkle free but sun kisses! I have to step it up and reapply sunscreen during the day somehow or maybe stop gardening when it is hottest!!

             Cleansers                                                                 Moisturiser and eye cream

           The only things I wear on my face most days - SUNSCREEN!

OMG !!!!

A little over a week ago I "celebrated" my 50th Birthday.OMG !!! Not because I turn 50 but all the comments and the reactions......People, I turned 50. I am not stepping over to the other side. Life is not over. Not by far. It reminds me of my 20s when I get comments like "but you are married!" It did not stop me from pursuing an challenging career, sometimes travel alone or admiring a good looking guy who was not my husband. Ha, ha, like I say to this day, I am married not dead!!( I am still married almost 25 years later). Now, I say I am 50 and enjoying life.