Camelia. Camelia? Camelia!!!

Here in the NW we are skipping through the warmest late winter in our history. Or since anyone decided to keep track. A real honest to goodness El Nina year.

Unfortunately for our dear friends to the north in Canada, they have been forced to truck and helicopter in snow to Whistler for the Olympics. Can you smell the bacon burning on that one? So much for reducing our carbon footprint.

Oh well. I guess that will be the last time anyone tries to put on any Winter Olympics in a maritime climate zone.

So, all you folks out there still slogging through snow, I feel for you. It probably doesn't make it better but it makes me feel less guilty.

Instead of tossing out pointless platitudes, I am going to share my Camelia which does usually bloom in late winter or very early Spring around here but never so gloriously until now.

You know, some things take patience and this Camelia is one of them. I have had this baby for years, forgotten how many, perhaps 5. Bought it in a 1 gallon pot with 1 bloom on it that was so heavy it bent the whole thing down Charlie Brown Christmas Tree style.

But look at it now! I have planted it up against a south facing wall of the house that is somewhat protected. And, because I have loved it and actively NOT killed it, it is rewarding me with the boldest, pinkiest display of its life. Count them! Hard to. Lots of blossoms.

So, I have now decided I don't really mind getting older if I can see slow to medium growing stuff mature and bestow their gifts. And, its a damn good thing too. There is always another birthday around the corner!

Potato Mountain: getting taller by the day

This year is my first attempt at potatoes. I have enviously heard tales from last years crop when GGF tried them for the first time. Something about how different they tasted, flavor and texture, how fun it was to just shove your hand under a plant and be able harvest just a few perfect baby potatoes for dinner.

"What the heck have I been doing all the years!? How come I have never done potatoes before?" my inner voice hollered at me.

So, I am on the potato bandwagon now; GGF shared lots of her 4 fancy variety seed potatoes with me. We cut them up with 1 or 2 eye on each piece, making sure to let them cure a day or so and heal that cut edge. The planted them 6-10 inches apart in a trench. I planted about 40 or so.

And, that was the easy part.

Now, as they grow, I have to berm up and continue to berm up dirt around the stem. I guess the potatoes sort of come out the sides of the plant and by berming up more dirt around each plant it makes more potato growing area and more potatoes. The actual plants are thriving and seem to be growing inches a day with no end in sight.

I have been piling barrow after barrow of dirt an these things. I mix normal top soil with some wood shavings (not cedar) to make a little lighter and fluffier. But, it is still heavy work and lord knows how much more I still need to do.

Currently it is a small mountain of lovingly mounded soil around these plants.

Do I resent all this work? Yes. Am I annoyed at my beautiful Potato plants? No, but they better be pretty darn yummy! Will I do potatoes next year? Jury is still out. Let's see how yummy these homegrown spuds are then I will say!

Garden update: end of May

Salad, potatoes and Raspberries; oh my!

Harvested: only salad greens (wide variety) and radishes so far but peas, basil, onion, broccoli, caloflower, cabbage starts planted.

Corn, beans and pumpkins seeds planted although haven't broken through yet. I probably planted way too early but couldn't resist.

Best so far? Radishes and spicy mustard for zippy salads to chase the winter dull drums away!