You Grow Girl™

I did some pre-winter deck cleanup yesterday and am planning to do a little "haven't touched the garden in two months" cleanup in the other garden. Ya that's right -- two months! I've been very neglectful.

Blooming Lemon Tobacco (Nicotiana langsdorfii)

During yesterday's cleanup I went over to the redneck herb pool to cut back the mullein that has turned into pretty much just one giant seed pod, and discovered that the lemon tobacco (Nicotiana langsdorfii) is finally blooming! I bought seeds for this plant back in March, but then neglected to sow them in a timely fashion resulting in a very late blooming and rather stunted plant. Despite all that, I am ecstatic about the whole thing and will really try to sow the seeds earlier next year (I no longer make promises of this nature). The flowers are tear-droppy and droopy just like another favourite the chocolate columbine Aquilegia vividiflora 'Chocolate soldier'. They are also a lovely apple-green or as Martha would say "chartreuse" colour with a dark, almost blusish green foliage. In fact I would bet that the chocolate columbine and the lemon tobacco would look really good next to each other. I might just do that next year. I also plan to sow the Canadian wild columbine seeds I've had sitting around since last year's Canada Blooms. I'm thinking I might try sowing some of them today just so I can't forget come spring.

I was watching Martha the other day and her opening line (accompanied by happy la la music) was "By the time fall arrives in Westport it is a much welcomed rest from the long, hot days of summer." (I'm not sure that is verbatim).

I thought to myself "Fuck your welcomed rest, I want more long, hot days."

I say this every year but I'm saying it again. I like Fall. I like the smells, the crispness in the air, the falling leaves, tall grass, golden rod, the harvest and well... frankly I look better in fall clothes and fall colours. In fact fall colours are my favourite colours (warm oranges, browns, earth tones). But I'm just not in love with winter. And winter comes inevitably after fall.

I know it is needed. In fact I know it is vital. I think snow covered trees and frost on a window are beautiful sights to behold. But snow on my body, that awful crunchy snow that makes me cringe like fingernails on a chalkboard (*shudder*) wet slush, cold, stiff limbs, twenty pounds of clothes just to leave the house, having to wear socks, dry air despite a humidifier that pumps out warm steam, grey days, dirty snow, piles of dirty snow lining dirty, slushy streets, no plant life, no sitting on the deck reading a book and sipping tea... these are a few of my least favourite things and they all come together in one season. At some point I'm going to have to quit whining about it and find somewhere warm to live. Until then look forward to a repeat of this same entry every single year at this time.

Oh and one other thing -- I'm working on a redesign of You Grow Girl so expect to see some changes on this site within the next... when I get it done.