Sunday, February 2, 2014

Seedy kind of mood.............

Not exactly sure about what happened to the snowy forecast for this weekend, but this passionate gardener wasted no time. Spring is closer than we think.    I spent a bit of time checking out my existing stash of seeds and of course....went and acquired additional resources.  I know I  have seed in my garden room....a lot of seed.  Most passionate gardeners I know always have seed.  Saved from prior years, gifted, from a seed exchange, mail order, the little pieces of life that get you through the coldest of winters...seeds are the candy of life, at least to me. Something about those little packets, that with a little potting mix,  water, warmth, light and love allows a little granules come to life .......that is simply amazing.  old seed can of course be used in garden projects......I will share those ideas later.

What am I going to grow this year one might ask??  In addition to tomato's (heirloom...of course), hot peppers (heirloom....of course) and assorted lettuce, I finally got my hands on some Datura seeds (Thanks to the Washington Gardener Seed Exchange).  I am a big bloom girl.  The bigger the better, the more brilliant the better and if it gives me some fragrance, I am so much better!!  Datura has been on my list for quite awhile.  It grows about 3 feet tall and wide, although sprawling, is bodacious with it's large blooms.  The first time  I saw it in the flesh was in a tree box on F Street, NE, on Capitol Hill cross from my Uncle's old house.  It was brillant and stood out amongst the other tree box plantings.  This is not a plant that you want around small children however.  It is a bit toxic and is considered a sacred plant.  Some cultures have used this plant for astral travel (hmmmm) and some have used it for medicinal purposes. After reading up on these uses...I only want it for horticultural reasons.   I just want to grow it for the large white blooms that emit a wonderfully enchanting fragrant scent at dusk .

I am taking cuttings from its sister plant, brugmansia, this week to see if I can make some babies to fill more pots on my terrace.  I can just imagine a few large pots overflowing with the Datura and a few pots with Brugmansia trees, with a hot pink Lantana underskirt......mmm come on Spring.....I am so waiting....and reading more catalogs .......you never know what else I
NEED to get me through......

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