I've changed continents

I'm allergic to dirt. More on that later. . .

I can't believe how long it's been since I wrote a blog post. October 2008, 6 months. I won't venture to explain all I've been up to during those months. Here's the important stuff:

I changed continents. I left London in January to come home for The Inauguration (as it is so commonly referred) and the next phase of, well, me! Now live with a cousin, hanging out with her mom who lives down the street (my 86yo aunt in better shape than me).

Got a part time job at the local arts org. and work with very nice and normal people.

My computer's hard drive died and with it all my software, so photos are gonna have to wait a while.

Of course, I'm in The South and it's blissfully warm, even hot some days and it's Spring, so I've started gardening again. Cousin seems perfectly delighted for me to tear up the grass on her sunny southern side and put in vegetables. Our own little effort to channel Michelle Obama. (we're working on our triceps too!) She's put in some collard greens in a slightly cool and sunny spot with plans to harvest while very young and tender.

I've launched my, now annual, flurry of seed starting. I have so far put into the ground seedlings of: okra, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, borlotto beans, broad beans, and runner beans. Two roma plant-lets from a garden center & a scattering of oregano seeds are in a giant pot (BIG LOTS! is great $7 for 22 gal plant container! God Bless America). Another big pot has fennel sproutlets (destined to die I'm afraid because I couldn't wait and properly transplant them). To keep them company I sprinkled some parsley seeds around the pot too.

Soon to be transplanted into larger containers and properly cultivated before planting in the ground: John Baer heirloom tomatoes, more okra (LOVE okra), celeriac, cumin (why not), cayenne peppers, thyme, oregano, basil, cebolla onions (sorta small ones), rosemary. Rosemary from seed just to see what might happen even though it's next to impossible. I think it take about 18 months for anything substantial to develop. A zen of gardening sort of thing. So is my quest for year round salad greens. I wanted to start a salad growing table (screen bottom). I can build it now but can't plant until Autumn because it's already too hot here. So be it. Zen of Gardening 2009.

Now, about my allergy. It's not actually to all of dirt, just one particular latin names something that is a 'component of dirt'. Those were the words of the allergies nurse who tested me several years ago. Of all the things I was tested for this was the only thing that came close to me being allergic to. There's a scale, this was my borderline item. So I laughed. Loudly. Very loudly. At the time I was working for an environmental conservation organization. Often helping farmers and community gardeners and family with land they wanted to keep. I Like Dirt. Dirt Is Good.

So, I garden then I come inside and sneeze some. Really. It's becoming my routine. Today, after work and my daily walk, I'm going to the nursery to look for lemon thyme plants and rosemary.

Oh! I'm on Twitter: twitter.com/cultureworker. So are lots of amazing gardeners and foodies. More about Twittering later. For today the question is:

What 6 plants can't you live without?

I came up with about 10, working on narrowing it down. I'll report back on that another day.