Something new in the garden

​Ahhhh, spring is here!

It's so nice to see some green sprouting and to feel the sun's warmth getting more intense. 

Another seed catalog came in the mail so I definitely have to make up my mind about what seeds to get and place my order before they sell out. I'll admit the catalogs are more for dreaming about all the things I'd like to plant before it's actually warm enough to get outside. I get most of my seeds from local stores but I will order seeds for those unusual heirloom varieties that aren't popular commercial sellers. 

Each year I like to plant at least one thing in my garden that I've never grown before. Last year it was Escamillo peppers, a mild yellow variety that was delicious. The year before it was ground tomatoes. I didn't care for them but that's okay because the chipmunks were more than happy to come by each morning and help themselves. This year my new to me plant will be the herb Angelica archangelica.

I've been reading John Forti's book "The Heirloom Gardener" It's a beautifully designed book full of information, garden quotes, and lots of bright spring green illustrations by Mary Azarian. The first chapter is all about Angelica. I was fascinated by the description of its chartreuse hollow stems and the large white umbrels loved by bees and butterflies. As a culinary herb tea, syrup, and cordials can be made but it's also known for its medicinal qualities. Angelica is a biennial, which means I won't get flowers this first year but even so I can't wait to see the seeds sprout. Hmmm, I wonder if the angelica leaves will be good for eco-printing?

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In between planning new workshops and making books I've been busy rearranging furniture in my studio trying to find a more comfortable, less awkward arrangement. The studio is 129 square feet and has 2 large windows, 2 doors, and a slanted ceiling over three-quarters of the space so there are not a lot of options when it comes to furniture arrangement. Surprisingly though just moving 3 things; my comfy reading chair, a small cabinet, and a new work table (that has 2 drawers!) has made a huge difference. It has that nice open feeling I was hoping for. Now that I'm pretty sure I know where I want everything to be it's time to go get the paint! I'm not sure how often I'll have access to my comfy chair anymore though as it didn't take long for Miss Belle to notice that it's perfectly positioned to take advantage of the morning sunlight.

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"It's exciting to see things coming up again,
plants that you've had twenty or thirty years.
It's like seeing an old friend." 

~ Tasha Tudor