Kenilius

Seedling pulling a Houdini?

2009-04-30T03:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday before going to school, I planted out a loaf pan of shasta daisies right in the little area of soil around the basswood tree. I came home and was outside after dinner and to my surprise...all gone! Not just the top of the seedlings, but the whole clumps of seedlings were gone! Nothing! Talk about disappointment. I have another three clumps of seedlings, this time Maltese cross, which I want to plant out, but I'm so paranoid about them getting eaten. Ughhhhhhhhhhh

Isolation

2009-04-26T03:29:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to feel more and more isolated from my family. I don't feel any connection with them, and its like they look at me like I'm some sort of freak. Sure my flowers and operas aren't what everyone likes, but I don't force it upon anyone. I mean, if you ask, I'll be more than glad to share with you what I know, but it's not like I go around telling people 'this is how you grow...it's a perennial and grows to...' The other day, my mom called my sister down to dinner. She was busy and after a few minutes my mom called her again - clearly with frustration in her voice. So my sister rushes down as fast as she can. And at the last few steps on the stairs (ours are carpeted), she slips down and make a huge thud. My mom steps out of the kitchen, and the first thing she did was she started yelling at her.
"You're stupid"
"What the hell were you doing"
"I don't have time to take you to the hospital"
"Did you wreck the stairs?"
Not a word of consolation. She didn't even ask my sister is she was ok. That's motherly love....at least in our house. My mom won't stop yelling. It's an addiction. She has to yell at everyone over everything. And the thing is, if no one fesses up, guess who gets the blame? Yup, me. So unfair. I can't wait to get to uni and not have to see her.

As well, everyone is allowed to watch TV in her room, but I can't. Every weekend my sister and brother, mom and dad talk and laugh in my parents' room. Everyone but me. Whenever I walk in the door, she says "ok everyone get out. I'm locking the door." What? Is it that I have some contagious disease? Whenever I walk in, the laughter stops, and everyone puts on this disgusted face and startes at me. My dad teams up with my mom, and brother teams up with my sister. I don't belong. And my brother always make a point of telling me: "You know mommy hates you."

Maybe it's time for me to try some of those aconitum seeds, or ricinus seeds. Perhaps the Abrus preactoribus seeds would be less painful.

A Touch of Summer

2009-04-26T03:20:00.001-07:00

It got up to a whopping 27*C yesterday - what a beautiful day! sunny, but humid. Everything comes with a set back, and yesterday's nice weather was no exception. We had a huge thunderstorm and I mean HUGE!!! The weatherman said to prepare for a few days without power. Thank god the was no blackout. The power flashed off a few times but nothing major. I still haven't checked the yard to see how things fared.

As with the past two summers that I've spent at this house, I've dug a flower bed and this year is no exception. I'm going to try a new method called lasagna bed which is basically building organic material over existing grass. The idea is that the grass will decompose anaerobically everything else will decompose into nice rich compost. I was told that by the time the seedlings' roots got to the bottom of the soil, the grass would have already decomposed. I'm going to do two beds this way. Just to give my grandmother the sense of safety, I will be planting veggies in the seperate beds (my family seems to thin toxic flowers like brugs, daturas, other solanums) will leech toxins into the ground which is NOT true) one for beans and the other for tomatoes. I really am considering cutting back on flowers and focusing on veggies. The economy is really down, and I get the whole yard to myself. I don't want my parents to whine and complain that I'm not helping them out with the yard.

Roscoea...beesiana?

2009-04-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

Beesiana was the species that was named on the label when I bought the roots at Canada Blooms. I sort of left it too long, and just planted it about three days ago. I have buds now, and they are half opened. I've never grown these before, nor have I ever heard of them until I saw them at CB. I read hardy ginger, and thought to myself, I DEFINITELY have to get one! Searching online, beesiana lookd like yellow/cream coloured blooms, but somehow the flowers are purple. I know there wasn't a mix up, at least not by other customers, because each tuber (they looked like miniature dahlia tubers) was individually labelled and packaged. I'm thinking of taking a picture and sending it to the company to ask them. It's not what I was looking for, nor what I bought according to the label. I still want to see them bloom first! Apparently, this purple one is more hardy, but it's supposed to be a few bucks mor eexpensive. I just don't like purple that much; just a personal thing.

Spring Hast Sprung

2009-04-17T20:48:00.000-07:00

It got to 20*C today; talk about nice! The perennials I planted haven't done anything...no sign is a good sign, right? At least they're not wilting! I uncovered the bunny nest again a few days earlier, and the bunnies had their eyes open now!

Saw an ad in the newspaper that voldemart's garden center opens this Saturday (tomorrow) so I stopped by to take a look at what they have. The prices haven't gone up *that* much, about 10%. I am REALLY glad I know how to start seeds, and that I have access to so many seeds and traders! I think a lot of my money will be spent on soil amendement and tools. I really need a hoe and shovel.

Busy busy

2009-04-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

Busy as a bee! Finished the stupid Lear comic, did the bio ISP interview, and did the chem test! DONE...but a good job? I don't really care. We had some stupid assembly talking about grad night, which is what? more than two months away! You really thing we're going to remember what you blabbed about two months ago? You gotta be kidding me :S

I had found a nest of bunnies earlier while i was turning my leaf pile (leaf mold!) Apparently my human smell isn't that strong and the mom rabbit came back to nurse them. I've seen her almost every night. Most of the time, I see nibbling the grass, so I just let her be. I set out a hosta that I forced into growth so hopefully it's a bit more food for her...not that I want her and the bunnies to eat any hostas that come up!

I soaked more canna seeds and potted them up yesterday. It'll just be a matter o ftime before I see sprouts! I am *really* hoping to have a large bed of cannas this year! I already have four seedlings that I started about three weeks ago and they're sending out their fourth leaf. I still have canna indica seeds that I have to nick and start but I just don't have the motivation to do it. The blooms and story just aren't enough o.O"
So...so...I'm expecting more cannas and thizomes coming my way from a really nice lady a few hours north of here. She still has frost and snow, so she told me she wouldn't be sending them just to be safe.

Speaking of mailed plants, I got a FABULOUS box of perennial divisions from another really nice lady: Sedum 'Sutumn Joy,' Monarda, Shasta Daisy 'Becky,' Stella O'Hara daylilies, two other types of daylilies (one labelled orange, and the other labelled 'Red Stella') and last but not least...canna! She sent two, but one was mushy except for the last inch or so and it was trying to push out a sprout. I couldn't cut the mushy part off completely, so I just tore off what I could and put the mushy part and the firm part in the compost. It's amazing what will survive in the composter. Last year, I put in some ornamental squash after Hallowe'en and I got lots of sprouts! I threw in a dahlia which never ended up srouting inside and it sprouted by the day after next! Wondr if I'll see a canna shoot anytime soon?

Holy Thursday

2009-04-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

April 9, 2009, Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord's Supper

"I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do"

I went to a different church today for the mass, and I was rather surprise. The priest offered to wash everyone's feet. The previous church I used to go to chose 12 people to have their feet washed, but this parish, invited everyone who wanted their feet washed to go to the altar. Truly, I feel, the spirit of Christ: follow Christ, and do to others what He did. Humble yourself and remember that you are to serve others and not expect others to serve you.

Snow in April

2009-04-07T17:33:00.000-07:00

Cold, gloomy, wet.
Frantically covering shoots.
'nuff said.

T'sing Ming

2009-04-04T06:53:00.001-07:00

The fest of T'sing Ming is an important one for all Chinese people. It is the date when ancestoral graves are swept and cleaned. Offerings and libations are also given. In Hong Kong, there isn't a lot of space for cemetaries so graves are put in along a mountain. If you've ever watched those HK dramas, youll see people climbing steps to a hill to visit their deceased.

清明時節雨紛紛，

路上行人欲斷魂。

借問酒家何處有？

牧童遙指杏花村。

唐杜牧

The festival of T'sing Ming is rainy
People walking along are sad and at a lost for words
Where, I ask, is the inn?
The shepard child points down to the village.

(杏花is the name of the village - almond flower)

rain rain go away, come again some other day

2009-04-03T15:33:00.000-07:00

It's been raining all day...ALL day. Last night's forecast called for rain all day, but how often are the forecasts right? Today at least lol If there's one good thing about the rain, it's that the rain's soaking the ground. The grass is turning green again, and tons of perennials are poking out. Now that the garden bed is soaked, I know exactly where to plant the ones with wet feet or at least where I need to mend more than the rest ofthe bed. But if the forecast is gonna be as accurate as it was last night, they say the temps are going to dip to a high of 2-3*C (compared to a 2-3*C low the past week). Ooooh frost. I hope everything is going to be fine cuz I sure wouldn't be a happy camper if I had to cover everything the night of and uncover everything before school the next morning. Heck I don't even have enough time to mes around in the morning without having the worry about uncovering emerging plant shoots!

Reminder to Catholics: This Sunday, April 5th 2009 is Passion (Palm0 Sunday). It begins the holy week and commerates the day when Christ entered the city on a donkey with the citizens waving palms in welcome.

Offer...offer...offer!!!

2009-04-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY have all 5 of my offers for university. Phew talk about relief! I got three a few months ago, got one yesterday and my last one this morning yeah! Now if only the darn admission package would get here so I know how much I can slack off XD I heard I just need to keep my mark over a 70% to get in. So I have a 16% or so buffer. As of now: breathe...r-e-l-a-x

Spring

2009-03-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

Spring, oh spring.
How I have longed for your arrival;
Your gentle winds,
Your warming sun.
Your miracles.
Miracles of life and rebirth.

For the last week or so, I've noticed that the tulips, galanthus, and crocus have poked their heads out. The crocus were in their peak yesterday, and the galanthus, though quiet, have created quite the show!

Spring = rain, mud...ick! And I never believed that to be true until today. Heavy heavy rain. Sheet upon sheets of rain. Not a speck of sunlight. Pretty much tore the crocus from petal to petal, and flooded most of the beds. Oh well: I'll know where I need to add amendments lol

Seeds are starting to come up. Tomatoes, cannas, and Pumpkin-on-a-stick (Solanum integrifolium). The only problem is how to fit everything on the window ledge. You heard right, ledge, not sill. See my parents won't let me bring seedlings downstairs and I've basically have to do everythign in my room. The window ledge between the screen and glass (when you pull up the window) can fit a 4" pot. So I've had to open the window to let my seedlings get light. And there goes my mom complaining about it being cold. If the tomatoes ecetera can take those temps it definately isn't too cold. Had you guys let me bring them downstairs in front of the big sliding glass door, I wouldn't need to open my window.

And as a matter of fact: I don't see how I can't grow seedlings in the living room if you have peat pellets, and soaked cotton and seeds (none of which have sprouted and it's been 2 weeks+) if you can leave them on the kitchen floor and in the living room. parents these days. and my dad only does whatever my mom tells him to do. talk about being hen pecked.

Screaming man at Voldemart

2009-03-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

So I strolled into Voldemart today to see how their pitiful bareroot perennials were doing in their warm, enclosed plastic, rotting packaging. none left...or should i say all gone to waste. then i hear this man screaming "let go of me. I didn't do anything wrong. let go of me. someone help me." everyone turned to look, saw nothing, and I heard a young lady, bout 30, say "there's always someone screaming at voldemart." no kidding. you'd wonder, with all the 'undercover' security people walking around, and all the camera, what's the point of using force? brute force. stupid voldemart.

i was at mcdonalds later. wanted to try their 'mac snackwrap' which wasn't all that great as i had predicted. so you're looking at three half patties, a little of your condiments wrapped in a tortilla. Kinda disgusting but you can't say anything unless you try it out yourself. as i was waiting on my order, a skater boy was ordering. then this brown guy comes in with two girls.
guy: "i wann talk to you"
skater: "ok"
"you almost ran into my daughter back there. she heard you swear. you said fuck"
(now here im listening and thinking, so the 16 year old swore in front of your daughter...but now you? why the heck should you get pissed off?)
"i want you to apologize. you're 16 she's 3, you bring yourself down to her"
"sorry"
(he seemed like he meant it...he was sincere when he apologized and wasn't sarcastic from what i heard)
"im a supervisor for a security company. you know you got lucky this time. im not gonna do anything. im letting you go. next time someone's gonna smash that board over your head"
(seemed like a threat to me...there was no need to bring up that he was a supervisor for a security company. raising his hand, calling the kid lucky that he wasn't gonna get anything from him.)
the restaurant supervisor handed me my order and i left.

my thoughts?
- eff off. he's a 16 year old kid. so what. if you kept a closer eye on your daughter...you would've seen the kid coming and he wouldn't had 'almost' run into her
- so its not right for a random 16 year old stranger to swear within the vincinity of your daughter, but its ok for you to swear in front of her?
- you what? 40? and you resort to threatening the 16 year old kid? grow up
- and what's up with following the kid into McDees? you couldn't have talked to him out in the store, but HAD to do it in front of a restaurant full of people?

Cake and Brownies...VoldeMart

2009-03-19T17:02:00.000-07:00

Put five guys together, take an afternoon and what do you get? Chocolate cake and brownies! Well, the brownies didn't turn out *that* good but the cake was great! Too much chocolate in the brownies? Spring is tomorrow, so is Canada Blooms; I can't wait to go! I heard its supposed to be great this year as last year's show wasn't all that great. A lot of people said it wasn't worth the $18 to go see. Guess I'll have to find out myself! I'm jsut hoping there's going to be some 'cheap' tender perennial bulbs that I can buy instead of being stuck buying from local.

Ten bucks for five peonies is quite a deal...but given that its from VoldeMart....I wouldn't buy from them every if its ten times cheaper. Who in the right mind keeps perennial roots in full light and next to the warm air heater? Those stupid 'garden center' employees. That lady's been giving me the eye...I think she knows that I probably know more than her. She probably knows about all the bad habits they use to keep their plants on the verge of death. Believe it or not, I saw some high school part time watering succulents and African violets HEAD ON! And all those poor plants. You know if they actually make use of those hangers and put on flourencent lights, and take five minutes to read up on how to water those plants you mgiht actually make money and not waste and force those living plants to die. Either they die of thirst or get too much water and drown to death. Poor poor plants. Even if they don't cost a lot to buy wholesale, it took the greenhouse a while to raise them. You stupid market monster, all you care about is making money...sepnd the extra few bucks to hire someone who KNOWS what they're doing. Also, if the whole plant is shrivelled up and brown, noone's going to buy it, even after you discount it 10%.

March Break Pt 2

2009-03-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

To Do:
work on bio
have sushi
move stuff from galanthus

done, done, done!

YEAH!!!! so 2 hours later, we had a cover, and three titled slide for our bio powerpoint...not bad? lol sushi...not bad! really rather full. Haven't had anything since the sushi lunch about 12 hours before. and right after I moved the stuff on top of the galanthus...I saw shoots poking out!!! YIPEE!!!! it'll just be a few more weeks before they start to bloom :) 2 days till spring

March Break!!!!

2009-03-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

Finally, a full week of rest...guess again. ISP after ISP lined up for each and every day. If there's one thing to look forward to, it's the annual Canada Blooms show; I'm going Friday! It's been nice and mild for the past while, and I've been outside for a while cleaning up. It seems the leaf piles that I forgot about didn't kill the grass, but acted more like mulch (even though your'e supposed to apply mulch after a hard freeze). The Arum italicum survived and are pushing out new leaves. I see plump white buds amidst the crocus leaves (they bloom white) and I've seen the tips of my muscari, daffs, and double tulips push through.

Note to self: take off all the pots and stuff on top of where the galanthus are supposed to be...nothing's going to bloom with a stack of nursery pots stack on top of them lol

Looking like I'm going to be investing a LOT of my small budget into bettering the soil. The drainage is really bad, and I have quite a few things to move about the garden. I'm hoping, really *hoping* to dig more beds. So far, I have these 'few' ideas:

- have a canna bed or at least a canna section
- I really want to grow sunflowers :D the red ones in particular, and maybe also some pollenless ones for cutting
- have a row of ricinus (castor beans) a the end of the yard in front of the evengreens lining the back fence
- give up on the bulbs planted in the small shaded bed and turn it into a veggie/flower patch...which means I'll have to move the arums there
- dig, dig, dig...I want more beds! I've been asking around for some common perennials to fill in and simple no fail blooms: yarrow, iris, daylilies, monarda, shasta daisy, whatever!

Relax and Breathe...not yet

2009-03-02T18:34:00.000-08:00

So the week of tests and such...yadda yadda yadda, is over. Well what do you know? Civs test tomorrow: Antigone. Ughh...stress stress all th way upppppp.

So apparently there is this stupid French trip to watch Entre Les Murs. $17 - ok i guess. Do I want to go? No. Why? Calc. Plain and simple. There's a quiz the next day. ughh when can I breathe again?

WTF's wrong with you?????

2009-02-22T09:33:00.001-08:00

if you're not going to mass tell me ahead of time so i don't waste my time. i have a full week of assessments and such coming week...i'd rather be at home reviewing than browse through the supermarket with you! you called me down from my room...interrupted my train of thought...we're going to mass later, you want to come? fine. I asked you are you sure you're going to mass. oh yes, just let your brother grab something to eat first. he's making a sandwich now. we get in the car, down the street: "why don't we just go shopping instead? NO! I asked you again. are we going to mass. you said YES. i added that if you're not going to mass, i'm getting out and walking back home...it's only a couple hundred meters. no no no, we're going. you drop my sister off AT the church, your car stopped in front on the front steps. i take about an hour and a half to browse through the stores with you...more like a human shopping cart. last store, you're asking my brother if he wanted to just go have dinner and go home instead of going to mass. WTH? you're just told me you're going to mass. that's the only f-ing reasoning why I got out. if you're just going to have dinner just say so. seesh. no wonder you didn't bit*h at me when i was combing through the seed racks and the garden supplies. we walk out, there's a bit of snow falling...we're going home. WTFFFFFF??????? i asked you three times, on two different occasions if we're going to mass and you answered for sure. yes. we're going. WTF IS YOUR PROBLEM????? but wait...you drive BACK into the church parking lot to PICK UP YOUR DAUGHTER. you start swearing at everything when you couldn't get through her cell. uh...duh. you TURN OFF your cell in church. WTH is wrong with you? oh wait...so you get out and take your sweet time. you WALKED into the church to look for your daughter. so it makes sense for you to go into the church by yourself to chat with people while you leave me stuck with your spoiled son in the car? in those almost three hours i could have gone through all my chem. thanks a lot. btw: i'll PERSONALLY make sure you don't get ANY peace at home. MARK MY WORDS

sick...again?

2009-02-20T18:57:00.001-08:00

stuffy nose, headaches, sore throat...flu? What a great time to get sick in the middle of school right before a week of tests, right when i'm trying to finish off my winter sowing, and right as i'm beginning to start my indoor sowing.

had an argument with that Mind Oppressing Monster...MOM. funny how people won't change their opinions. it just seems so foolish to me how stubborn they can be...those old wives tales. "plants steal oxygen from the room...that's why you're sick" why don't you tell me the plants are sucking out my life essence to grow?!!!! seesh. i mean, fine you nearly failed bio when YOU were in high school...but im doing quite well thank you very much. we now know that plants will use carbon dioxide to grow...CO2... the stuff that we EXHALE...the stuff that we don't use and is waste???? i bet some of you brainiacs are thinking "what about those CAM plants?" well...I only have one. a tiny one is a four inch pot. beside with about ten others that are NOT CAM plants making O2...doesn't it balance out? sometimes i wonder...maybe its all the energy it takes to try to make her see the light that drains me out. ughhh -_- "

Day after Valentine's

2009-02-15T10:24:00.000-08:00

Valentine's is over and its a quiet Sunday morning. Bright, sunny, quiet. It's one of those days that you want to just kick back, relax and do nothing. They snow's starting to melt. I don't think I've ever been able to see green grass in February before. That amaryllis that bloomed Christmas day is blooming again. And rather nicely I might add. 6 buds! Most of the people I know spent Valentines with friends, going out or not, having dinner, going to the movies. Me? Ha! How many people do you know going to mass on Valentine's? Yup.