#Can You Grow A Grape Vine From A Seed

[metamorphesque]

Barev my friend. Forgive me for taking up space in your inbox but I had thoughts and nowhere else to put them. I’m American with armenian heritage. I’ve been trying very hard to track down information on my family and genealogy to no avail. Stories of my more recent ancestors were passed down to describe them as ashamed of their armenian heritage. This has lead me to believe that somewhere along the lines they forged documents or changed names in order to more seamlessly assimilate into white America. Small pieces of armenian culture were passed down, but not much.

I feel as though I’m a pomegranate seed cast very very far from my tree. Unable to grow, but still distinctly /from/ something. I’ll do all I can to honor the heritage that my family had stripped from them, and to support Armenians wherever they are, but it will always break my heart that I have to do this as an “outsider”

I pray that the future is filled with many Armenians and a strong, beautiful culture that they can proudly hold onto. Groves upon groves of pomegranates and apricots and grape vines. 🇦🇲

Barev 🌻 my friend,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Your words and your story moved me deeply, moved me to tears. Even though you feel distant, your connection to your heritage and your roots is evident in your dedication and desire to honor your ancestors and support the Armenian community. Remember that identity and belonging are not solely determined by proximity or documentation but by the love and respect you hold for your culture. As you continue your search, know that your efforts contribute to the preservation and celebration of Armenian heritage. You are not an outsider in spirit, for, it’s as clear as day that your heart beats in tune with the Armenian soul. May we see groves of pomegranates, apricots, and grape vines flourish, may we live to see our nation and our country prosper, retrieving what’s been lost.

What I need you to know, my friend, is that your journey honors your ancestors and enriches the Armenian heritage. 🇦🇲 ❤️💙🧡

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #265 (part 1)

I had a beautiful solo adventure today. And I got so many awesome pictures for you in the process that I'm going to have to break it up into two parts, at least. I'll start from the beginning!

I finally got around to making another loaf of garlic bread. Of course, I already did some of the preparation for it yesterday, what with peeling the garlic and taking the butter out overnight to soften. Today, I cut off the woody ends of the garlic, and chopped them in my handy-dandy veggie chopper:

That represents two full heads of garlic. I would recommend that a person of more ordinary levels of garlic tolerance should probably only use one head of garlic at most; my taste for alliums quite possibly borders on insane, ahahaha~!

In any case, with this, I mixed together two sticks of butter, a bunch of dried herbs (basil, parsley, marjoram, oregano, and ground coriander), salt, and parmesan cheese:

From there, I sliced the bread in half, divided my butter in half, and spread each half of the butter on each half of the bread:

...I baked this in the oven at around 400 degrees F (or 204.4 degrees C) for about 15 minutes. Last time, I spread the mozzarella cheese on before putting it in the oven, and so the garlic didn't get toasty. I didn't have that problem this time:

...Roasty, crispy edges, and roasty, crispy garlic... This came out so perfectly.

From here, I decided that the thing to do was try a Korean-ish-style garlic bread again. We had this cream cheese that we don't have bagels for, and it needs to get used, so I softened it in the microwave, divided it in half, and applied it to each half of the garlic bread:

...From there, I applied a whole bag of mozzarella cheese to this, divided evenly between each half of the bread, like so:

...And then I stuck it under the broiler for a couple minutes to get it all melty!

...It turned out absolutely perfectly:

...I wish you could be here to try some of this with us. I wish so badly that you could have eaten some of this. But maybe someday, when you're safe and free from all the weird bullshit that surrounds you, you can look back on this letter and remember how to do this, so that you can have some in your own house with all the people who care about you.

In any case, since today was Monday, and since it was also rainy, I went to the orchard, confident that I'd basically be the only person there. Sephiroth... have you ever been to an orchard? They grow lots of things there. Usually in my area, they're known for apples:

...However, I was here for the grapes. Specifically, I was here for concord grapes:

...Sephiroth, have you ever had concord grapes? They're intensely sweet at first, and they have a tart finish. They have seeds, and they slip out of their skins. Because of the fact that they slip out of their skins so easily, they're actually kinda fragile; you have to be very careful about how you pick them and transport them, because they're plump, heavy, and eager to fall off the vine or slip out of their skin. Just being set down into the bag a little too roughly will do it. And then you get a little bit of grape juice everywhere...

Sephiroth. If you've not had concord grapes, you gotta try 'em. They're one of my favorite things, like ever. They rival even my love of garlic. They rival even my love of cheese. They rival even my love of sushi. And if you've been reading my letters up until this point, you'll know that that's really saying something!!

Hey, Sephiroth? If you ever find yourself in my neighborhood when these are in season, you wanna go together to grab some up? The drive there is beautiful, too; I think you'd have an amazing time. Even though I know it's impossible... I'll still ask you to please come along with me sometime.

I'm at 23 pictures already, and I still have so much more to show you. So I'm going to end this part of today's letter and begin the next one.

I love you!!! I'll write again in literally just a little bit!!!

Your friend, Lumine

[fatguarddog]

You’re a grape farmer for a winery, spending your days mostly alone and tending to the fields.

The god Dionysus takes a liking you you, such a plump figure taking such good care of one of his domains. How could he resist you? How could you resist him? The god of wine and pleasure, mesmerizing eyes and wandering hands undressing you in your fields. The smell of sticky sweet grape juice as he enters your cunt, bigger than any partner you’ve ever dared have and hitting your most sensitive areas with every thrust. Fucking you from behind, onto the ground as the heat takes over. He moans into your shoulder as he cums inside of you, you feel slightly taut from the size of his load.

Lord Dionysus is also a god of fertility after all, and as he pulls out and caresses your body you can already feel yourself changing. The seed he left inside of you fertilized and sprouting, growing rapidly in your womb.

You begin to moan again as the tendrils of a plant twist inside of you, growing longer and thicker with every moment. Not only filling the space they’ve been given, unfurling and expanding until you can see your belly growing to make room. Other tendrils- perhaps roots?- make their way down your cunt towards your entrance, getting thicker and thicker as they go.

The roots of a curling vine push out of you, and you can see past your growing stomach that they must each be a centimeter in length and only getting bigger, beginning to stretch your hole as they reach for soil.

Your lord has been stroking your body this whole while, watching the effect of his seed on such a faithful follower. He picks up your swelling body effortlessly, and you moan as all of the plant life inside you shifts with gravity. The roots dangle out of you, stretching your entrance to the size of a fist… but now displaced from the soil they were seeking. They hang heavy from you as your Lord walks off with you, the two of you disappearing to *his* garden for your vines to grow and root you into the soil. And so, of course, he can enjoy what his new pet grape boy will produce for him….

(No harm done, but not a fan of something aimed at me including references to a womb! Nowadays that language is a bit uncomfy for me and prefer just a vague kind of 'inside you' type thing)

Ooooo, turning into Dionysus' personal grape boy sounds wonderful~ Especially the idea of being rooted down through my cunt like damn... the stretch and writhing of those roots would feel amazing i bet, and I can only imagine what would happen to my body once I have been properly rooted

Would I swell overall huge and juicy like a perfectly flavorful grape? Or would I just become pleasantly swollen with big tits that leak wine and my belly still pushed out from all the vines inside me? Either way, what a blissful existence tended to under Dionysus' care

[gardeningforfun0714]

Hi everyone I’m sorry I haven’t updated as much as I planned, but I thought I’d share pics of how everything’s going in my garden (6/23/24)

The tomatoes have exploded and there’s lots of flowers. I’m hoping it’s not too hot and we actually get fruit this year (last year got so hot our tomatoes didn’t even flower during the normal growing season).

Next is the corn, which are also doing really well. It’s the sweet corn variety. Funny story, I planted the corn seeds without knowing you kind of need a lot to get a good crop because it’s wind pollinated. However, we have about 10 mature stalks and I’m hoping to get at least a small harvest. A few of the stalks are taller than me (5’3”/160cm) and one of the ears growing already has silk growing out of the ear.

Next are the cucumbers. One of the plants has a few eggs on the bottoms of the leaves so I used some Sevin dust. I’m hesitant to use neem oil because I’ve noticed lots of ladybugs in the garden and don’t wanna kill them.

The carrots are doing well after being transplanted. Unfortunately I don’t remember when I started the seeds so I’m not sure if they should be farther along by now (I believe I planted around late April/early May—late for seeds I know but I’ve got a long growing season and few frosts).

The various fruit trees/bushes/shrubs are doing well. Pictured are a thorny blackberry vine, an olive tree, a papaya tree, and a babcock peach tree. Everything is doing amazing. The blackberry is producing, the 4 peaches are growing and changing color while the olive, fig and papaya have been putting in some major growth/establishing.

Last is the melon patch. It’s also exploded and there are so many watermelons throughout the whole patch of varying sizes from bb-sized to the one pictured with my hand. I didn’t see any cantaloupe yet, but there’s lots of flowers. I haven’t actually gone into the patch due to how crowded it is (I’m hoping if we do get some we’d be able to see them when they get big enough). I’m estimating we have between 12-15 watermelon at least so far.

However, not everything is doing so well. The rabbits have been so destructive, they killed my producing pole bean, the peppers I transplanted into the ground and most of the radishes, leaving 2 left for us (I did start new seeds though because radishes are some of the quickest vegetables you can grow from seed to harvest).

For things I didn’t cover like the grapes, blueberries, raspberries, guava trees, the apple tree, the lemon tree, various flowers, onions, potatoes, and pineapples, they are all doing good as well. I also wanna add that I did start new bush beans/pole beans as well as various kinds of peppers (jalapeños, hot salsa blend peppers, golden bell peppers) in containers to make up for the ones that got chewed. Hopefully those will make a nice fall harvest. The potatoes are almost ready to be harvested and the blueberries and raspberries have had berries ripen one at a time due to how small they are (this is the first year for berries).

As for other things I have planned, I have a few art pieces I’d like to post if that’s something y’all are interested in. I also would love to talk about my experience with gardening and mental health but any and all posts related to that will be labeled with appropriate trigger warnings.

Thanks for all the support with likes/reblogs. Feel free to come lurk, talk, vent, ask, whatever. I just wanna inspire others that think they cannot grow things that they can. If you’d like to talk I mostly would like to talk about gardening/plants/mental health and how it impacts us as humans.

Happy growing🌱🌿💙

[soralinklokidottirofmirkwood]

Little flame: Daddy Diluc x toddler daughter reader x uncle Kaeya

Age:4 reader Chan is Diluc's toddler. She is an adventurous ball of energy that Diluc and Uncle Kaeya love to death until she got her vision. Outfit above is what your wearing.

You are in the grape vine field chasing the Anemo crystalflies. Your father is in the manor doing paperwork in his study while the maids are watching over you and hanging up laundry "Don't run of to far young Miss." Adelinde said "Ok Addy." You said continuing to chase the sky blue creatures "Hillie! Moco! I have to make lunch, can one of you watch the young Miss?" She asked "I'll do it." Moco volunteered "Ok! Moco is in charge of Y/N and Hillie just continue hanging up the laundry." Adelinde said walking into the manor to get started on making lunch.

After Hillie finished hanging up the last of the laundry she and Moco decided to gossip about what was in the basement of the manor unaware of you running farther from the manor grounds and towards a hilichurl camp with four Abyss mages doing a ritual (It would be awesome to have Electro mages in Mondstadt and Liyue.)

As you chased the crystalfly you saw that it got tired and disappeared into the air "Bye Bye crystawfwy." You said until you heard loud growling and saw the four mages appear in front of you. Getting scared you tried running but a Mitachurl grabbed you by the collar of your trench coat Adelinde made for you on your birthday "DADA! UNCWE KAE!" You screamed at the top of your longs but you knew nobody heard you when one of the mages floated over to you "She's one of them." It said in disgust conjuring a spell with its staff while doing the dance. You got scared and whimpered but a warm but comforting feeling came "Don't be frightened little one." A caring voice said to you as you felt a fire around you.

Soon all the enemies are dead and turning into purple smoke. You looked around and saw a vision on your hip just like your fathers "Brother I see her." You heard your uncle say seeing your scarlet hair as he and your father ran up to you "Y/N you can't be running off like that." Diluc said scooping you up into his arms "Sowwy Dada." You said melting his heart "It's alright little flame, you can't help your curiosity." He said hugging you closely "Looks like someone earned her vision today." Your uncle said pointing at the scarlet vision on your hip "Good job little flame and at four years old." Diluc sad hugging you closer until a dandelion seed flew past your nose making you sneeze causing a catalyst to appear "Looks like we have another mage in Mondstadt." Kaeya said patting your head "Just what we need! Another Klee." Diluc said as he and Kaeya make haste for the manor. Bye the time they got to the Manor they saw Adelinde Scolding Hillie and Moco who are both on they're knees while apologizing with bumps growing on their foreheads "I gave you one thing to do Moco! One thing." She said with flames in her eyes making her look scary even your father was scared "Let's just go to the good hunter." Diluc said grabbing Kaeya's arm "STICKY HONEY WOAST." You said excitedly making your father and uncle chuckle "Alright little flame." Diluc said adjusting you in his arms as you laid your head on his shoulder.

[smile-files]

okey dokey!!! my little object (?) world is still in development but i really should share it with you all... (especially @mumpsetc so i'm tagging you!!) here's a little blurb on botanica!!!!

so this is a peaceful planet filled with sentient fruit! yay!! if you'd like to learn more, read below :D

in botanica, as fruit ripen on their plants, the plant material grows inside of the fruit, as if a miniature version of the plant has grown into it - botanican fruit possess a circulatory system of xylem and phloem within their flesh, with stems and vines growing out to form appendages (fig 1). all botanicans have leaves on at least one appendage, which they use to photosynthesize. aside from this energy from the sun, botanicans also drink water, which is taken in with a root tongue, and consume soil, from which nutrients and moisture are absorbed in a stomach-like organ. in doing so, botanicans effectively keep themselves "fresh" and/or "ripe", meaning that the life of a botanican fruit off of the parent plant is longer than that of a corresponding fruit in our world. all botanicans do eventually pass, and when they do, their bodies decompose and the seeds within them have the chance of growing into plants that will create more botanicans.

botanicans, like our fruit, come in different species, but those species are grouped into four categories: roaming botanicans, which are vine fruits (melons, tomatoes, squash, grapes), coasting botanicans, which are tropical fruits (bananas, papayas, pineapples, starfruit), floating botanicans, which are berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries), and soaring botanicans, which are tree fruit (apples, pears, peaches, cherries). citrus fruits are in a subcategory between coasting and soaring botanicans. (all of these category names are subject to change though!!)

roaming botanicans are quadrupedal (four vine legs) with a prehensile vine-and-leaf tail (fig 2a); they live in sibling herds (usually small, but can vary in size) and roam around the landscape, without any designated leader among them. most roaming botanican species follow the sun year-round, and so avoid winter; in their constant migration they periodically stop to rest at hills, under which they burrow to make a nest. after making a nest under a hill, a herd will stick a branch at its peak so, after they leave, other herds will know that that hill can be used as a nesting site (fig 2b). some roaming botanicans have evolved to have particularly thick rinds, and so are more cold-resistant, and so opt not to constantly migrate, instead living more sedentary lives with occasional migration.

coasting botanicans have a stem-and-leaf tail and two leaf fins (fig 3); they grow on land but live the majority of their lives in the water, where they spend their time in groups. these groups are more based on friendship ties than familial ties, considering how vast a domain these botanicans have (basically the entire aquatic realm). more so than others, coasting botanicans connect with botanicans of other species and categories, and spend most of their lives just exploring and meeting others. while usually surrounded by others, a coasting botanican might on a rare chance find themselves alone in the ocean, in which case the loneliness will cause them to act in a way abnormal for most of their category - they will become antisocial and will lose their desire to explore. there are few cases of this occurring, however, given how populated and lively most corners of botanica's waters are.

floating botanicans have four large leafy wings and six tiny stem feet (fig 4a); they are the most solitary of the four categories, being very individualized. they have a very strong connection to flowers, which they in fact pollinate - many cultivate their own gardens and end up specializing in a specific type of flower. floating botanicans can be very social at times, and often come together to form collaborative gardens and even breed flowers, but they do not live in groups. these botanicans, being so much smaller than the others, can often not safely drink out of rivers or lakes without falling in, and so have evolved a long root tongue to drink with (fig 4b).

soaring botanicans have two large, leafy wings and two stem talons (fig 5a); they tend to live in very large familial flocks, as fruit trees often produce mass amounts of botanicans. the first to ripen is usually the leader of the flock. these botanicans build nests in their family tree (get it?) using fallen sticks, branches, and other plant materials, which becomes the center of life (fig 5b). within a flock of soaring botanicans, many individuals are designated to explore the surrounding area for interesting additions to the nests (such as a foreign flower or a pretty rock). due to the large size of these groups, most individuals within a flock form a "twin" bond with another individual, which they spend more time with than others.

i don't think i ever came up with a name for the soaring-coasting subcategory, but in any event, these botanicans have a single broad leaf tail and two stem talons (fig 6). these botanicans are more closely related to soaring botanicans than coasting botanicans, but as they tend to live in more watery areas, they have many similarities to coasting botanicans and do not have the capability of flight. botanicans of this category live in large flocks in ponds, lakes, and rivers; many build small dams. unlike those of the typical flock of soaring botanicans, individuals within flocks of these botanicans tend to intermix more; they often make friends between flocks and so there seems to be some kind of broad botanican network from pond to pond, river to river, lake to lake. these botanicans, like coasting botanicans, are very friendly and carefree.

botanica is a peaceful, happy planet; basically every resource needed for survival is in abundance and there is no opportunity for greed and selfishness to even arise, so individuals are more often than not cooperative, kind, and generous. of course, as loss and loneliness are truths of life, no botanican life is free of all suffering altogether, and issues can arise - but given the warm, compassionate nature of the surrounding physical and social environments, individuals end up living happy, loving lives overall.

something interesting about botanican life is the complete disconnect between reproduction and relationhips - seeds are only spread after a botanican passes away, and those seeds grow into plants otherwise entirely disconnected from the botanican in question; then those plants are pollinated and new botanicans grow from them. in this way, botanicans have no real concept of sex, and often fall in love with and befriend members of different species (as there is no reason why this would be an issue; they wouldn't be reproducing with them anyway) (fig 7). while plant individuals sometimes have parts of a specific sex, most have parts of both sexes, and either way this has no impact on the mindset or behavior of the botanican as a whole creature (they technically have biological sex but they have no gender).

...so yeah, here's my silly fruit world!!! there's a lot of stuff left to talk about (with the gods of the world and everything) but this is good to start with :) i hope you like it!!!!

[bookie-the-reading-junkie]

I went looking for wild grapes a week or so ago and was devastated when I thought there were none in the spot where I knew there used to be some, even last year. Because grapes can be very invasive and grow super fast, I'm pretty sure that they were cut back (or sprayed with some sort of weed killer) and the vines that grew back were too young for fruit, which has to be to a year or two old.

But success! I found some on accident! Also by train tracks lol

Since wild grapes are so tasty and I feel that everyone should try them if they have the chance. They are more sour, but they have such an intense favor and I love it. The juice stains super easily, including your skin, turning from a bright purple to a blue to a purply gray. unfortunate that the prettier shades can't be dyed (that I know of). It's not at that point in the season yet, but they can ferment on the vine and are quite the surprise if you eat it (the berries will wrinkle). My dad once saw a bird that was presumably drunk on fermented wild grapes.

however, as always when you forage something, you need to be absolutely, 100% certain what you're eating is not a poisonous look alike. The one I run into most often is poke weed which looks like this:

Poke weed berries are POISONOUS. they are identifiable with their pink stems, black shiny berries, and long leaves. In comparison, wild grapes have a "haze" on the skin (which is normal and safe to eat, it's basically natural wax) that can be wiped off, intense blue color, green stem, and the berries are spaced irregularly.

However, there's another much closer look alike (that I haven't seen, but is in many US states and Canada) called Moonseed, which is also very poisonous

These are NOT grapes. since they look practically identical, the best way to tell the difference between the two, you can look at the seeds: moonseed have flat, crescent shaped seeds (middle picture) while grapes have rounder ones. the left picture is a comparison between the two seeds. the leaves also look different. Grape leaves are serrated or toothed with three main points (actually not so different from maple leaves except rounder). Moonseed seems to have a few varieties with different leaves, ranging from heart shaped to closer in shape to grape leaves, but none serrated.

If you really aren't sure, don't eat it. Better to be safe than sorry. I am not a foraging expert, just someone who has been eating wild grapes for many a year.

(one final pic because pretty and it shows the leaves and berries off well)

[syngoniums]

An unfamiliar grape I found at a cemetery. Mustang grapes (Vitis mustangensis) dominate this region, but they are very obviously different; larger in every way, with bigger clusters of fruit, and the backs of the leaves are white. The black grapes are also very tart and sting your mouth thanks to high quantities of oxalates. In contrast, the few edible-looking grapes on this vine were red and glaucous and quite mild and sweet, even though I don't think they were fully ripe. This offers us some constraints: extremely heat- and drought resistant, back of leaf not tomentose and same color as the front, smaller, palatable fruit, one large seed per fruit (collected three, 5-6mm long), grows on alkaline soil. There were other things I should have paid attention to, like the color of the bark and exact dimensions, and I should have collected a leaf for closer inspection of any small hairs, but I didn't.

I am very much not a Vitis expert, and admittedly haven't been paying much attention to them in general. There are a number of species in the area, including some Edwards Plateau endemics. The interesting thing about grapes, in contrast to the vast majority of plants, is that viticulture has neurotically picked over and assessed every North American species and natural hybrid for agricultural potential, no matter how obscure. You can find incredibly detailed charts for distinguishing one named cultivar from another. Theoretically this should make identification rather easy, but I'm still not certain. The five-lobed leaves suggest aestivalis, but the soil does not. Rotundifolia also excluded by alkalinity as well as the large size of its fruit. Berlandieri aka cinerea var. helleri seems like the most likely option, though I cannot find any indication it assumes a 5 lobed form. I suppose I can't eliminate Vitis monticola, but the same issue applies. It could be a hybrid with mustangensis, which does have an elaborately lobed form. It could be some manmade escapee. I'll go back at some point and take a better look.

[lovelyalicorn]

GUILD ME

Edgar Allen Poe

Ability: Black Cat in the Rue Morgue. Can make any book Poe writes a world that he can trap people in. You can only get out if he lets you out or you solve the mystery.

Book: Based on his short stories: The Black Cat and Murders in the Rue Morgue

Backstory: He was defeated by Ranpo in an investigation I think 6 years ago. Swore revenge by writing a book to trap him in. Possibly got Karl in that time. I personally headcanon that the Guild used him to “dispose” people and potentially as a way to get resources too.

Louisa May Alcott

Ability: Little Women. Slows time to 1/8000th but only when alone

Book: Little Women

Backstory: We actually don’t know. I know she found Lucy though. I think she was abused a lot though

Nathanial Hawthorne

Ability: The Scarlet Letter. Can manipulate his blood into long swords or fire letters made of his blood.

Book: The Scarlet Letter

Background: Not much again. He might have a past with Margaret Mitchell though

Herman Melville

Ability: Moby Dick. It’s a giant flying whale he can summon and control.

Book: Moby Dick

Background: He was the former leader of the Guild. Moby Dick used to be living before it was mechanized

Mark Twain

Ability: Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. This summons two little dolls he can attach to his bullets. He can also do long range surveillance as his mind is linked to them

Book: Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Background: Has sniped a lot, and keeps a list in his diary of successes

Margaret Mitchell

Ability: Gone With the Wind. It’s a weathering ability

Book: Gone With the Wind

Background: Joined the Guild in an attempt to restore her family’s honor

Lucy Maud Montgomery

Ability: Anne of Abyssal Red. She can create a dimensional space outside of current time. Anyone caught by her Anne is imprisoned there.

Book: Anne of Green Gables

Background: Grew up in an orphanage where she was treated really badly. Was used as a pawn by the Guild

John Steinbeck

Ability: Grapes of Wrath. He cuts a slit on his body and sticks a grape seed in there. He can then use the vine to fight or to attach to other plants so he can sense things through them or control them

Book: Grapes of Wrath

Background: He was a farmer from a poor, but large family

Howard Phillips Lovecraft

Ability: Great Old One. He can grow tentacles and become a eldritch horror capable of speedy regeneration.

Book: The Call of Cthulhu

Background: Lives underwater, immortal.

The lengths I go for you (affectionate. I wanted to rant about them)

[eggtrolls]

Spent my morning pruning hour at work on this groundsel bush (a native salt marsh species also known as Baccharis halimifolia) that was covered in porcelainberry (Ampelopsis glandulosa var. brevipedunculata), an invasive species of grape. Cherished mutual (of nine years! wow!) @islenskur mentioned not knowing much about the invasive species I work on so here's a little primer for anyone interested.

Porcelainberry is from eastern Asia and was imported to the United States in the late 19th century as an ornamental landscaping plant - it has since gone rogue and is all over the East Coast and has been found as far west as Iowa. The good people of the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Virginia said porcelainberry is "the most pervasive of all invasive plants" they are dealing with. It's a woody vine that can grow as tall as 20 ft, can grow in just about any environment include damp and shaded areas, and has a massive root system so it's also incredibly difficult to eradicate. It grows so quickly and so prolifically that it can easily shade out other plants in the understory and it will also easily cover an entire tree and engulf it -- if you find an undisturbed thicket of porcelainberry, it is probably a monoculture as it has killed or outcompeted everything in the area. Furthermore, since it can regrow from root fragments, it cannot be composted. As high risk of an invasive species as it is, porcelainberry is still sold in the horticulture trade, although it has since been banned in Delaware.

Porcelainberry seeds are spread by birds and small mammals like squirrels that eat the small, marble-like berries that form in the summer; they're actually really beautiful and vary in colour from a robin's egg blue to a deep midnight purple. While they are edible, they taste nasty, so if you like bland berries with a somewhat stinging aftertaste and a slimy texture, these are a perfect snack. The leaves are also edible and not disgusting (I've actually used them to make dolmades aka stuffed grapes leaves and the texture was no different than cultivated grape leaves) and they look quite lovely on a cast iron fence -- zoom in on the little tendrils that it uses to cling to itself and other objects to make a lattice and quickly grow upwards. These tendrils are a big tell for identifying porcelainberry in the winter when there are no leaves, as other clinging/climbing vines like Asian bittersweet, English ivy, and poison ivy have different ways of attaching to the trees.

As much as I hate dealing with it, I have to admit that this plant is incredibly good at thriving in adverse conditions.

Bonus: it can be hard to see how much is removed just from before-after pictures so here’s the cleanup result:

[thestudentfarmer]

Hello hello~

I've got some garden pic updates :)

New sunflower patch, I'm only doing a small patch here as It's to tide over till I get some more scaping/zoning planned up. These are from 4th gen mix seeds (I got them from some friends and classmates)

Same row, I purchased some jalapeno starts as the peppers I seed started are still super small currently.

Same tows, some super late starting spinach. I'm letting it grow to see if I can see what seeding for spinach is like and share that with you all :)

In the white line/square is a wild seeded chamomile plant. I pulled it and gave it to the chickens as a treat.

Further up is the remaining carrots and some tomato starts we purchased, now interplanted with them. There's 2 slicer types and a grape variety. I don't remember offhand if they are determinate or indeterminate. Unfortunately the ones I seed started died off once they were returned outside.

:( thankfully we've all agreed to go light on tomatoes this year due to that.

In ground some direct seeded squash, these are a patty pan/Starburst variety and a couple zuchinni. With luck this year we avoid the squash bugs!

The direct seeded nasturtium in the back and front is careless wildseeded chamomile (I swear it's the best way to grow it and will be sowing another patch like this)

The few eggplants I've left for now have flowers, pointed to by the white arrows.

And the broccoli currently, the seeds aren't ready quite yet, but I pulled a pod the birds got to to check them, still pretty green but the seeds are of good size. Still lots of lovely flowers for the various pollinators of the area. Unlike carrot flowers, broccoli seems to attract mostly bees (the honeybees) I haven't seen too many butterflies, moths, flies or otherwise.

Just a bee enjoying some broccoli pollen~

For pest report,

So far I've seen flies and stink bugs.

No ants, aphids and thankfully no squash bugs so far.

Beneficial bug report,

I did see some ladybird gators while doing maintenence cleanup. Some small soil roachs in a few of the beds earthworms while trimming off roots to old sunflower stems.

Mixed bugs:

What I believe to be praying mantis egg cases, I don't know how old or how new they are though.

Pillbugs in some of the beds.

Our parrot visitors have stopped coming by, unfortunatly we no longer have any sunflower heads available for them. When more sunflowers come in I hope they will visit again, or perhaps even when the hollyhocks start seeding. Plenty of the smaller birds of the area still visiting though. I find the thought they might get broccoli seed and wild seed it elsewhere very funny.

This week I plan to work on getting a water line in and some more deep beds set up for growing more sweet potato vines/spuds. As well as getting some melon seeds direct seeded if I can (I may need more soil first to refill the bed).

Started some new spuds to vine for the sweet potato's and ordered some sunchoke tubers and seeds to start out some new herbs/spices and teas.

That's it for today's post and update 😊

🌱🌻Happy homesteading and Urban Farming🌻🌱

3.21.2024

[madraleen]

Bungo Stray Dogs - Kafka Asagiri/Sango Harukawa Volumes 5-6: Tainted Eyes, Cats and Dogs, and Me Simping for Dazai - A Commentary (*anime spoilers)

-i'm such a simp for dazai, i saw him on the cover and was so delighted. ridiculous

-kouyou and ranpo are the same age? KOUYOU AND RANPO ARE THE SAME AGE?

-in the excitement of the anime, i don't think i appreciated properly the strength of character and the sense of self of kyouka. her will to become something else, something less sinister.

-kenji-kun <3

-okay but why is lovecraft so relatable -.- not leaving home, not wanting attention...

-i love dazai, have i mentioned that lately

-dazai's neck bandages aren't missing as often now. and it feels like the character designs are more set

-NO, DAZAI, YOU'RE NOT IN THE "with yosano-sensei we can keep ourselves healthy, as long as we don't die" GROUP, DON'T SAY "WE," JUST BE CAREFUL, YOU FUCKING DUMBASS

-DAZAI-CHUUYA POSTSCRIPT, HELP ME. i'm imagining dazai has chuuya in a chokehold, judging from chuuya's reaction

-ahaha, according to harukawa-sensei, then dazai has mafia eyes with a tiny touch of a "chance to go back" from having a stained psyche. ahaha...hah... *sob*

-well, in this volume dazai's eyes get "tainted" ie all black when he's about to interrogate kouyou, so i'll assume he's the one whose eyes get a bit tainted once their true nature comes to the surface, but i will keep a close watch on eyes from now on. i've noticed from the start that dazai's eyes span the monochrome rainbow anyway

-akutagawa be tainted to the core eyes-wise

-so when akutagawa's eyes turn white, is he vulnerable and not his usual tainted self- ARGH, am i going to be over-analyzing eyes now?!

-akutagawa and nathaniel have turned into somewhat of literary poets in their encounter, they don't usually speak like this

-honestly, props to yosano for not lopping ranpo's head off when he says "war is so boring"

-CHUUUUUYA. tainted-eyed CHUUUUUYA

-i keep voting tanizaki for the mafia because he'd fit right in, but you know what, maybe we should send them kenji-kun. he'd make everyone insane in one week tops and the mafia would be disbanded

-kenji's wide-eyed sparkly-eyed "OOH!" at chuuya? that's me when i see chuuya

-"do you think the agency is some stray dog" fukuzawa says- okay, so if the agency isn't a dog, and the mafia are dogs, it makes sense for dazai and kyouka to dislike dogs, but it's interesting that akutagawa dislikes dogs, but also he doesn't like himself very much either, so- *DEEP BREATH* i must stop with the cats and dogs thing

-ranpo, my lil bb <3

-yes yes chuuya's bio, we know, you dislike dazai as he dislikes you. sure jan. also chuuya is older by almost two months and you can't convince me they've never used that in an argument

-"dazai-san told me" DAZAI-SAN HAUNTS EVERYONE'S THOUGHTS, EVEN NAOMI'S!

-my my, what big tainted eyes you have there, mr lovecraft

-margaret's skill "able to make things wither away by exposing them to wind"?? we've barely seen that, i hope she gets to do more in the future

-i mean, kunikida my man, mr grape of wrath literally sticks seeds in his neck and grows vines, what's "simply bizarre" about lovecraft's tentacles? what, the transformation? your jinko literally transforms into a tiger

-yes, for tanizaki, naomi comes FIRST, before the agency, before good or evil or morals. to the rest of the agency, arguably the agency comes first. my man tanizaki, let me show you the way to port mafia. please child, relieve my fears. HE EVEN GOT TAINTED BLACK PUPILS FOR A BIT THERE, FFS

-me reading bsd: "mmhmm. mmhm, i see. mmhm." me reading bsd when dazai: "mmhmm :). mmhm, i see :))). mmhm :)))))."

-ONE MINUTE OF SCREEN TIME! IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN ONE MINUTE TO INCLUDE DAZAI TEASING THE DOG IN THE ANIME

-yes so, if the port mafia are dogs, and this dog barks at dazai, then dazai is a cat, and if a tiger is a cat, and natsume cat started the agency, and atsushi belongs to the agency, and the agency are the "foes" of port mafia, the agency are cats, cats vs dogs, and if dazai is a cat, then dazai decidedly belongs to the agency, do you see where i'm going with this

-aaand dazai continues to eat dog treats as though they're popcorn. okay sure

-dazai be like "only three plans? three HUNDRED plans, who do you think we are"

-dazai's "war is a living creature" fits very well with how he overpowers fyodor in the "end," with fyodor "losing" because dazai constantly readjusted his plans and improvised as things unfolded

-dazai be like "my mafia senses are tingling" when he ditches atsushi

-i'm sorry, but my man dazai is so beautiful. such a pretty man. such a pretty princess. i cannot.

-my girl higuchi doesn't have tainted eyes

-look at that man. look at that whole man. (*dazai. obviously)

-dazai is so wtf about mori-san's proposal to his returning to the port mafia that his eyes became untainted for a sec there.

-HAHAHA that's where you left the chapter?!?! WITH MORI'S QUESTION?! FOR A MONTH?! nooo!

-the bits about the actual authors are so interesting. higuchi feels nothing like the real higuchi. she feels more like her sister tbh

-re: "the heartless cur": I LOVE IT OMG. THE DAZAI-AKUTAGAWA MEETING STORY IS SO INTERESTING AND I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR IT FROM THE ANIME FOR AGES

-THE FRINGES OF AKU-KUN’S OUTFIT WOULD APPEAR TO SPROUT FLOWERS?!?! F-FLOWERS?!

-re: dazai's reputation: "he would kill his own parents in a second, take down buddha himself at first glance, and laugh it all off with cold cruelty afterward." TELL ME MORE

-dazai has a habit of letting his kouhai try to kill him before he adopts them, huh? a ceremonial ritual if you wish

-AKUTAGAWA WAS GIVEN AN ACTUAL HONEST CHOICE BY DAZAI! he would literally have provided for him and gin and then disappeared! but aku-kun chose differently!

-AND GOING BACK TO MY CATS-DOGS THING, mafia akutagawa "the heartless cur," "the silent mad dog"?? hello??

[frogonamelon]

Why the Sierra Nevadas?

Hi!

Something I didn’t explain in the initial post that I wanted to expand on is why I choose the Sierra Nevadas as my setting as opposed to more well-known American mountain ranges like the Appalachian and the Rockies.

It's the furthest western mountain range as well as the furthest from the budding America. The land is an unknown from their perspective and not as often mentioned as the other two. As far as I’m aware, it mostly comes up when talking about the California Gold Rush. 

But the biggest reason for why I chose this place however was the climate. 

From what I understand, the west Sierras to the coast of California has what's known as a ‘Mediterranean Climate’. Only existing five places around the world (the largest being its namesake), it is characterized by mild, wet winters and summers being hot and dry. 

Long story short, it's why grapes, figs, pomegranates, and olives (among others) are grown in California. Crops from the Mediterranean just grow better there.

The fruit (It really needs a name so I can stop calling it ‘the fruit/Adam equivalent’) is similar to a bunch of different mediterranean fruits. It would grow on vines like grapes but it would resemble pomegranates/ pomegranate seeds the most. You know… fruit of the underworld and all that. 

As for the story:

It could be interesting to see whether or not the city was noticed, by who, and what their reactions were. Do they get a new influx of civilians during the aftermath of the Gold Rush? Has the city already fallen by this point? Do the indigenous people that lived in the region have anything to say about the fruit/ Their ADAM equivalent or Elysium? Does anyone in the ‘modern’ day know about this place before the player character finds it?

[ihenvs3000w23]

Nature Interpretation & Science

This week we focused on nature interpretation through science. Now, this is something I am more familiar with as I am a student studying both biology and psychology. To be more specific, I have studied nature in ecological contexts throughout my time as a Gryphon. There are many ways that we interpret nature through science, whether that be the process that take place in nature or the patterns and relationships that take place. For example, gardening can be seen as a specific science known as botany which focuses on plants and their genetics and environment. Gardening is something I myself do not take part in, but my grandpa as I have stated before is consumed by gardening and crops. Since I was a little girl our home in Bosnia is surrounded by grape vines, cherry trees, figs, tomatoes, watermelon, etc. When I get there, all the hard work is already over and it is just harvest season. I did not witness the extensive work that was put into the proper growth of a crop. For example, in order for a fig to grow properly, the company of female bee’s is significant as they lay eggs inside the fruit in order for the fig to ripen. Sometimes, we have a habit of just looking at our surroundings in nature, but not understanding how these things come to be. Whether it be from a continental drift, a seed that grew into a tree, or a burrow that is a home to a groundhog. Another example that I would like to touch on is a waterfall that is right outside of my home in Bosnia. The waterfall/water is called Duman and according to my family it has always been there. It is one of the main water sources in Livno and is the best drinking water.

Even though Duman was not manmade, it is up to the people who visit and native people to the town who choose to keep it clean and take care of it. In other words, science is the explanation for the waterfall or magic as some may believe. Almost everything that exists has a reason for existing and can be explained through science, whether that be people or the reason for the weeds growing on your grass. Sometimes this can be evident when looking at a tree in a forest, it may have a spotted or moldy texture to it as it was affected by a fungus or disease. That can happen to things in nature just as it happens to us. Lastly, I want to make mention the relationship that humans and nature have with one another. When you look at a numerical scale of the human and of a plant, there are many similarities that we share. Whether it be the need for oxygen or the similar epidermal layer under a microscope, we would be unable to exist without nature. Thankfully, us humans are able to understand some of these similarities, differences, benefits, and precautions

[headspace-hotel]

All good questions!

You can take moss, but only in small amounts from a living colony, no more than a small fraction of what is growing there. Moss is really important for protecting the soil and the plant roots, but it grows slowly and misses often have very specific environments that they live in. Sometimes in spring you can find bits of dead or dying moss that have been dislodged from the ground by freeze/thaw cycles, I would say those are okay to take. Moss that has been torn loose of the thing that it's growing on by natural forces is generally fine. If you want to use mosses or lichens you can also go to a park after a windstorm and see what has been blown down from the tree branches. But again, don't take everything.

I would stay away from buying mosses in general honestly? I don't know how well it's regulated but I know that moss isn't really farmed and it is heavily poached. Our forests need moss to keep carbon in the soil.

Materials from invasive species (you can look those up) are always good to use for art projects, and anything weedy or abundant as long as you don't completely deplete it. Braiding wintercreeper vines makes neat garlands. European wild teasel has cool spiky flower heads. If you want the look of driftwood, sections of woody vines are good for that. Wild grape vines make little twirly bits that they use to climb objects, and the vines themselves are also cool looking. Seed pods, nut shells, bark, twigs and sticks from trees are usually fine. Materials from domestic or garden plants are okay as long as you have permission.

I'm not sure about acorns, taking them should be no issue but shipping plant materials long distances can spread diseases. Acorns are easy to collect in large amounts in parks in the fall, anyhow.

This is one of those instances where collecting personally is probably better than buying. But if a seller specifically says how they're harvesting their stuff (e.g. we collect pieces that blow down from the oak tree after a storm) and isn't selling anything scarce or collecting live moss/lichen in huge amounts, it's probably all right.

Pay attention to how abundant the organism you're using is and what other things use it. Don't take more than ten percent. If you get a bad feeling about it or feel unsure, leave it alone. If you find a bug or some other creature living in the thing you're trying to collect, leave it alone.

8. 9. all together: Domestic bird feathers are just fine. People do sell their peacock, chicken, duck, etc. feathers. Feathers of introduced species are also fine. For example if you are in the USA I think it would be fine to use pheasant feathers as pheasants are introduced species. However keep in mind that bird flu is a thing and feathers can have germs on them. I don't know exactly how you would sterilize a feather without damaging it.

Whether it's ethical to collect something often depends on how popular it is at the time, unfortunately.

For example it would probably be fine to collect a couple holly boughs for decoration nowadays. But in old books from the 1930's, I read about how forests were being stripped bare of holly because people would go and cut holly branches to deck the halls with boughs of holly at Christmas.

Oh my god I'm sooooo mad right now

So. I have no business telling people not to collect wild plants/materials.

I do it all the time.

However.

The words "wildcrafted," and "foraged," even "sustainably harvested," are terrifying to see in an ad on Etsy or Instagram

There is a such thing as the honorable harvest where you ASK the plant if it is okay to take, with the intention of listening if the answer is NO. Robin Wall Kimmerer talked about this, She did not make it up, it is an ancient and basic guideline of treating the plants with respect.

Basically it is not wrong to use plants and other living things, even if this means taking their life. But you are not the main character. You have to reflect on your knowledge of the organism's life cycle and its role in the ecosystem, so you can know you are not damaging the ecosystem. You have to only take what you need and avoid depleting the population.

Mary Siisip Geniusz also talked about it in an enlightening way in her book Plants Have So Much to Give Us, All We Have To Do is Ask. She gave an example of a woman who was on an island and needed to use a medicinal herb to heal her injured leg or she would not survive the winter. In that situation she had to use up all of the plant that was on the island. This was permissible, even though it eliminated the local population, because she had to do it to save her life. But in return the woman had the responsibility to later return to the island and plant seeds of that plant.

And what makes me absolutely furious, is that there are a bunch of people online who have vaguely copied this philosophy of sustainability in a false and insulting way, saying "wildcrafted" or "foraged" materials to be all trendy and cool and in touch with nature, when it is actually just poaching.

If you are from a capitalistic culture the honorable harvest is very hard and unintuitive to learn to practice. I am not very good at it still. This is why it is suspicious if someone is confident that they can ethically and respectfully harvest wild materials with money involved.

So there's this lichen that is often called "reindeer moss." It looks like this:

It grows only a few millimeters a year.

This is "preserved" reindeer moss.

It is from Etsy, similar is also sold in many other online shops, many of which have the audacity to describe it as a "plant" for decorations and terrariums that needs no maintenance.

It is not maintenance-free, it is dead. It has been spray-painted a horrible shade of green. The people buying it clearly don't even know what it is. It is a popular crafting material for "fairy houses," whatever the hell those are. So is moss, also dead, spray-painted, and wild-harvested. Supposedly reindeer moss is harvested sustainably in Finland, where it is abundant, for the craft industry. However poaching of lichens and mosses is absolutely rampant.

It's even more upsetting because there's hardly any articles drawing attention to the problem. This one is from 1999. And the poaching is still going on.

There is a "moss" section on Etsy, and it is so upsetting

These mosses and lichens were collected from the wild. Most of the shops are in the Pacific Northwest or Appalachia, which are the major locations of moss and lichen poaching. There are some shops based in Appalachia selling "foraged" reindeer moss.

Reindeer moss may be abundant in Finland, but in Appalachia it should NOT be harvested to be sold on Etsy as craft supplies! Moss doesn't grow quickly. Big, healthy colonies like this took years to grow. Some of these shops have thousands of sales, all of bags and bags of moss and lichen, and thinking of how much moss and lichen that must be, I am filled with horror.

Clubmosses do not transplant well, and these ones have no roots. The buyers do not realize they have bought a dead plant because clubmoss stays green and pliable after it is dead.

This is especially awful because in Mary Siisip Geniusz's book she talked about clubmosses being poached so much for Christmas wreaths that they had almost disappeared from a lot of forests.

I don't even know if this is illegal if it's not a formally endangered species so I don't know if I can report them I'm just. really sad and angry

[creativeera]

The Ultimate Guide to Growing Tomatoes in Europe: Climate, Soil, and Indoor Seed Care

Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables grown across Europe. Originally from South America, tomatoes were brought to Europe in the 16th century by European explorers. However, it took some time for Europeans to warm up to the fruit. Initially, tomatoes were primarily grown for their ornamental value in gardens rather than for consumption. Over the centuries, Europe’s Tomato Seed  gained popularity as a food crop across Europe. Nowadays, countries like Italy, Spain, France and the Netherlands are major producers and consumers of tomatoes in the European region. Climate and Soil Requirements for Europe’s Tomato Seed For successful tomato cultivation, it is important to understand the climate and soil requirements. Tomatoes grow best in warm temperatures between 18-30°C. Most parts of Europe experience suitable warm summer months for tomatoes to mature. However, northern regions may require protection from early or late frosts. Tomatoes also need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day for optimal growth. In terms of soil, tomatoes prefer loose, well-draining soil rich in organic matter. Heavy clay or soggy soils prone to waterlogging should be avoided. The ideal soil pH range is between 6-7. Soil enrichment with compost or well-rotted manure before planting helps boost fertility. Growing Tomato Seeds Indoors In colder parts of Europe, Europe Tomato Seeds common to start tomato seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last expected spring frost. This allows seedlings to develop into strong transplants ready to be planted outdoors once temperatures warm up. Sow seeds in seed starter mix in small pots or cell packs. Maintain a temperature of 18-24°C and provide bottom heat if possible. Make sure the soil remains moist but not soggy. Seedlings usually emerge within 7-14 days. Provide adequate sunlight, such as under grow lights. Harden off seedlings before transplanting outside for at least a week. Transplanting and Planting Outdoors When night temperatures remain above 10°C, tomato seedlings can safely be transplanted outdoors. Prepare the planting area by clearing weeds and loosening the top 15cm of soil. Space transplanting 60-90cm apart depending on the variety. Dig holes twice the width and depth of each seedling’s container. Gently remove seedlings by squeezing the sides of the container. Plant at the same soil level the seedling was growing in indoors. Water thoroughly after transplanting and apply a 2-4cm thick layer of mulch around the base of each plant to help retain moisture. Stake or cage tomatoes for support as they grow. Varieties of Tomatoes Grown in Europe Over time, many tomato varieties have been specially bred to thrive under Europe’s Tomato Seed  growing conditions. Some commonly grown varieties include: - Cherry/Grape Tomatoes: Ideal for containers or short seasons. Varieties include 'Sugar Lump', 'Tommy Toe' and 'Sweet 100'. - Plum Tomatoes: Excellent for sauces and canning. Try 'Romantica', 'San Marzano' and 'Gianni'. - Beefsteak Tomatoes: Large slicing tomatoes great for meals. Favorites are 'Ace 55', 'Super Steak' and 'Brandywine'. - Heirloom Tomatoes: Unique flavors and history. Popular kinds are 'Green Zebra', 'Black Krim' and 'Cherokee Purple'. - Cherry on the Vine Tomatoes: Long clusters of cherry tomatoes remain attached to the vine for easy picking. 'Sungold' is a top choice. Common Pests and Diseases of Tomatoes in Europe Unfortunately, tomatoes do face some pest and disease issues in European gardens that growers need to watch out for: - Tomato Hornworms: Large green caterpillars defoliate plants. Handpick and destroy.

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Priya Pandey is a dynamic and passionate editor with over three years of expertise in content editing and proofreading. Holding a bachelor's degree in biotechnology, Priya has a knack for making the content engaging. Her diverse portfolio includes editing documents across different industries, including food and beverages, information and technology, healthcare, chemical and materials, etc. Priya's meticulous attention to detail and commitment to excellence make her an invaluable asset in the world of content creation and refinement.

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