#Candytuft

[wiley-treehouse-gardens]

[photoblogdujour]

Evergreen Candytuft went to Tufts where she met Charlie who owned a chocolate factory. Charlie and Candy hit it off big, but there wasn't a jumbo market for Green Candy, so she retired from making Green Candied Tuftians and started the Evergreen Pancakes and Waffles company to market waffles that remain green even after cooking. If you've never had Candied Tuftian, it's quite a treat, but after campus police started looking into the case of disappearing Tuftians, she had to move on.

[heavenly-garden]

IBERIS umbellata (Candytuft) (Link)

[faguscarolinensis]

Iberis sempervirens / Evergreen Candytuft at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University in Durham, NC

[kihaku-gato]

After a dig in the shoebox I didn't find a lot of stuff that would benefit from starting indoors (morning glories, sunflowers, zinnias, nasturtiums- all are best to be sown directly where you want them rather than under lights) but I did find these- they all might be too old to get much viability but would be worth an attempt. Once the nannyberry and wahoo stratification packets are dealt with, then these seed packets will be next under the lights.

[wigglesdtuff]

Had some kitty cats on the mind tonight

[kristo-flowers]

Candytuft

[jensownzoo]

Got the row covers set up for the front beds this morning. It's going to be beautiful transplanting weather tomorrow for the cool season crops.

Hoops are made from a roll of top line wire used in chain link fences. I've got a double layer of frost blanket held in place with small binder clips on the wire hoops. I'll remove one of the layers once it stops getting so cold at night. This is only one of the rows, the other two are in the new raised bed. Need to scrape back the wood chips to let the soil warm up this afternoon. I've got some black plastic weed barrier leftover from forever ago...might put that down temporarily to help the process.

Some of the things to transplant. They've really taken off after moving them from the inside grow lights into the cold frame to harden off. Can't beat real sun I guess!

But being in the cold frame does slow seedling growth compared to inside on the heat mat. Here's some bok choy and Chinese broccoli that were sowed directly in the cold frame. Took 2-3x as long to germinate and they're not doing a whole lot of growing right now. This next week should help because warm.

Salad spinach ready for a second cutting in the cold frame. I started it in the fall when it was still warm, moved it into the cold frame at the end of November, where it proceeded to survive but not much else. Until last month when we got our first spate of warm weather. Plus probably the more photon-rich sunlight didn't hurt. I'll probably give it a smidge of alfalfa meal after this cutting for a nitrogen boost to make MOAR LEAVES.

Hard to tell but the slightly greenish-brown lacy foliage at the base of the dried stems is bronze fennel waking up from its winter nap. I think this year I'm going to let the fennel and spearmint duke it out in this bed and move the strawberries somewhere more hospitable. I have a raised bed in the back that needs something low-growing to allow for cage door clearance...strawberries would be perfect. I'll probably move them tomorrow when transplanting seedlings.

I'm pretty sure this is volunteer candytuft. Which is nice. I've got several clumps coming back where I had it last year (as perennials tend to do lol), but I'd love for it to spread. It's a nice early flower for the bees.

I also noted several clumps of what I believe to be crimson clover and if I can get that to vigorously reseed itself as well I will be ecstatic. I was thoroughly disappointed in the germination of the 1/4lb of seed I dispersed last year (in the fall as instructed). Only one plant came up. But I took care of it and it produced a fair amount of flowers which I left to produce seed, so hopefully that strategy worked. Especially since I effectively killed all the white Dutch clover I had encouraged in my small patch of grass by dumping 12" of fresh wood chips on top of it. On one hand, no more mowing. On the other hand, no more bee food from the clover. Plus I loved the smell of sun-warmed clover blossoms. Oh well. Maybe I can get it to grow in the flower beds instead.

Anyway. Busy, busy, busy as the season ramps up. I've got some germinated tomato seed to pot up this afternoon and tetris in under my grow light.

[sheliesinghostarms]

Candytuft

I am sitting on the fence of letting you go.

On one side of the gate, there are all the happy memories we share. There are the foods we baked together; the shows we watched; the songs we sang; the lyrics to our playlists; all the phone calls; all the “I love you”’s.

And on the other lies the version of you that discarded me,

Who took my love for granted and ran; who made me feel small; who pushed me away; who punished me with silence; who “didn’t want to break up”; who made the choice to leave.

I sit on the fence.

Not because it is particularly comfortable, but because I cannot decide which side is reality.

-begonia

[kurtzwithazart]

[wiley-treehouse-gardens]

Daffodils & candytuft flowers

[photoblogdujour]

Evergreenland Candytuftland is a board game played in Denmark. Denmarkian kids ice skate to school where they learn the rules of Evergreenland Candytuftland. It's a game that requires detailed knowledge of actual countries in the world unlike the knowledge based required to be the leader of the free world.

[little-lassie]

Candytuft Leggings

Shop now at @redbubble to get 25% off!

[faguscarolinensis]

Iberis sempervirens / Evergreen Candytuft at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University in Durham, NC

[studdedblurb]

Iberis sempervirens - Evergreen Candytuft

[eighteenbelow]