Plant Diaries (Day 33) 25 July 2013

Big things have since happened, sectors have been breached, people have switched sides, there are spies everywhere, who can you trust.  As more land is claimed and space becomes a commodity, the laws that govern the pot-society have broken down, and chaos reigns supreme.  CNN is calling it the Arab Spring in winter and the Arabs are calling it the CNN in the summertime. 








Parsley has become the new superpower, commanding the greatest territory and yielding the most influence.  It's really 'what parsley says goes' at the moment.  Parsley giveth the sun and so too doth Parsley taketh away.  With its towering stalks, higher than all those around it, it is he alone who manipulates which of the other members will receive sun and who will lie in shade.  Sun to the herbs and vegetables of the pot is like Mariah Carey to the pop world - vital.  So he who controls the sun controls Mariah Carey.

As always the accompaniment to ever-increasing power, is that ugly little cousin with the hairy lip - paranoia.  Parsley has become wary of the others and knows that it must have ears close to the ground and has thus 'planted' (lol) itself in strategic places among the other sectors, Parsley can now be found mingling among the marjoram, gossiping with the spinach and talking turkey with the peppers.  They have infiltrated every part of society and are now threatening to speard their ideals and beliefs on all those they come into contact with.  Is it too late to stop?  If the Parsley is left to its own devices,  soon all the inhabitants will be some half-cast breed. Pinach, Parjoram, and Peppersley.

The Parsley forest too holds much mystery and rumours are spreading that dissident herbs are being hidden in its thicket.

I must admittedly take some of the blame.  What Sipho (the wise) forgot to mention, and what I have now learnt, only through the error of my ways, is a fundamental principle of planting.  Where one lays ones seeds, so will be the place where those seed shall grow.  This has far-reaching implications for the strict demarcated society which plants require to meet their full potential.  I.e. if, during at the end of planting, you nonchalantly sprinkle the remaining seeds from your hand (all over the pot), it will in all likelihood mean that you have that plant growing all over the pot.  While, not proven, this is my theory, and lies subject to the obvious alternative, where Parsley has advanced to such a stage that they have colluded, formed groups, read/seen historical films about Vietnam, dug tunnels under the soil and sprung up in carefully picked places, ready to wreck havoc on the peaceful citizens.

For now however, there is an albeit uneasy truce which has settled.  The tension is thick in the air, but as we must all do in such uncertain times, everyone continues living their lives, growing, being green and finding nutrients from the soil.

Marjoram did not continue with the early pace-setting and has since mellowed in its growth, both in length and girth.  Looking rather patchy in places, I planted all of the remaining seeds, which too have now started to grow.  Hopefully marjoram will have a far healthier and thicker bush in future entries.

Spinach remains steady and is now up to 4 stalks (which is weird, as I only planted two seeds).  The leaves are growing nicely and its is refreshing to see a different, ruby-red hue around all the greenery. 

Piquante pepper has always been the black sheep of the family and continues to question the conservative ideals of the society in which it finds itself.  After initially refusing to grow at all, it has now taken up cross-dressing, trying to impersonate Parsley.  While I know at least two of the plants are peppers, I cannot tell which one they are.  Hopefully it is just a phase that it will 'grow' (second lol) out of.

While the balance appears in tact for now, there is an uncertain feeling among those surveyed.  6/10 herbs feel unsafe in their own sector and 8/13 feel that  black is the new beige.  What does it all mean?  What are they trying to say?  Really, the new beige?

Plant Diaries (Day 16) 08 July 2013

Who said that peer pressure was a bad thing?  Well they have obviously never seen the awesome results you get when those around you are all doing the cool thing and you want to be part of the group. You may sense the excitement in my voice (well if not now, how about with this flipping hippo)...


But the reason I have been skipping and jumping, bouncing and prouncing, hopping and scotching, is that there has been some serious growth in the balcony garden.  No more is it just a pot with soil, but now a pot with soil, and plants.

First the marjoram smashed through the soil, 11 days in,to join spinach out in the big wide world and a day later, parsley saw that all the cool kids were doing it and joined the festivities.  Everyone was waiting for the peppers to join the party, but there is always one, always one who has to be different.  One buffalo among all the pigeons.

So over the next couple days, I made sure that the team had lots of water and adequate sun time, and obviously they told their friends about what a great time they were having, because more and more green shoots started popping up.  It was so amazing.  Soon it was like, 'oh my god, there are so many green shoots popping up. This is so amazing'.

The anxiety whether I would be a complete failure at my first attempt at gardening has dissipated and been replaced by my excitement for harvesting these babies and putting them on some food.  Parsley is good for sauces, marjoram for Italian food like pizza and pasta, and spinach... is good for scurvy (#eddieizzardreference).  But harvesting is still a couple of months away and still a lot of growing ahead.  I am going to have to continuously have to check up and care for these plants, only as a constant gardener will I be able to reap what I sow (#rachelweiszreference).

So for now, all is well in the world of the pot, with everyone playing nicely together.  Just going to have to keep an eye out for marjoram sneaking into parsley's sector.  As previously discussed, this may be acceptable to some cultures in different, less plant-like societies, but here it is just not on.

I even heard some of the parsley say the other day, when they saw how close the marjoram was getting, that 'hear goes the neighbourhood, next thing you know they'll be wanting to vote' (parsley is however known to be notoriously racist).  But still, you have to be cautious.  You know how it is with herbs, you give an inch and all of a sudden they want representatives at the AGM.  They can't have representatives at the AGM, they're plants.

It might seem harsh now, but its better for the future.  Different plants need to be cared for in different ways, some more water, some less.  Some need lots of sun, while others just the tip.  It's like when your parents put your hand on the stove to prepare you for life's harsh lessons.  They'll thank me when they big.

Plant diaries (Day 10) 2 July 2013

Success! What have you got to say now all you doubters? Whose the two headed donkey now world?

 

They say it takes one moment to define who you are, but they are wrong. It takes 10 days, some soil, and a pot. I woke up this morning, as I do most days, and went to check on how the boys were doing.

 

Not expecting anything out of the ordinary, as I have quickly learnt that, exactly like training to be a ballerina, gardening requires time and patience. But someone obviously left my name off the list of people who are going to have an uneventful day, because on giving the team their daily liquid rations, PAM! A baby plant in my face!

 

 

 

Happy happy days. I have grown something and officially a gardener.

 

Truthfully ruby red spinach being the first was not unexpected and really always the favorite.  The herbs have longer germination periods, with marjoram taking 2 weeks and parsley up to 4, while the peppers can be up to 3. But still, spinach had to perform and as Robert Mawara always says, "You can have a good team on paper, but when last did you see a piece of paper score a left-footed volley from outside the box?"

 

Next step, once the seeds have sprouted is to treat them like a princess on prom night. This is a serious time as the plants have left the safety and comfort of the seed and are now subject to the elements. I foresee lots of late nights staying up watching out for predators and plant rapists.

 

Come on sectors 1, 3 and 4. You've seen it can be done, now make like a fat girl in a candy store and grow.