backyard beauty

these guys are viola, so sweet :)

you'll see (and smell) lots of this on campus, oh spring! lilac

this is hydrangea. we have a bush in the back that's just heavy with stems of blossoms.

If you are looking for some of this for you house, may I unofficially recommend behind the president's house on campus. they are just beautiful there :)

and last, these are sweet William, a little flowery bush that comes back every year, appropriately named :) sweet

Gardening!!

So today was fabulous! I spent like 3 hours outside in the yard working on my garden :) I bought some seeds(for my vegie garden) and some herbs and some flowers(violas). plus I was out there in my swim suit and a big sun hat! my tulips are blooming and my pots are planted hooray!!

Here's some pics of how things are looking

green thumb?

On a beautiful day like today, excitement starts to fill me about the spring coming, and more specifically: gardening :) Do I have a green thumb? not really, but I get so excited about watching things grow. This last summer, my first summer spent in Manhattan, I had the joy of a little garden in the back yard and some flower pots on the front porch. Flowers:I had marigolds, petunias, black-eyed suzannes, purple floss-flower and zinnias (i can't believe I didn't have snap dragons!) Vegetables: I had 4 cherry tomato plants, 4 hills of zucchini, 3 rows of green beans November of this last semester I got some tulip bulbs in the ground, and I am eagerly anticipating their blooms this Spring! I was thrilled to see that some of the bulbs @ the pres. res. were already coming up. When I was raking and mulching winter fallen leaves last week, I noticed these tiny green shoots poking through the ground. I don't know what kind of flower they are because I didn't work this part of campus last spring, but I can't tell you how delighted I was to see them there. so delicate and unexpected in January. My tulips should be up in late March or April, something to look forward to. I'm debating on planting a garden again this year. My lease here in Manhattan ends with July, meaning that I would leave anything in the ground for the new tenets, which I guess is fine. I was debating planting in pots as an alternative. What to plant? zucchini and green beans again for sure, maybe some peas, and some spices: basil, chives, and mint for making sun tea :). 4 cherry tomato plants was too many, so one or two this year, and I'd go for some Roma tomatoes instead; Romas are really good on salad. so yeah, I'm so excited for what's coming!

Haiti

Haiti research Topic: GARDENING One of the most common strategies involves growing vegetables in recycled containers, particularly old tires because they are easy to find, inexpensive, and durable. As a result, graduates of these sessions have started cultivating amaranth, Swiss chard, tomatoes, eggplant, beets, carrots, Chinese cabbage, lettuce, peas, leeks, peppers, and other produce. To make the best use of local resources, two community groups are trying to organize composting at the neighbourhood level. Indeed, some participants are already making their own compost. The project has also helped participants deal with scarce water supplies by sprinkling their gardens with recycled household wastewater. Other resources being put to use include cow and horse manure, and bagasse (sugar cane residue).