a common treasury for all

[devi]

balcony garden
Originally uploaded by bluedevi

Since February I've been growing stuff on my balcony. Windowsills full of seedling trays to begin with, gradually moving outside. I'd kind of wanted to grow things for a while but there didn't seem much point while I was all weird and vegetable-phobic. Then, last summer, something shifted, and I found out you could grow veg and flowers in containers, and... well. The picture is from three weeks ago. Now the tulips are all gone but everything else is burgeoning. Peas, lettuce, strawberries, spinach, various herbs, all bursting out of their pots. The little green bastards, much as I love them, are taking over the balcony and looking appraisingly at the house. It's an entirely commonplace thing, of course, but if you've never done it before it's like magic.

On the other hand, it'd be nice if we could both sit on the balcony at the same time again. So. Would any Oxford people like some plants? Many of them are in small pots and easy to transport - I've delivered some already on my bike and on the bus. I've got chives, coriander, lavender (sprouting so fast I think they want to be triffids when they grow up. They have flower buds and everything), lettuce (the kind without hearts), a few marigolds and - if anyone wants a charity case - some yellowish basil which I think would be doing much better if it were somewhere with more sunshine. Everything else is disgustingly healthy. Let me know if you want to take some.

I've spent hours and hours sitting on the balcony doorstep staring at them as they grew. Seedlings all look the same at first and get more complex and different every day. Who knew?

Comments

[khalinche.livejournal.com]

You could give some to my friend Ian, or trade for sproutlings from his allotment. I'll be round at his during the day on Saturday pre-party, we could all meet up!

[khalinche.livejournal.com]

To clarify, this is the one who lives in Cowley.

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

That sounds great, but I can't make the party, I'm afraid - I'm going to a comics convention in Bristol. Which is a shame, since i'm not feeling very creative comics-wise and am sorry to be missing the party - but Dan has a new and long-awaited comic out and will be selling it for the first time at the con, which is very exciting.

When do you get to Oxford?

[khalinche.livejournal.com]

Gawrsh, Bristol. That'll be fun. I think I'm going to come through mid-morning Saturday, go hang out with Ian, then to the party, stay overnight and and return to London noonish on Sunday. It's a bit complex: it's possible that I could get a lift to Oxford on Friday evening. If that's the case shall I let you know that I'll be at large?

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

Yes please! But no pressure if things are hectic, obviously.