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

[metame.livejournal.com]

We'd love some. Have just moved into a our new place back here and have a balcony that we've been hoping to get plants for.

Not sure what you have that is uncomitted to someone, but edible things are all good. And we could try to nursemaid the basil for you...

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

Ooh, where's your balcony? Anywhere near here? (Here is right near Templars.)

I can give you some of the herbs - and do you want some lavender?

[metame.livejournal.com]

Herbs and lavender would be a great start.

We're kinda up the hill from Triskellian, and across-the-road-and-round-the-corner from Secret_Rebel. So all quite close and drop roundable...

Still have the same mobile number as I ever did, let me know when we might do the exchange of plants for tea/wine. Should be around for much of the next few days and weekend.

[leathellin.livejournal.com]

Hurrah, plants. They can keep Euclid the cactus company.
And yes can be exchanged for wine/tea/whisky and things.

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

I love that you have a cactus called Euclid. I also like wine/tea/whisky :)

I'm off in Bristol this weekend, as you may have seen, but could bring some over next week?