#germinated

[nasturteayum]

Today!! Progress in motion, it feels good. Almost sowed the cabbage but there's roots there I gotta figure out before planting.

Germinated:

- 7 cauliflower seeds !!! They should pop out the green tomorrow

- a few nasturtium seeds, hallelujah!!!

Preparation:

- Hoed and raked the beds again, then Added soil mix to strawberries, Brussel sprouts, and root vegetables beds.

- Added the rest of the mix to two raised beds. Found a lot of potatoes in those beds, soil in good condition.

Sowed:

- 3 rows of onions in root vegetables bed

- 2 half rows of beets in root vegetables bed, 3 seeds together at a time because I watched a video today showing beets like to be very close to each other and push each other out of the ground?

- whole bed of Brussel sprouts, pretty much the whole packet ~30 seeds in

- an area of beets in shed side raised bed 3

- 1 row of sprinkled chives seeds alongside the beets and the wall of the bed. That bed is complete, I believe.

Watered everything too far for the hose with a spray bottle, painstakingly.

Lined the Brussel sprouts with rocks I found in honor of my wife's work and style in landscaping. 💘

[falseandrealultravival]

Son of Massonia Longipes (verse)

As of December 9, 2023

Massonia longipes with buds,

It has been cultivated for over 30 years.

Around the New Year, fragrant white flowers bloom.

When I looked, I saw three seedlings.

It looks like it's budding.

Since it is grown indoors, there are no insects.

I thought it would be impossible to have descendants.

By shoveling the finished flowers into the soil

It seems that it has germinated.

cute children.

I hope it grows without dying.

(2023.12.09)

Rei Morishita

マッソニア・ロンギペスの子（韻文）

２０２３年１２月０９日現在

ツボミが付いたマッソニア・ロンギペス。

３０年以上栽培している。

正月頃、香しい白花を咲かせるが

見ると子苗が３株、

芽吹いているように見える。

室内栽培で虫が付かないので

子孫は無理かと思っていたが

終わった花を漉き込むことによって

発芽したのだと思われる。

可愛い子供たち。

枯れずに育つといいね。

[chappythegardener]

Technique To Germinate Okra Seeds

Here are techniques to germinate okra seeds: Pre-soaking: Soak the okra seeds in water for 12-24 hours before planting to soften the seed coat and speed up germination. Scarification: Gently nick the seed coat with a sharp knife or sandpaper to help water penetrate and improve germination. Stratification: Place the okra seeds in a moist paper towel or peat moss and refrigerate them for 1-2 days to simulate winter conditions and promote germination. Direct Sowing: Plant okra seeds directly into the garden bed once the soil temperature reaches 65-85°F (18-29°C) and all frost danger has passed. Seed Depth: Plant okra seeds approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep in well-draining soil. Soil Preparation: Ensure the soil is loose, fertile, and well-draining, as okra prefers loose soil for root development. Moisture: Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged during the germination process. Mist the soil with water regularly to maintain moisture levels. Warmth: Okra seeds require warm soil temperatures to germinate successfully. Provide a warm environment with temperatures around 75-95°F (24-35°C). Germination Mat: Use a germination mat or place the seed tray in a warm location to maintain optimal soil temperature for germination. Covering Seeds: Lightly cover the okra seeds with a thin layer of vermiculite or fine soil to retain moisture and provide insulation. Humidity Dome: Place a humidity dome or a plastic wrap over the seed tray to create a mini greenhouse effect and retain moisture during germination. Bottom Watering: Water the seed tray from the bottom by placing it in a shallow tray filled with water. This helps prevent dislodging of seeds and provides consistent moisture. Adequate Light: Once the seedlings emerge, provide them with bright, indirect light or place them under grow lights for healthy growth. Thinning: Thin out the weaker seedlings to provide ample space for the remaining plants to grow and develop. Transplanting: After the danger of frost has passed and the seedlings have developed a few sets of true leaves, transplant them into the garden, spacing them 12-18 inches (30-45 cm) apart. Remember to adjust these techniques based on your specific growing conditions and the variety of okra you are planting. Happy germination and successful okra growing! Read the full article

[usoferica]

Remember the "Southern Snow" (cotton) I picked up in December 2022? Well, it has sprouted and is coming up quite nicely. #plant #plants #planted #plantlife #seed #seeds #seedling #cotton #southernsnow #garden #gardening #gardeninglife #greenthumb #germination #germinated #germinatedseeds #grow #growing #growth #Georgia #Virginia #travel #south #southern (at Fairfax County, Virginia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoP4XoOuhrU/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[hannah-999]

It's teatime. I'll be right back, and then you can hop right in

[plantanarchy]

honestly if you're planning a new perennial garden, especially a native plant garden, especially if you're unfamiliar with plants, when you are in the nursery/garden center to select plants for that garden, you absolutely need to turn off the consumerist part of your brain that decides when something is of a quality worth buying.

most species native plants in pots look like scraggly, scrappy bits of greenery. they may not stand upright. they may not bloom in the pot. they certainly won't get their mature height in the pot. they might be a little or very ugly. sometimes they are ugly because nurseries are bad at caring for them (trying to force a taprooted long day growing species with mature heights of several feet tall to be ready to sell in a pot on mother's day is um.. uh) but sometimes, they are just not selectively bred to look good in pots.

most perennials in full bloom with tidy, compact growth that you see lined up neatly on the shelves in garden centers are cultivars that have been increasingly selectively bred for first year blooming. consumers only want to buy things that look good on the shelf, and this isn't any different for plants. if they're from a bigger grower, they have probably also been treated with growth regulators to keep them from toppling over on the shelves.

neither of those are signs of a plant you shouldn't buy necessarily, but it still means you won't have a good idea of what that plant could look like in your landscape. you're buying a simulacra of that plant. maybe it will look the same next year but also, a lot of the common impulse buy, nice to look at on the shelf perennials are short-lived perennials that have also been bred to bloom longer and go to seed more slowly, if they go to seed at all. those babies ain't coming back.

i lost the plot of this post but point being, as someone who professionally grows perennials, the species native plants are always always a hard sell even when we have people begging for species native plants or complaining that local garden centers only stock nativars. because even nature-loving plant shoppers are programmed to think of anything they buy as a series of product specifications.

when you're buying a herbaceous perennial that you intend to come back in your garden every year, you are buying the root system, not the flowers or even the leaves.

[nastyquill]

some random TMA worldbuilding speculation about five years too late, but here it is anyway: I used to wonder what the practical purpose of Artifact Storage was supposed to be. like, I know the in-universe reason for its existence was that the Institute was "researching" the artifacts, but by the end we know the Institute wasn't researching shit; Elias (and presumably the people in charge of the sister organizations) knew exactly what was up with all that crap all along.

then I realized: it's Elias's home garden. hoard a bunch of extremely scary and dangerous artifacts with very specific containment requirements, then put a few stressed-out academics in charge of keeping it all in order so you can passively feed on their fear. people who desperately want to believe that learning and knowing the behaviors of every item will be enough to keep them safe. it's a less effort-intensive version of what Peter does on the Tundra.

[gummi-ships]

Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance Commands - Cure ~ Cura ~ Curaga

[gacougnol]

GERMIN

Modell Almuth Bock, 1958

[yellow-yarrow]

I listened to the podcast that was linked here. quick summary cause i want to talk about it

as a fan of Elysium and NGE it was fun to hear Robert Kurvitz say that NGE is is first recommendation when asked what inspired disco elysium and what could give a similar experience to the viewer

he likes its reckless take on christianity, and its take on human souls

and how "colossal" it is

he imagines the world revolution to be like the Third impact in the End of evangelion ("forming a unified red ocean")

NGE and EoE inspired the apocalyptic pale side of the story and the larger setting

maybe this will help us understand the world of Elysium a tiny bit more? so that means the pale apocalypse isn't only referencing the bible but nge too. and the "reckless take on Christianity" is present with the St Miro apocalypse & the Perikarnassian churches. The comment about the world revolution makes me think of Nilsen saying "it was a loss of self [..] It ran through the world like happiness intoxication". I think the "God is in heaven and all is right in the world" is probably referencing nge too and not the original source of the quote

[insanedoritos]

16 Germinal An II

[nasturteayum]

Cauliflower and nasturtium are out!!

Cauliflower was sowed march 21st -> germinated march 27 = 6 days

Nasturtium sowed march 22nd -> germinated march 28 = 6 days

Just sowed basil indoors as well. 4 seeds in each small container.

[jensownzoo]

So I decided to use up all my old carrot seed this year. The most recent packet is from 2016 which didn't seem so old until I did the math. My oldest packets were from 2004 and so probably won't do anything but add a teeny bit of organic matter given that they're TWENTY YEARS OLD, but why not? I'll get all new seed next year if I need it; until then I'm going to vastly overseed the rows and hope for the best.

I also decided to try the cornstarch slurry method for germinating carrot seed. It's supposed to help keep the seed moist during the longish germination period. It worked really well for getting the seed fairly evenly spaced too.

Anyway the recipe is 2 cups water plus 4 Tbsp cornstarch (for one whole packet of seed), bring to a simmer until thickened, then let cool all the way to room temp. It will thicken up more as it cools.

Pour into a ziplock baggie (I used quart size), add your seeds, zip close and slosh around to evenly suspend the seeds. (I added 3-4 packets of old seeds, so mine will look seedier than normal)

Then snip a tiny bit off of one of the corners (about 2-3x bigger than the seeds) and use it like a pastry bag to draw a line of seed jelly down your row. I recommend doing this in a shallow groove to both contain the jelly as well as allowing you to place a board or something on top (for those of us with hungry wildlife) until germination starts.

This really went so smoothly that I'm going to look up what other surface-sown seed this might be good for.

[mumblelard]

not eaten by wolves

only my second card in a month and i pulled moon on the day of the harvest eclipse

i ate a slice of brown bread with butter and sea salt before bed last night. i slept so deeply, my morning limbs were stiff from lack of movement. my dreams were fast, constant, bright

i dreamt of a large church in the middle of a field of mowed clover, miles from the nearest road, surrounded by treeless mountains

a toddler jumped off a high cliff into a slow wide river and swam slowly downstream, searching for family

laying in the sun, on a roof thatched in the black fibres made from the muscle tissue of dead machines

a pregnant teapot, weeping quietly with tiny shudders of grief, lactating a milky brown tea

[mostofthingsmostofthetime]

My thoughts on The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie

I don’t know if I liked it as much as the original films (maybe Mockingjay 1 & 2 as they are pretty emotionally draining), but I still enjoyed it.

I think where it fell a little flat for me is 1. The beginning was a bit slow (tbh I only really started getting interested when Lucy Gray stuck that snake down that girl’s dress & even then I enjoyed the story more when the setting changed from the Capitol to the district) 2. I knew Snow would survive 3. I’d already been spoiled online for a lot of stuff that happens & 4. while I know the director did his best to make Snow as “likeable” as he could for as long as possible, even before he started getting “a little too comfortable” with killing & snitching I didn’t find him as sympathetic as Katniss or Peeta (but that is probably again down to the fact that I know what he goes onto do & there’s no real way around that), this made engaging with him difficult for me.

The world is fascinating. Getting to see all the new locations we never had access to before as well as old locations now in a totally different light (for example district 12 which, while still clearly suffering, seemed like such a bustling industrial town compared to how it is in Katniss’s time). It might have a much more retro aesthetic but there's also just a more vibrant, natural, wild & lawless atmosphere to this movie compared to the others in the franchise. The whole scope of the film just felt more cinematic then I remember the others being yet also weirdly intimate. Maybe because it was one contained story & we knew the main character’s fate from the start. I also loved the title cards signifying the start of each section of the story like from the books & wished they'd done something similar for the other films. It just added a certain flair to the whole thing. Almost gave it the vibe of a tragic play.

The costuming was great. The bright red of the academy uniforms.  Flickerman’s snazzy suits. Snow’s dapper black & white outfit. Both peace keeper uniforms (despite one of them giving very ‘1930’s Germany’ vibes) looked great. Grandma might have been a bigot, but at least she was well dressed. Everything Dr Gaul wore (except the top that looked like a used tampon, lol) was exquisite. The main ladies of fashion, Tigris & Lucy Gray slayed. Our Future Capitol stylist looked like some regal yet exotic bird & Miss Survivor was giving Bohemian, country girl realness the entire time she was on screen. Even the extras were serving (like that random couple Snow walked past on his way to the reaping ceremony).

The music was amazing. Every song that played was fantastic (shout out to Olivia for her end credit contribution). The lyrics & instrumentation were beautiful & my god does Rachel Zegler have pipes! Anyone who says the singing scenes are cringy is just stupid like I’m sorry you can’t appreciate art. Also, the words ‘ballad’ & ‘songbirds’ are literally in the title. Plus, Lucy Gray is from the poorest district, so what exactly do those people want her to do in her free time? She can’t exactly hop on an X-box for a few hours. Not too mention that (as the offspring of someone who’s musically inclined) I can tell you, it’s completely realistic for a musician to use their craft to help them deal with trauma & Lucy Gray clearly had more than her fair share of that.

The Grandma'am helped to paint a sadly very realistic background for Snow. As who among us hasn’t met at least one delusional old person who thinks that their/their group’s suffering (regardless of the severity of it or the reason behind their former/newer status in society) means that no one else are deserving of even the tiniest shred of humanity & there are some people who are unlucky enough to not only be related to these people but be raised by them.

Hunter schafer as Tigris is clearly the superior Snow when it comes to things like empathy & overall mental stability but I do kind of wish they’d been more for her to do. Credit where credit is due though her & Tom did actually look like they could be related & I did buy their familial bond (which makes her appearance in Mockingjay so much sadder in hindsight).

Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom was a bit of a mix for me just due to his purpose as a character & the limit of film as a form of media. Like sure the audience know that Snow’s going to become an irredeemable monster in the end but without a window into his mind it really does just seem like the Dean is just out to get him & even when we find out why it seems kind of unfair. Like sure his dad sucked but haven’t the Games shown that blaming children for violence caused by others is unjust (& like ok he hates Coriolanus & probably the grandma but Tigris hadn’t done anything to deserve living in poverty, as she can’t control who she’s related to)? Plus, it felt like he could have at least tried taking Snow under his wing at some point to try to hinder Dr Gual’s influence. Saying all of that, though, Peter Dinklage is great at playing an addict with depression & the idea that some drunken rambling could lead to such long-lasting suffering is terrifying. Also its pretty realistic that living with that kind of guilt & in such a cruel environment for that long would make most people jaded & bitter, even if they did have good intentions.

Omg we finally get a Mayor family on screen & they’re assholes! Madge would be so disappointed 😭. It was interesting to see how harsh & overall “boot licky” the mayor & his family seemed compared to decades later, which makes sense as the war wasn’t that long ago for them so the dad probably felt more incentive to align himself with the Capitol as well as not feeling very connected to the district people as 12’s decline probably didn’t fully set in until they really started running low on coal & Snow became president (oh I just know he wanted to blow that district off the map 😆). I also wouldn’t put it past Billy to come up with some sob story of how he really does love Mayfair but wicked Lucy Gray is somehow preventing them from being together. Still no excuse to try to send her to her death twice in one week, though. Definitely not a girl’s girl.

Ok, so a liar. Cheat. Drunk & someone who hits women. Is there anything good about Billy Taupe? Also, trying to get your ex back, while your current girlfriend is literally standing right next to you? Dude, have some god damn back bone! You made a choice, now stick to it. Also, fumbling Lucy Gray, for a girl like that? What’s it like having no brains or taste? Well, too bad, coz you’re stuck with her forever now, lol.

Viola Davies, the actress that you are. What else is there to say? Dr Gaul is almost comic book levels of insane. Like she is how the Right see women in STEM, on crack! I don’t know what she did to get into character, but whatever it was, it worked.

Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius Flickerman is a very interesting addition to the story despite playing such a small & seemingly insignificant role. He is strange in how unthreatening he is while also extremely blasé about the abhorrent violence he witnesses that it’s as funny as it is disturbing. Making him come across as  more human yet harsher than his son, who at least pretends to care about the tributes (in a very Capitol way, obviously but still). There’s also a polish & confidence to Tucci’s performance that I think Schwartzman did a great job of avoiding copying (despite knowing what audiences were probably expecting) because not only are their characters in entirely different stages of their careers but the whole ethos of the Hunger Games is different in Snow’s youth than it is in Katniss’s. Caesar is a well established presenter & during his time, the games have always been a success (minus the year with the tundra) that the entire Capitol is invested in & seemingly in support of. On the other hand Lucretius had the unique task of not only coming into a job like this with zero experience (I mean imagine going from announcing the weather to presenting the fucking hunger games) but also there were no vibes to try to emulate let alone guidelines to follow because he truly was the first person to do this. On top of that, the "event" his presenting has been panned for years as both boring & unethical. Schwartzman brought a slightly awkward, experimental, yet try hard vibe (like a comedian who's desperate to get a laugh) that I think worked wonderfully for the character.

Tom Blyth's performance was great & he was visually perfect for a young Snow (the power of a good wig! Who knew lol). Even having the cool, analytical stare of Donald Sutherland, down pat. While his appearance was very Eminem during his peacekeeping days, his realisation in the cabin and subsequent breakdown in the woods were crazy. There was so much tension between him & Rachel in that scene that for a second, it literally felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. I could almost hear the record scratch for both of them, & all that building paranoia finally coming to a sudden crescendo in the way that it did? Pure cinema!

Josh Rivera, as Sejanus, was honestly a mix for me. Obviously, I agree with his morals, but his way of going about it did seem a little dumb. However I do think it’s pretty realistic that a teenager, especially a rich one, would be rather naive. Also I’ve heard that he’s smarter in the book & I think at times my frustration with him is more just down to the fact that I’m seeing him from Snow’s point of view. Meaning scenes that would be portrayed as noble in any other film instead come across as almost painfully inconvenient because the focus is always on how they affect Snow rather than the actual victims of the situation. Lastly, sorry, Snowjanus shippers, I just don’t see it (especially on Snow’s end), but whatever floats your boat.

Rachel Zegler played Lucy Gray with the perfect mix of natural charm & emotional vulnerability with clear pride in her culture & a refusal to let the world around her change who she is. Yet there was also an air of mystery & a subtle resilience to her that makes her potentially surviving out in the woods for years without being detected actually believable (though I don’t buy the theory that she went on to become president Coin). Definitely the highlight of the movie for me.

PS. I'd love to know what you think of my review in the comments/tags & am open to criticism (as long as it's respectful) just remember that I'm only talking about the movie so please don't reference anything spersific to the book.

[kmbrlei]

sneak peeks for my last side story of OT&L