Imbolc

[Holodoc]

Today is Imbolc, the ancient Celtic holiday which marked the first day of spring. The faintest spark of life lies deep within the ground, ready to awaken. Candles are placed on window sills to beckon the coming of warmer weather and sunny days. For the farmer, it was his cue to get planting.

This holiday is observed even now, primarily by western pagans (Wicca and the like) and spiritualists among others. And of course a remnant of the event exists in the form of Groundhog Day.

My friends know that this is the day I start my yearly cycle of planting in-house annuals from seed. Like a mad scientist, I'll consecrate (for the unfamiliar, that essentially means to bioelectrically charge) this year's seed packets, then plant the seeds into these dirtplugs I make by putting these little discs into water. The plugs are placed with water into a plastic container and sealed to make their own little greenhouse. The packets say to expect something to come out of the ground in a week, but it's usually two days for my batch. ;D

Anyway, I thought this would be a good day to commence with the BBS and post in earnest. Call this the faintest spark of life, a seed which will grow into something very - errr - colorful.

[Christina]

2002-093.1
In Ireland Imbolc was Christianised into the Feast of St Brigid or St Bride on First February.
Second February is also the Feast of the Presentation, 40 days after Nativity - when Jesus' good Jewish parents took him to the Temple in Jerusalem to present him to God and buy him back with a pair of doves.

This time of year is all about Starting Something Good.

[Holodoc]

Christina said:

2002-093.1
In Ireland Imbolc was Christianised into the Feast of St Brigid or St Bride on First February.
Second February is also the Feast of the Presentation, 40 days after Nativity - when Jesus' good Jewish parents took him to the Temple in Jerusalem to present him to God and buy him back with a pair of doves.

This time of year is all about Starting Something Good.

Brigid is the goddess the most witches pay homage to on Imbolc. Candlemas is the Christianized (Catholicized?) edition.

And then there's Staten Island Chuck, who didn't see his shadow yesterday. We didn't need to hear it from a groundhog that spring was just around the corner in NYC; there are several bushes blooming out of season in this neighborhood as I write this.


btw I ran into a sort of snag. It turns out I didn't have enough dirt pellets. I went for Plan B and used some peat pots to plant the seedlings. Then I placed these oversized things into a plastic container I once bought a BBQed chicken in.

A peat pot is a potting shell made from the same paperlike material often used for egg crates. In theory, when you plant seeds in it, they grow and burst through the paper. The idea is to plant it into your garden pot and all, and let nature disintegrate the peat pot in time. It doesn't always work and for me, I'll just cut the peat pot before the plant comes of age and needs to relocate.

I hope.

[Christina]

I use toilet roll tubes filled with compost for the sweet pea seedlings - they get lovely long root systems then.

[Holodoc]

Christina said:

I use toilet roll tubes filled with compost for the sweet pea seedlings - they get lovely long root systems then.

Now there's an idea!
You know, some of those mail order seed companies have kits which let you press those pot shells from newspaper...

Seven of Nine's my mentor. She's a certified Master Gardener. This is the first year I picked what to grow without advice.

[Christina]

*gazes out of the window onto a soggy garden in the gathering twilight*

This year I'm going to tidy up what's already there. Honest. Eventually.
It's only taken 16 years to get it to this stage. Barely started really, in gardening terms.

[Seven of Nine]

My poor garden in buried under 6" of snow from a predicted "dusting" this week but we have the grow light system cleaned up and ready to go.  Moved it to a window so it'll get some solar power, too.  It's too early for us to start any seeds yet as it'll be mid May before they can go outdoors so we are still pouring over the seed cataloges.  

Doc did a nice job of choosing seeds this year and I noticed the choices were made sans my help.  Good going, Doc!  I've been thinking a lot lately about my summer volunteer job helping people with gardening questions at the Extension Service.  Can't wait to get back at it, sometime in April.

[Holodoc]

Grow light system?  

[Peter_Pevensie]

My grandfather and mother were both brilliant in the garden -- my mom had her own landscaping business, helped run the largest Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania, and is now a nursery master for a large greenhouse that supplies plants, shrubs, and trees to nursuries in the southwest.  However, all of that ability has apparently skipped this generation.  I was the only kid in kindergarten whose styrofoam cup didn't grow any grass.  

Oh well...I'll just enjoy all of your gardens.

[Holodoc]

Peter_Pevensie said:

I was the only kid in kindergarten whose styrofoam cup didn't grow any grass.  <br>

Did you remember to water it?

[Seven of Nine]

We use the grow lights because we start more seeds than we have window space for.  The grow light system has a combination of warm white and cool white flourescent bulbs that between them have the full spectrum of light that the sun offers.  We set them up on timers so they get specific hours of daylight each day  and have a special heat mat to provide warmth.  Otherwise, the basement is too cool for some seeds to germinate, let alone grow.

I have a corner window with a south and west exposure but that spot is home to my houseplants.  Oh, and the cat's nap basket.    

[Peter_Pevensie]

Holodoc said:

Did you remember to water it?

Well of course I did!  Maybe it just didn't like the face I drew on the side of the cup...

By the way, you don't have a whole lot of room to talk about growing hair, vegetable or otherwise, Doc... ;D

Kidding!

[Holodoc]

Peter_Pevensie said:

By the way, you don't have a whole lot of room to talk about growing hair, vegetable or otherwise, Doc... ;D

Kidding!

I'm a Doctor, not a Chia Pet.

(That's two you set me up for. You're making it too easy)

[Peter_Pevensie]

^^^  OMG!  I might die! ;D ;D ;D

I keep getting this picture of Picardo doing a ChiaPet commercial...

"Cha-cha-cha-chia!"

Bwhaaaaaaaa!!!

[Holodoc]

Peter_Pevensie said:

^^^  OMG!  I might die! ;D ;D ;D

I keep getting this picture of Picardo doing a ChiaPet commercial...

"Cha-cha-cha-chia!"

Bwhaaaaaaaa!!!

*Snort snort guffaw gag*
WAHAHAHAHA!!!
You know, that's so Joe Dante...