"I think that book publishing is about to slide into the sea. We live in a literate time, and our children are writing up a storm, often combining letters and numerals (UR 2 1derful) ... The future of publishing: 18 million authors in America, each with an average of 14 readers, eight of whom are blood relatives. Average annual earnings: $1.75."
Pages
Saturday, May 29, 2010
On the future of the publishing industry...
Friday, May 28, 2010
Salvaging a flooded garden
Of the seeds we originally sowed, only carrots came up. Of the 24 seedlings started indoors and then planted (which included four varieties of heirloom tomatoes, three varieties of pepper plants, and several basil plants), only a handful of tomatoes have survived, and a few peppers. I say survived, but really, they are barely clinging to life and have not thrived at all. Well, you wouldn't either if you were trying to keep your head above water for two weeks.
We decided this time to plant everything in raised rows and mounds to raise them up out of the floodplain:
The bottom right corner is where the carrots have come up. They're still small. I'm waiting until they're bigger before I do major weeding so I don't accidentally pluck them out with the weeds:
This is what the previous sowing looked like after the flooding. They never had a chance:
We have water and hoses available to us at the community gardens. But you don't always know how long it will take to untangle someone else's doings:
After working away most of the day at the 'far-away' garden, as we've dubbed it, we came home, put the tools away, and went to enjoy the peony which is currently in bloom (The following is one of only two pictures that I took in this post. The other is the money plant picture at the end. All of the other photos were taken by my daughter.):
I just love it. The flowers are gorgeous. Click on any of the pictures to really see them up close and personal:
A pure delight:
Such beautiful colors coming together:
This little bud is so precious, dusted, I think, with pine pollen:
Ah! What more can I say?:
I am so grateful that I didn't get rid of these bushes several years ago like I had planned. They were scraggly, mixed in with a dying holly and a couple of juniper bushes. I ripped everything out and replaced them with other things, but instead of tossing the peonies, I decided to relocate them. They have thrived in their new home ever since, and I just love them. My white, frilly one will bloom any day now, and I can't wait. But for now, I'll enjoy these beauties:
Monday, May 24, 2010
Looks like snow - but isn't
The drifts were a couple of inches deep in our yard:
It's hard to see it against the soft, bright whiteness of our Honor rose:
It's a good thing the snow isn't real, or these strawberries would be in trouble:
Sunday, May 23, 2010
A study in blueberries
The little berrylets sometimes held the drops as though they were little fairy cups:
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Finally! Wintergreen!
A couple of weeks ago, I was informed by the nursery that their wintergreen wasn't doing very well. I thought that my search for wintergreen would have to continue, but today I received two wintergreen plants in the mail!! They were a smaller size than the ones I ordered, but I was credited the difference in price.
Here is one of my wintergreen plants in its new home, I'm so excited!:
While out snapping pictures of the wintergreen, I noticed that my weigelas are sporting more blossoms than the last time I looked. I have two kinds of weigela - don't ask me what their names are, I don't remember. I just think of them as the light ones and the dark ones.
Here is a sample of the light one with its light, variegated foliage against pretty, dusty-pink flowers:
And here is the darker one, with its bolder foliage and darker blossoms:I also have a rare cat plant sprouting from a pot on my porch:
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Uh oh, a new neighbor
My new neighbor is a groundhog. Here are his digs:
This cozy little hole is located next to my yard , dug into the low, privacy hill that acts as a buffer between the park next door and my house.
Great.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Frosty freezies
My tomatoes and peppers and basil are all fine. Those little plastic cups did the trick. I'll have to cover them again this evening - there may be another frost.
I guess I have an advantage in living so close to the community gardens. They're literally a three minute walk away, so I don't have to hop in the car and drive anywhere. It's easy to pop over there to water, or cover things against a frost.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Everything's coming up roses!
We put them up by the mailbox, behind the lilies. We had to raise the bed a bit for the roses, so I hauled a bunch of stones from the back (left behind by the ice-age glaciers and piled up by the farmer that used to farm these environs) to ring the area and hold in the extra soil.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Planting the killer vegetable garden
Phew! Three garden plots planted. My medicinal herb garden went in first, over the weekend. My community gardens plot went in yesterday, with the help of my son. And the plot at the way back of my yard went in today.
Here is my medicinal herb garden. It's in a half-wheel shape with different plants in each of the nine 'spokes' (and something in the half-hub). I have string marking the spokes right now, but the bricks are there for when the plants have grown and the string is gone.:
Here's the plot way back in the wild parts of the yard, half in sun, half in shade at this time of day. You can't really make them out, but there are three elderberry bushes way back there, too. My daughter gave them to me for my last birthday:
I don't have a picture of my community garden plot. I'll get one and post it later.
Here are the things I have in the two vegetable gardens. Basically, tomatoes, greens, carrots, potatoes, squash, cucumbers, peppers:
I still have a few things to do, but most of the initial work is done.
Who's making dinner tonight? I'm pooped.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
To self-publish, or not to self-publish... Maybe through Kindle?
One key to high volume sales is low price. My Twelfth Christmas is priced at $0.99, and The Witch of Sarmont will be priced at $1.99. Right now, the royalty structure is such that I get to keep 30% of that.
They also give you an author page on amazon. Mine is still being created, but when it's up, I'll post about it with a link.
Let the experiment commence!