Summer Break!

The Spring is finally over, and I am totally happy with it, but not feeling like "SUMMER!!" since I still have to think of my thesis. My last day of the classes was so pleasant and I enjoy the last moment of no need to be prepared for a quiz.





I enjoyed crocheting charity baby hats instead of studying for a quiz.



This semester, this bag was always with me. It helped me as a tranquilizer which offered me a moment of making my mind blank.



I studied so hard this semester, and finished with good grades, but not sure if this worth for something. It helps me a lot to receive scholarships from Hollins, though. No debt after graduation is nice.

On the day that my last paper was submitted, I cleaned everywhere of my home, and put materials used in the classes, my notes, papers, and exams returned etc in the box of 'school' and pushed it away under back of my computer table. Next day, got some seeds and seedlings for my garden, and planted them.

It's really nice to have my own garden.
Sweet peas.









I almost forgot about sweet peas I planted last fall, and it was becoming like weed. One day, I found white flowers were blooming, and they made peas.





These suddenly appeared and I thought they were lovage since it looked very similar to it. It really smells like celery as well. My friend told me it looked like something else, and it reminded me of I seeded parsnips last fall. Since it did not germinate last year, I completely forgot about it. I checked how the roots is growing, and appeared it not edible, so decided to keep them grow and enjoy the top part.



I have garlic planted last fall, and their leaves (left corner) are edible as well. I have been enjoying nice fragrance of vegetables so far.

Parsnip flower.





Parsley.




Green Onions. They came from the vegetable wastes.



Green Onion flower. We (Japanese) call it 'Negi Bozu.'



Buckwheat flower and a bug.



Composting.

It has been almost two months since I started to add vegetable wastes that CO-OP lets me take anytime they are available - other people also come to get it -.



I have plenty of old leaves that came from my neighbors and my backyard, they are making big piles. Virginia Cooperative Extension taught me that making layers of ‘green matter’ such as vegetable wastes and grass, and ‘brown matter’ such as old leaves and wooden chips is one of the ways of making good compost, so I have been doing it. It is interesting that there is no smell of spoiled vegetables, accordingly, bugs attracted to it, once it was covered by the leaves.



This pile is a result of old leaves without shredding left for 2 years and it is now a good soil. Its height started at the level of my chest, then shrunk to my waist, then now at my knee.

Today, I was curious how the old vegetable wastes added about 1 - 2 month ago turned out, and could not find any. It became completely part of the soil, which is amazing. The amount of vegetable I added was quite a lot, which included fiber ones like whole celery, they all disappeared!

Gardening is so much fun. It offers me a new story of the backyard everyday and so much to learn. Also, working in a garden become good exercise, practical than going to gym, and it's an activity with R to do together.

I now started to think of how I can manage my time for sewing. I want to do fabric dye this year as well and want to make quilts for etsy.

Anyway, hope my summer turns to be wonderful like the last year.