frost free finally

The frost free date finally arrived in Ohio! And so, we planted the garden this week. My tiny backyard is 300 square feet, and Corey and I built two 16 square foot garden beds in it. The picture below makes the yard look larger than it actually is because I took it with a wide angle lens. Technically more garden beds would fit, and maybe for fall we'll add another. Two is enough for now. We'll have tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, spinach, chard, herbs, strawberries, peas, and eggplant! p.s. Check out my new (-ish--got them a month or so ago) yellow chairs! They add a lot of life to the yard. I am thinking of painting a yellow sign for the garden to match them. Trying to come up with a name for the garden...any ideas?



i

july, july

From my third visit to Tara's farm. Amazing.

soaking up summer

It's really hot these days, but I am doing my best to soak up a carefree (relatively speaking) summer, and my last in Arkansas! Farmers' marketing, knitting (trying to knit, that is), sewing, crafting, cooking, baking, gardening, biking, photographing...

fresh and local

Homemade pizza featuring local potatoes and squash.
Nothing else like it!

b&w color process film

Corey with some of our pepper and tomato plants!

My Japanese eggplant!

Grub! Yuck.

Corey and his bike.

Me and my sad, but loved, bike! I'm getting a new one soon so I wanted to document this one, which my mom handed down to me and I used all during college.

These photos are from the first trial of some film I bought on clearance for 90% off! Ilford XP2 Super. C-41 Process black and white. 400 ISO. It turned out perfectly! I love it. Just the right contrast, not too much grain.

More soon. I have a lot.

peas and garlic

1. Pea sprouts in the garden Corey and I are growing!
2. Wild garlic found and identified in Corey's backyard--a LOT of it.
3. Heirloom garlic at my friend Brandon's garden, cultivated from his grandmother's garlic.
4. Brandon and Jessica's cat.
5. Brandon and Jessica's seedlings before transplanting. Many of these popped up in their compost bin so they potted them!

My local food photography project is going really well. I'm having such a good time with it. Gardening with Corey is also fun! Our plants are getting bigger. I can't wait until we are able to eat something we grew ourselves.

playing in the dirt

I'm loving having a garden! I can't wait until we get to harvest something. It seems like we've been waiting a long time already, since planting the first seeds about 7 weeks ago.

There's something magical, rewarding, and therapeutic about getting your hands in the dirt. It's wonderful.

I've worked on two gardens before but this is the first one that I've had any real ownership over. So it's just a little different.




More pictures to come! We've planted strawberries, lettuce, peas, tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, catnip, and poppies. Only a little of each...the garden is about 30 square feet total.

the cultivation of community

h


My photography project is going so well. I've been two one farm and two gardens, Corey and I are planting our own small plot (the seedlings we started weeks ago have finally been going in the ground this week, little by little!), and I have plans to visit several more places in the coming weeks and months.

Through this project, though I set out to learn more about growing vegetables--and I am!--I am also learning about community and the generosity of strangers. I feel like I am part of something a little bigger, if you know what I mean.

Things I love this month:
- baking delicious asparagus every other day
- gardening with Corey
- photographing local food happenings
- spending my spare time outdoors to the point of sunburn

I'm working on new innovations for the One Lonely Apricot shop. Stay tuned!

I've started a new documentary photography project which will take me through the summer. I'm documenting the local food movement in the area. I started with a trip to a wonderful farm yesterday. Here are a few peeks from my digital camera, but I think the true gems are on film so you'll have to wait a bit for those.

Broccoli.

Blueberries.

Lately I have been soaking up spring to the fullest. What I enjoy about spring:

- Leaving the window open all day and not relying on the heat or air.
- Exploring in the sunshine on my bike or walking.
- Picnics in Corey's backyard.
- Small seedlings growing bigger and getting ready for transplanting.
- Short sleeves, flats, and rolled up jeans replacing heavy coats, boots, and gloves.
- Lengthening days.

I'm looking forward to:

- The opening of the farmers' market.
- Harvesting our very own vegetables with Corey.
- The semester ending, which will mean campus is more available for walking and biking purposes, as well as there being much less traffic in town. :)

I've also been doing a lot of doodling and loving it! Here are a few of my latest doodles. I've been experimenting with new borders to mix things up a little.