Friday, February 06, 2009

Seed Catalogues

In the winter, gardeners "force" spring by looking through seed catalogues, ordering a garden for the summer. These are my seed catalogues listing yoga and art workshops.

An old seed box from the 1800's.

34 comments:

Andrea and Kim said...

Hello Suki! We are of the same mind...they look like my kind of seed catalogs, too.

I am loving that old seed box. I seem to remember my grandfather had one of those. I also remember my grandmother "starting" her seedlings not long from now. She used to save seeds from her tomatoes and start new plants on her enclosed, sunny back porch. Of course, those were what we now call heirloom tomatoes as the hybrids will not do that!

Thanks for sharing, Suki!

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

What a cool old seed box. I like the idea of getting those seed catalogs in the middle of winter to dream of a colorful garden for spring and summer. Your 'seed' catalogs look like you're planning to be around for awhile?

Debbie in CA : ) said...

Yesterday I planted out 14 roses --pretty maids all in a row indeed! Then gentle nourishing rains arrived -- a blessing. Today it is cool, drippy, and delightful. I shall enjoy every minute of it as I leaf through books/catalogs for ideas for my veggie garden (to be inspired by Mt. Vernon and Monticello). I love a rainy day with seed catalogs at hand (and a teapot, too). : D

Blue Sky Dreaming said...

Wishing the next chapter, the next season, the exciting class...all wonderful. I think we are all so powerful and nothing more powerful than a plan. To continue your study in yoga is a great vision and one you have made such a integral part of your everyday life...good things ahead!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

These look like some good reading here Suki. I like the box too.

studio lolo said...

Seeds to nourish your soul. Sounds perfect to me!

That old box is wonderful. Wow.

I heard the temps will be warming a bit in your neck of the woods. Finally :)

Umā said...

perfect seeds - the seeds of artistic expression and health/spirituality.

ironically i am about 15 minutes from snow farm and 45 from kripalu and haven't been to either. though i find i am daydreaming about both more and more often...

ArtistUnplugged said...

I didn't turn out to be much of a gardner, one of my brothers did, he planted potatoes this week and has a huge garden. I would imagine it is very enjoyable to flip through the magazines just as any interest. Probably takes you to the warmer weather. I love the old seed box!

sukipoet said...

Kim, it is fun to look through these catalogs even though I rarely take a workshop out of them. Although I have been to Kripaulu once. I didnt know you couldnt save seeds from hybrid plants. At some point maybe for a year or two I started lots of garden plants up too in a warm spot.

Cris, Around for awhile.?? Do you mean alive? :) All these places can be driven to from anywhere on the East coast except for Ghost Ranch which is in New Mexico.

Wow, Debbie you have been busy in your garden. I do love seeing how green and flowery California is already!!! Here it is just California dreamin'.

sukipoet said...

BSD, having a plan is something I am not so good at. I once was though. I had lots of goals and plans. Now, I just enjoy thumbing these catalogs and marking the workshops I'd like to take, but rarely carry through on.

Lisa, the box is an old family box which makes it special. I think it had little wooden dividers in it as there are slots on the inside sides.

Laurel, it is supposed to be a bit warmer on the weekend. Today it was in the low twenties. The icicles have melted and dripped off the roofs.

sukipoet said...

m. heart Snow Farm has some great classes. A friend on mine from the Cape took a couple of them. One time her sister came from Ohio to be there with her and maybe even her neice. She loves it. Upcoming is a collage class and an encaustic class both of which sound fun. I've been twice to Kripalu. They have more than yoga, all kinds of creative and fun courses.

sukipoet said...

Artist unplugged, it is fun to thumb the catalogues and dream. I'm not a big gardener either but last summer i made a garden in Mom's garden spot for her. This used to be a dairy farm and i think the manure used to be stored on this side of the road so the garden was STUPENDOUS A glorious surprise.

Elizabeth said...

Yes, yes!
Thinking of spring.
ps love Kate Atkinson.

soulbrush said...

i donit have a lot of luck with seeds, am okay growing flowers from bulbs, not seeds.no green fungers ha ha.

~Babs said...

I don't have a very green thumb either,,,,but have enjoyed giving it the 'ol try, try again' thing.

That is a gorgeous box,,,I hope you use it to store something wonderful in. :-)

We once planted a ton of tomato plants in an area that had been a
chicken house. We had monster tomatos,,,made sauce, salsa,everything we could think of to try and use them all, on top of eating fresh & giving away.
Never have had such good luck before or since, so I know how you felt watching that glorious garden come up last year!

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

Suki, I was thinking that these were things right around you there so maybe you were thinking of staying there.

Lynn Cohen said...

I love the old photo of seed package the best. I have a long history of flower and vegetable gardens in my past. I have traded outdoor work for indoor art I guess. But these bring nostalgic memories to mind. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

My mother has an antique seed box like that full of antique buttons. I love to open it and dip my hand in all the buttons. It is a treasure box, for sure.

Dianne said...

Dear Suki,
You are definitely emerging from this cold winter, starting to make plans to feed your soul, thinking about what you need to nourish your body/mind/spirit.
I think by creating your beautiful journal pages, you are beginning to see a path for yourself.

marianne said...

Oh wow what a beautiful box.
You can keep beautiful thoughts in there.......
I hope spring will arrive early, also at your place.
I remember from last year that it was cold and muddy there for so much longer.....
Take care
Have a nice weekend!
Marianne

Mim said...

I too love dreaming over seed and plant catalogs during the winter. At my old house I had a wonderful, huge garden which fed us all summer and fall. In this house, only two miles away from old house, all I can grow are onions. The deer and woodchucks get everything else. I am thinking of doing a community garden plot this year.
Winter is ALMOST over Suki - just keep that mantra in your head

Anonymous said...

I need to start doing some yoga!
I never grow from seeds, always the baby plant, I think it is the
desert dirt here that makes it harder to grow in. Right now i still have a foot of snow in my yard, so nothing is getting planted until may.

Cynthia Pittmann said...

Hi Suki, I just love old seed boxes and dreaming through seed catalogs...wish books...I wrote a post on the same topic a while back called "The Amazing Garden" which was inspired by these seed-dream- possibility books. Yours have a spiritual thread in them too. Great selection.

Mary Richmond said...

i have my snow farm catalogue too and am trying to figure out when i can get there. i used to go every year when it was still horizons--absolutely loved it and made some wonderful friends there from around the country. one of them will be going to the encaustic workshop in may but i'll be away so won't be able to join her this year....would love to spend more time at the ghost ranch...ah, you've got me dreaming again! and i'm looking at real seed catalogues, too, getting ready for my summer garden!

Anonymous said...

Seeds of Inspiration - what more could one want?

patti said...

Lovely anticipation of Spring!

My herbs & vegies that were all so thick & lush before Christmas are now leggy and crispy thanks to the heat! I'll have to do some autumn planting.

I hope you manage to find a yoga workshop nearby. Not as hot here as predicted, thank goodness, so back to practice today.

sukipoet said...

Elizabeth, I like some of her books. This one gripped me strong, although I quibble with her having TOO many exciting events. I thought one at least could be cut with no detriment to the novel. Still, I could not put it down.

Soulbrush, my garden for Mom last summer i made from buying already started plants. I love bulbs too esp as you do it once and they keep coming.

Babs, I think some folks actually buy up chicken manure for their gardens. I got tomatoes but it turns so cold so soon up here that they dont really have time to ripen. Some did, but others, no.

sukipoet said...

OK Cris. thanks for clarifying although I was just teasing you.

Lynn, that is actually some kind of advertisement, old, glued into the top of the seed box. This seed box was among Mom's things.

hidden art, I had never seen a seed box until I found this one here among Mom's treasures. I will keep it, I have always loved old boxes. The top on the outside has the owners initials in gold leaf.

sukipoet said...

Dianne, I hope so. Currently the journal pages are the only creating I am doing. However, it is a blessing I had this journal and I followed in Katie Jane's footsteps to work on it. It has been great.

Marianne, I think it will be muddy here again. There is a season called "mud season." You dont want to drive on the back roads during that time unless you have 4 wheel drive.

sukipoet said...

Thanks for the mantra Mim. If I end up in a condo I hope I can find a community garden plot too. Sounds fun.

Annie, ditto the foot of snow here. I would imagine the soil there is difficult and needing lots of embellishments. If I lived there I would not want a lawn and just grow desert plants.

sukipoet said...

Cynthia, these catalogues just come unbidden in the mail. Although at some point i must have inquired about a few of them. I have been to Kripaulu and am a Svaroopa Yoga student.

Mary, that would be fun for me to go to Snow Farm and find you there! ghost Ranch selections this year seem very religious in nature to me. Maybe they always were and I didnt notice. ??

sukipoet said...

Wild SC, yes!

Patti, I stopped going to yoga class as it was a night in the dark and with icy roads. Although now it is again light at that hour. Still, I keep up the home practice.

Anonymous said...

Yes, Suki, no lawn, I have river rock down instead. I have to plant in pots as my big male dog ruins anything I plant in the ground.

sukipoet said...

Annie, I love it, river rock. But i think there are folks in the desert who still try to have lawns and use up lots of water doing so. Like on golf courses. Planting in pots sounds good to me.