I screwed my Canon 52mm Close-Up Lens on to my camera (Canon T1i) today and went out to the garden. I’m too lazy to ever think about a tripod, so I don’t really go about macro photography the correct way. But then, I don’t really go about anything the ‘correct way.’ This is as close to a macro lens as I am likely to get for a long while. And I’m a total spaz with the auto-focus. I’ve still got a lot to learn, I know that.
But it was fun to lay on the ground and take these close up shots of my itty-bitty goings on in the garden. Nights have still been dipping into the 20’s here in my neck of Minnesota, so only the hardiest things are in yet.
YES, the shriveled red potatoes sprouted! Almost each little divot where the bulb planter did its work shows a little green tuft like this:
The next thing I planted were the peas. Not the sugar snaps (those are in now, too, but were planted about a week after the shelling peas). I neglected to soak the pea seeds (because I’m both lazy and impatient), so they took their sweet time sprouting. I think the snap peas are going to catch up to them. Aren’t they pretty?
This is that tenacious Johnny Jump-Up (violet) that was blooming the first time I did a garden walk through at the end of winter. I can’t help but wonder if it survived all the -30 nights and sub-zero days and was blooming under the snow? So cute, even if a little blurry.
The Black Seeded Simpson lettuce seeds have just sprouted. The red lettuce variety, not at all. And now, my very faded memory is remembering that none of my red lettuce sprouted last year. Why do I never throw away bad seeds? Only to continue to plant the damn things and waste my time?!
And these are the shallots that should have gone into the ground last fall. A few are up. Many are not. I suspect I will have many holes to fill and that this bed will irritate me all year…
And this… This is a… Maybe I should have contest and see if you can guess! Should I give away an iPad? No, that is so unoriginal. Everyone is giving away iPads. I will give away my love. — for that is a much rarer and precious gift. Just ask my family.
merry jennifer says
Beautiful photos, Jen. Love the close ups of the baby veggies. You’ve stumped me on the last photo – I’m not very good at identifying garden-life yet. 🙂
admin says
that’s OK. I still love you!
Michelle says
If I get this wrong, I owe you more garden time . . . Rhubarb!
admin says
damn! And I already love you. So I guess I’ll have to give you one of the 30+ loaves of bread I baked this week…
Patty Canney says
cool stuff, jennie.
Rachel says
I was SO going to guess rhubarb! But yours is WAY bigger than mine. where in the frozen tundra do you live? On the border of MN and IA? Up here in God’s county (aka Forest Lake) my rhubarb is the size of your peas or maybe shallots. Do you use warming blankets / frost blankets? Pondering buying them. Haven’t planted a thing Dad swears you cant put a thing in the ground until the last week of May. Clearly that is wrong.
Nat Alea from OK says
I cannot believe how beautiful your pictures are. I love to see when everything starts to come up and see how it will all look. I’ll be more than happy to take any extra veggies off your hands (except for the rhubarb) :p
admin says
Rachel — I live in Watertown, so that’s about 50-60 minutes south and west of Forest Lake. I suppose it COULD make a difference, but it’s probably more likely to be that the rhubarb is in a raised bed and warms up quicker than yours. Blistering full sun, too.
As for your dad and his mantra. He is right — for actually transplants like tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, cucumbers, etc. Seeds that can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked — which means it’s not to wet and isn’t frozen anymore — included peas, potatoes, spinach, kale, radishes, some carrots, some lettuce, arugula, cilantro… There are actually quite a few, and I’ve only got a part of them in. No worries, I don’t usually even start thinking about planting seeds until mid april and that’s still a week away! So ahead this year!
admin says
Nat– no Rhubarb?? You just WAIT until I post my three favorite rhubarb recipes. You will DIE! They are so good.
admin says
Patty — I’ll take that compliment, thank you very much. Especially since YOU are the ArtTEEST!
And by the way, you should have your URL on your comment, so people can click on your name and go to your website.
It’s http://pacanney.com
Sheila says
Beautiful pictures. I would have guessed Rhubarb. Ours is up as well. All the daffodils that Bayfield plants around town are in full bloom. Wish I was there to take some pictures.
Pamela says
Beautiful photos Jennie!
I transplanted 25 more strawberries today.
Had a stroll through the garden to check on everything else.
Onions are doing super. Basically everything in is up – though the carrots are not quite all up yet. Shelling peas look fantastic and ready to start climbing. All the sugar snaps are up,plus beets, potatoes. Now if the other 2 garden spots would just dry up enough to get the tiller in so we can have them ready for the rest of the veggies.
TerriD says
Shoot–I’m late! It’s a picture of rhubarb. Has your weather been on the warm-er side this Spring? We’ve had a lot of wind along with cold temp’s all late Winter/early Spring, (E. Washington state), so I haven’t seeded anything outside yet. Just some stuff inside the greenhouse–tomatoes, leeks, onions, zinnias, cosmos, Amish broom corn, parsley….None of my pepper seeds sprouted, and I’m not sure why?