Green onions...

Today is one of those days.  I’m not very motivated.  I’ve tried to paint, but haven’t liked anything I’ve done.  Being at home so much is difficult.  For me it manifests in milling about aimlessly and bored even though there are literally 100 things I could be doing.

I usually brighten though when I go outside to check on my plants. When I was a twenty-something, I was amused by my neighbors who methodically looked over their yard each morning. One or both of them came outside toting a cup of coffee. They stopped to admire each bed. I didn't understand their behavior because I hadn't yet discovered my love of gardening. Now, I too survey my yard daily. I take my coffee sometimes. And younger neighbors probably think I'm strange. I love being outside and find peace and satisfaction in yard work.

I’ve failed at a vegetable garden in the past, so I stick to container edibles and flowers throughout the yard.  Some would think that examining my plants each day is like watching paint dry, but there are exciting changes daily! 

A few weeks ago, I looked at my dill plants.  They had tiny caterpillars all over them.  The next day, the caterpillars had chomped so much of my dill, they had practically doubled in size!  Sadly, a few days after that the “Catch of the Day” for the neighborhood Cardinals was plump caterpillar.

Today, I checked on my green onions.  I am so happy with my green onions.  I grew them from scraps!  The satisfaction of eating a fresh green onion knowing that I grew it myself for free,  just makes my day.

I have no idea why it has taken so long for me to learn that you can grow all kinds of veggies from kitchen scraps. Thank goodness for the internet.  The simple idea popped up on one of my searches. I had to try it.  Here's how:

You save about a quarter of an inch of the bottom of the onion.  You plant it in some good potting soil, and keep it watered.  Magically, in a few days, you’ll see a new onion sprouting out of the middle of the tiny bit you planted!  You need to plant the roots, and leave a little of the white part above the dirt.  This is one of the paintings I didn’t like today, but it shows about how much onion you need. 

This has been rewarding for me.  The leek scrap I planted recently has new growth on it! You can also plant in water.  If you want to give it a go, here are a few sites with details: 

http://www.eatingwell.com/article/290729/how-to-grow-fruits-vegetables-from-food-scraps/

https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/gardening/outdoor/scrap-gardening