Roxanne Sterling-Astor

I can't seem to get lettuces reliably.. they always bolt. Cabbage and broccoli evaded me until I began planting in fall. We get snow but not deep. They both seem to like sitting in hibernation. I was able to harvest mid-May.

How is your project coming along? I love that area, and am looking for community.

I am just getting back into it for cyanotype creations. Cyanotype (ifyoudon'tknow) is an old-school photography methodology.  I use it on fabric at the moment. Most people know it from its use to make building blueprints. You lay out drawings, flowers, over treated fabric or paper and develop the image by placing it in the sun.I am just using an old set of encyclopedias from the 70s to press the flowers. I'm not too worried about the books because they're a terrible set of gardening books with terrible printing and constant mention of chemical/pesticide solutions. I say pressing flowers is best use. These are my first attempts. Having pressed flowers will make much better prints than these fresh leaves pressed with glass against the fabric during development.  I will be able to keep especially nice specimens for re use. The other little ones were just a quick squiggle to test timing in the sun and the opacity of a sharpie on a plastic sheet. My next run I will combine the two ideas, but this time I will try paint on transparent film. I am also thinking of pressed flowers in wax paper. I want to try cutting out shapes from those wax paper pressings... see if a silhouette shows up. I'm in the super excited stage of this, new for me medium!!

Single 62y omni creative woman.  Interested in meeting someone living the artist permie life... cause that's my vibe. I'm not exactly looking for anything serious, but I wouldn't count it out. Taking time to make friends in my life and in my new home state N.J.

My mind went immediately to my paper mache projects. The sculptures are difficult to store because of molds that can take hold. Honey!!! In the slurry & in the paints. New experiment starting over here. I'm totally embracing this, I'll show results.
Thanks,
Roxanne

If there is a hummingbird thread with info on successive blooming suggestions to keep hummingbirds fed naturally, point me there.
While I am here tho; does anyone have suggestions for a perennial that will bloom in  July August that will provide nectar for hummingbirds.
I live in Southern Oregon with some snowy winters. I have deer, so deer resistant would be great. I have a trumpet vine ready to plant it has been getting trimmed by deer since it's not had a tall place to climb up just yet. I do have high hopes for that.
Love to hear what you suggest.. As for annuals,  we can't plant out till June here and I have limited sun till May, conversely my sun cuts out mid Sept.  Hot dry half sun all summer.
Cheers,
Roxanne

Datura!!!
I  lived in an old house with a massive Datura.. one of the rooms had blooms coming up to the second story. Every single person who had that room went crazy having started out as pleasant quite normal.. truly went mad.. hallucinations violent outbursts etc. A friend from Shri Lanka said after meeting the current tenant of the room, saw the Datura out his window .. told me immediately "you have to cut that thing down don't you know they are toxic?" "I think he's already sick"
Honestly it all clicked in that moment.. the landlord was really crazy too.. It came down that week. An antidote, but it convinced me for life.

Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins anyone?
I have longed to smell that after reading that book. 😅

Shooting from the hip here.. Folks who live in cold climates and have the know how are the best folks to bring this to the people.  I see a Rocket Heater booth at Christmas Fairs, Tool shows, Building industry conferences.. Someone with freedom to be a professional cheerleader,  by freedom I'm referring to someone retired from the daily grind with an income unconnected to rocket heating tech.  I  remember seeing a portable demo heater here on Permies.. we need MORE of those.. all over the country.
Second flash.. a team of permies elves build warm public benches in NYC.. BOSTON COMMONS, CHICAGO, SEATTLE, DETROIT, BUFFALO,  CLEAVLAND. In the cold cities, go to city hall meetings and ask to do a permanent public installations. Obviously it's imperative it be accompanied by a perfectly artful bronze plaque explaining the technology (the magical guts) a real blueprint in bronze. Imagine bus stations with RMH benches, cafés with comfy outdoor seating... etc
Getting RMH into public spaces is the key.
Another! Extremely high quality stencils of a RMH blueprint, large and legible. I'm suggesting guerrilla, information sharing, street art. I'd absolutely buy a well-made jumbo stencil.  I already buy them every few months for my artwork and jobs. The biggest ones sell for about 70 bucks. That would take someone who would want to figure out how to manufacture quality stencils, or finding a company who does custom work.  Screen printing is also good for some surfaces.  I have done screen printing on regular painted sheet rock with great results.  So let's say I have one of these.. I will go to a local Cafe and ask to do an art installation that teaches people about RMH, talk to science teachers at school,  health food stores, feed stores.. adding additional art with the blueprint would be fantastic,  that can also be a series of coordinating stencils. This sort of sharing would require a talented artist willing to create the base images for free.
A fundraiser in your local area could fund the public projects.. perhaps working with food bank volunteers could help connect with agencies that give aid to the elderly and other community members who care about promoting low cost solutions to help people maintain general health and well being.
I'd throw in my $25 bucks to a fundraiser to build more portable RMH to take to trade shows (and the likes) or any other permanent public installation someone might take on.
Cheers everyone,
Roxanne

One thing I was taught ages ago was to avoid too much fruit.. as a farm helper I was asked not to give too many fruit scraps to chickens .. with the explanation that it can reduce egg count.  Which led to stern instruction to take apple cores back to the kitchen and simmer them with a cinnamon stick, strain and serve.. yum. This of course may not be your issue.. tho hopefully a useful tid bit.