Morfydd St. Clair

Thanks for responding.  It does sound tough.   I only found one seed supplier that doesn't look sketchy (I'm in Europe, though). It looks like it caters to the professional trade.  Which makes sense - I only see lisianthus in florists and rarely in gardens.  

Best of luck with your new attempt!

Jen Fulkerson wrote:random acts of kindness are always uplifting. It's easy these days to question humanity. I work for a co-op, and last year I got to cashier in the outside nursery. A customer who was a nice but a quiet regular came through my line. Some how we started to talk about lisianthus. She grows them, and I had just ordered seeds. We had a nice chat. About 20 minutes later she came back with a little glass vase and her last lisianthus of the season, with a little note saying maybe we could share so we both have a bigger verity.
I was so touched. I'm not poor me, but I love sharing my flowers, and no one I know really grows flowers, so I don't get flowers. It fine because I get joy from sharing, but I have to admit it was very appreciated.  I hope to be able to share with her, though so far no luck with germination.
Thanks for sharing your story, it's very uplifting.

Oh, lovely!  I adore lisianthus - is it difficult to grow?  Do you have tips?

Regarding onions specifically, when I was growing up Walla Walla Sweets were a delicacy.  (Still are.) So I don’t associate big onions with less flavor.

Here in Germany, they call the big ones Vegetable Onions.  Unless they’re much more expensive I buy them because 1) I’m lazy and would rather peel/chop one onion than three 2) they seem to last longer.  They do have a milder flavor, but I always add more than a recipe calls for anyway, and I can’t really tell when it’s cooked.

Meanwhile, I’ve totally lost track of what “one onion” means to the author in a recipe. Please for the love of Pete include grams, or at least cups, in your recipe.

Laura Trovillion wrote:Has anyone tried using currants or goumi berries for their clafouti? Always on the lookout for new ways to use these fruits!

Sorry to reply so late, but yes! Currants work great in clafoutis.  I don’t usually add sugar to my recipe (above) but I toss red currants in quite a bit of sugar as they’re sour. (I usually like them sour but comfort desserts are different. )

We usually don't have a tree because we travel for the holidays, but, yes, the wreath on the door is still there.  I am telling myself that I will take it to the garden when I go next.  I will probably forget.

I think that many things are random, but the larger effect follows a pattern.  For the fallen-leaf example, a leaf falls randomly (subject to wind, etc.) but fallen leaves will accumulate, and thus be noticed by us, based on patterns like: a depression in the ground, or an obstacle making the wind suddenly drop.

Another example: evolution is caused by random mutations.  The mutations that are passed on are largely passed on because they make the owner more likely to have viable offspring.  Those advantages follow patterns - brighter plumage->more mates, or malaria resistance->more surviving children.

I second the recommendation for Dharma Trading.  They have been providing lovely fabrics for decades, along with dyes and tons of information on the dyeing process.

Random weird aside: One of my latest buys, from the Red Cross charity shop went like this:  Hm. Nice basic long sleeved tee, interesting neckline, pretty color, heavy fabric (as opposed to so many almost see through tees (why?)).  Wait. SHEIN?!? 100% cotton. 1 euro. Someone else has taken on the sin of buying from SHEIN; I’ll take the all-cotton well made top.  I can’t find a 100% cotton top for any reasonable price new.  Crazy.

I am so jealous, y’all.  Hollyhocks are an urban (beloved!) weed where I live - they sprout in the crack between buildings and sidewalks, grow 8 feet high and are carefully tied back so they don’t flop over.

Can I get them to grow in my garden? No.  I’ve spread thousands of seeds, even bought (!) grown plants, and they’ve never taken.

You all are so lucky! (And I’m lucky to have them just outside my door, too!)

Hi Teresa,

When I first moved into my current place, I had a similar naked bulb.

I took a glass candle holder surround and turned it upside down.  Then the base ring went up to the ceiling and I screwed the light bulb in - the ring was supported by the bulb itself.  It was all glass and metal so I didn’t worry about fire (the ring was touching the bulb not the fixture) and it was open enough to not worry about overheating.

At some point I upgraded to a decorative bulb so I don’t have pictures, sorry.  The decorative bulb also might be an option - you need a bulb anyway and they’re sold in hardware stores here.

Judson Carroll wrote:

Morfydd St. Clair wrote:Thanks for the information!

For the European Permies, note that Oregon Grape is a common landscaping plant in Germany.  Many nurseries sell it, and you might be able to forage it, with caution.  (It kills me that the park near me that is full of berries every year also has big signs warning about rat poison.)

It is very easy to transplant and grows well in containers. Maybe you can grab one.  Even if you break off most of the root, a small one will survive.

Thank you!  I have two young bushes in my Kleingarten that I bought from a nursery.  So far they give me a nice handful of berries every year.  I'm reluctant to go nab one from the park but maybe I can divide these?  I'll look it up.