S̶o̶n̶g̶a̶i̶a̶ B̶l̶o̶g̶ P̶o̶s̶t̶ #̶1 Ramble, by Uncooked Kale

​I didn’t know what to write about and mentioned that fact to my dad. He asked me what the first three things I noticed at Songaia were. I started off with the way the light lands, and how it makes me wish I were a better painter so I could capture it. Then the softness of the petals on the many, many, flowers, and of course how hot and sweaty I was. My dad told me I could just write about that. I’m not particularly interested in writing about being sweaty, so that leaves the light and petals. Aaand since I haven’t written a poem in a while.

Ombré flecks of scattered pale, placid gold,
An alluring tapestry of sunlight
Draws one out despite the sultry air
All while the shadows relinquish their hold

Slowly, as the morning glow dissipates
My focus shifts to the painterly scene
A garden of flowering plants creates
Fragile petals soft as a forest stream

Swirling fragrance, seemingly from a dream
I don’t have the artistry to requite
The simple delight in a flower,
Or light, for that matter

I’m not very comfortable sharing any of my writing or art, even in kind and supportive environments. But I think keeping everything out of view only hinders improvement, and I worry people will build up the idea of my writing and expect it to be better than it is.

I’ve always loved this plant since I was little, but I didn’t know what it was called until Anita told me. It’s Bindweed. It can be hard to tell Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) and Hedge Bindweed (Calystegia sepium) apart; every time I think I can distinguish them I mess it up.

https://cals.cornell.edu/weed-science/weed-identification/bindweed-identification https://kingcounty.gov/en/legacy/services/environment/animals-and-plants/noxious-weeds/weedidentification/hedge-bindweed https://kingcounty.gov/en/legacy/services/environment/animals-and-plants/noxious-weeds/weedidentification/field-bindweed.aspx

​I don’t know what I’m talking about, but the above sources seem ok. It is a shame that these choke out other plants.

I love the light in this picture

​I’ve only spent two weeks working in the garden, but I’ve already noticed some changes in me. Now when I look at piles of vines while out and about, I pay more attention to the shape and color of the leaves to differentiate them. Can I identify them? Not even close, but I'm paying more attention to details. I also have become a bug person (excluding spiders and earwigs). Instead of jumping after a bug flew out of my hair, I thought it was cute, so I let it hang out on my hand for a while. A day later a beetle fell out of my shoe. I really hope this is a normal garden thing and I'm not admitting to being overly buggy. I’ve also gotten a lot more tolerant of the sun and heat. We're not friends, but I no longer dramatically monologue at the sun and lament the heat. I think I might start it up again though, dramatic monologues are quite fun.

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​I’ve always called flowers like these daises. I’m slowly breaking that habit, as I’d like to be able to identify plants better. Chamomile flowers smell amazing. If I ever make a plague doctor mask, I’m going to put these in it.

​I saved some of the rose cuttings from weeding in the garden, took them home, and now I’m running a little experiment. A few are in a jar of water, a few planted in the ground, and a few planted in potatoes and pots. These were all different methods I found online for propagating roses. I’m expecting them all to die for various reasons, but hey, ya never know. I thought of keeping a log but it ended up looking like this:
Day 1- they’ve all been potted, planted and put in a jar
Day 2- still there
Day 3- no changes
Day 4- yup still rose cuttings

​So I think I’ll just wait until there’s a change to record.

​End of S̶o̶n̶g̶a̶i̶a̶ B̶l̶o̶g̶ P̶o̶s̶t̶ #̶1̶ Ramble.