Plant personality菜苗療癒了我

December 6 Nursery

 A super big grasshopper was found in our back yard.

這隻蝗蟲似乎很愛拍照，連續拍了幾分鐘都不動。想一想，最近常在戶外拍到昆蟲，都是停著不動讓人拍耶!!莫非牠們真的知道我不會傷害牠們?

開始育苗之後，發現眼睛不自覺地注意到極細微的變化，記憶力能夠涵蓋每顆種子的位置。慢慢地，開始感覺到每株苗都有自己的個性，也有高矮胖瘦。從來不知道自己可以如此專注，只有覺知到植物的變化。或許成為園藝治療師之前，自己已經先被治療了。現在終於了解一位從事財務工作的朋友為何每晚喜歡蹲著育苗盆前對著仙人掌數數兒。或許小小的仙人掌苗(我都看不到)將他從財務報表中解放出來。

I am amazed how detailed I could observe from these seedlings and how concentrated I could be. I don't understand why I could remember every little changes happened to these seedlings. Gradually, I even feel these plants have different personalities. It triggered some "personal association" and brought a "warm and fuzzy feeling". (Laura Crockett, Plants with personality, http://www.finegardening.com/design/articles/plants-with-personality.aspx) Maybe these plants are my therapists and helping me to become a horticultural therapist.

 Added some compost to the tray of beans.

 Added some compost to the tray of lettuce.  

December 7 Nursery and HT garden

 It's time to transplant some beans to HT garden. 

有些豆子的葉子像是被撕破一般，難道是先天的缺陷?

6 bigger beans were selected. They were all 20 cm tall. 

這些大張的雜誌紙超好用，移植時都不用怕傷到葉子和根。

 First, 6 small hole was dug between the 5 compost piles. There was a small ditch around the hole to keep water  flow to the root. 

我竟然把樹醫師教的種樹方法套用在豆子上。先鬆土，堆成土堆後挖個洞好種豆子，四周圍還挖個小溝讓水不會四處流竄。

 The wrapping paper helped to hold beans and to prevent damage.

 Watered these beans right after transplantation.

 9 little seedling of turnip were coming out. 

 Spinach seeds still didn't germinate. 

10 Chinese mustard seeds were pushing their first shoots.

 Bok Choy seeds still hid in the compost mix.

 Some lettuce seedlings got three seed leaves.

2 celery seeds pushed their first shoots.

16 crown daisy seeds pushed their seed leaved into the air.

December 8, Nursery

 19 seedlings of beans planted on November 24 were growing fast but 3 lost their leaves. Does that mean they need a quick transplantation?

 Some leaves were broken. 

豆子的葉子都長出來了，下面竟然還有兩辦，像是種子剖半一樣。真妙!!

 6 of 9 seeds planted on December 1 germinated.

 有沒有像子宮裡屈著身體的寶寶?

 Transplanted 6 seedlings of lettuce to a bigger cell tray.

  It's amazing to see different shapes of lettuce seed leaves.

每一株A 菜的苗竟然都長得不一樣，跟人一般有百百種。

   They seemed to show different characters with different appearances.

This one is tough.

這株看起來蠻強悍的。

 This one is easy-going.

這株又是一副柔順的樣子。

 This one likes to be maverick.

這株硬是要特立獨行，葉緣邊還要帶個小耳環。

 This one wants to be boss.

這株喜歡強出頭。

 This one is an artist.

這株扭著水蛇腰，儼然是一位舞者。

 This one is cute.

喜歡裝可愛的小妹妹。

 4 new celery seedlings celebrated their birth with two older sisters.

 Celery seeds were to too small to make sure one seed in one cell. 

 Seedlings of crown daisy looked like small bow ties for elves.

 茼蒿剛冒出來的葉子像是精靈的小啾啾。

 One kale seed start to germinate. How yellow was the seed leave comparing to the dark green kale leaves.

芥蘭菜的新芽竟是如此鮮黃，成年後卻是深綠色，真是女大十八變，。

 23 turnip seedlings were green butterflies in my mini nursery. 

大頭菜的苗好像一隻隻綠色的小蝴蝶。

 2 spinach seeds struggled to push first shoots. 

 Seedlings of Chinese mustard really looked like turnip seedlings. They belong to the Brassicaceae family.

小白菜的苗是迷你版的綠色小蝴蝶。

 Bok Choy also belongs to the Brassicaceae family.

青江菜的苗也是小蝴蝶。怎會這樣?因為她們都屬於十字花科嗎?

I tried to use dumpling containers to plant celery and crown daisy seeds (20 for each). They may be too shallow. Anyway, just try it.
今天又突發奇想拿裝餃子的盒子來育苗，是有點淺。