Full Pink Moon tonight.

From the Farmer's Almanac:
Full Pink Moon - This name came from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. Other names for this month's celestial body include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes the Full Fish Moon, because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.

Part of my lawn-reduction / replacement strategy.

I can see a sea of clover. Which will never need to be cut and will attract bees.

So tacky. Sure makes me smile though.

Playing for Peace.

My cousin Dan in Hampton, VA, sent me this video. I recommend it.

Picture of vine at US Arboretum. Maybe (or maybe not) the last picture from my visit last week.

Oliver got to play outside briefly today. He was most grateful.

The one-year-olds.

My neighbor works hard on her lawn. These guys should be satisfied with all of that nice pampered (non-chemically treated) lawn. But no. They prefer my hostas. And they'll tear down my nice mesh fencing to get to them. But the spring/summer offensive is on. This year I plan to win. (Don't bet on me.)

My son noted that I should also have checked out a library book called "Asphalt."

Leaf compost is NOT a growing medium.

My experiment to see which growing medium works best -- mostly non-enriched clay (right), pure vermicompost (rear), or pure leaf compost (left) -- tells me that pure leaf compost is not just weak, it's bad. This makes my worm compost even more important. I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

More Arboretum.

Bonsai at the Arboretum.

Yesterday at the fabulous U.S. Arboretum in NE Washington, DC

These columns were carved in the 1820s and stood in front of the US Capitol until 1958 when they were moved a few miles east to the Arboretum.

Scilla? I always thought these were hyacinths. But blog-hopping makes me think they are a relative called scilla.

More research is called for.

Note to the squeamish: it's safe to check the worm blog. All you'll see are some pretty ridiculous composting systems. No worms visible.

Rag Rugs. (As mentioned in my Letter F posting below.)

I was folding the laundry tonight and came across one of my grandmother's rag rugs. I studied it closely... I guess for the first time. It's obviously made of strips of fabric. I know she used a loom to make rugs but is this woven?? That loom is still in my grandmother's house, which is now my sister's house. She plans to use it one day. Just like I plan to get rid of that wallpaper in my fabric room one day.

Tchotchke Challenge Letter F -- Fabric and Fabric Balls

A relative--a grandmother or greataunt most likely--didn't let one scrap of fabric out of her hands. She ripped up long thin strips of fabric (old clothes I'm guessing), doubled them over, ironed them (at least it sure looks like they were ironed), sewed the long strips together, rolled them into balls, and then...what? Made woven rag rugs? braided them to make circular rugs? I don't know. Nor do I know what I'll do with them, but I'm thinking about getting some really big knitting needles and knitting them into something. Funky scarf? Afghan? The other fabric is a selection of the many disorganized piles and baskets of fabric I use for my quilts. (I can't wait until we get to Q.)
Oh yeah. That wallpaper. It was here when we moved in 23 years ago. I've always hated it. It's in a room we've never really use. Home decorating is not my strength. Obviously.

I see that our Nyack lady has outdone herself again.

Bok choy seedlings! My first.

I want a uniform like this.

Soon it will be time to plant my Beer Bars for Slugs. A few sips and they turn into instant compost.

I cut out the bottoms of plastic yogurt containers, leaving a small 2" edge. I bury the cups in the soil around plants slugs like to eat. I keep the cups filled with beer.

Here's another very nice way to defeat slugs in your garden. I wonder if it will work for me? Going to try it, along with the beer bar too.

Photo from ehow.com.

Last August in my 5 by 5 garden. soon....

Blooming today in my garden.

A grass-free backyard in Takoma Park. It's all groundcover, largely sedum. Imagine how great it'll look in July. And a word on The Economy.

Matt Taibbi has an understandable piece about some aspects of the economy. He makes me laugh. Be advised: adult content.

Susan's first March (I think) with absolutely no grass in her yard.

What's left after ivy is pulled off the foundation of a house.

Global warming / climate change is a subject I really want to understand. So I read and listen and think. But every time I think I've arrived at a comfortable position, I find something else that confuses me. The latest bit of confusion comes in this article by Nicholas Dawidoff about a physicist named Freeman Dyson. Dawidoff writes: "Dyson has said he believes that the truths of science are so profoundly concealed that the only thing we can really be sure of is that much of what we expect to happen won't come to pass." That sounds really, really logical to me.

Erica and Evan.

I mean really. Adorable is such an inadequate word.

New scarfs. A mini-obsession.

Fungi from the park.

Daffodils.

Go Lady Terps!

Thought for the day.

Houses in Takoma Park.

Peonies popping up!

Trifecta tonight!

Bruce with Jon Stewart, Barack with Jay Leno, and March Madness.
And Maryland won!

Picture is from somewhere in Takoma Park yesterday.