April | 2022 | The Zesty Bohemian Studio: Fine Art and Nature Photography

This poor blog has suffered from major neglect, as has my greenhouse this year. There has been so much going on here at the Homestead and at work that my spare time is at a premium. Something had to give, and unfortunately, it’s been this blog, gardening, and food preserving.

Spending 50-60 hours a week at work (not counting the hour commute each way) does not leave much time for my Homesteading duties. So for this year at least, it is not MY greenhouse. It is officially “Herm’s greenhouse.” If it wasn’t for my ex, there would be nothing growing! I did some planting in there this spring after clearing the beds of their winter vegetation. I also take care of the weeding when I have time. But the seed starts and pest/disease control has been all Herm, and I am very grateful for all his hard work. He also got all the hummingbird feeders filled and put up, with a few just outside the camper window so we can enjoy watching them up close.

When I am home, nearly every spare moment of my time has been spent working with Mike on his new mycology business. I have been having a great time brainstorming some incredible ideas with my boys. Mike has been writing grow guides, which I have been editing and finessing for him. He has had some very positive feedback from local businesses regarding his products and we are very excited to be starting this grand entrepreneurial adventure. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t include a link to his website, Abundance Mushroom Company. New customers receive 50% off their first order, and you can get everything you need to grow your own mushrooms at home! It would be a great homeschool project, as well.

Now that the warmer weather is here and it isn’t so dreary anymore (I just cannot get motivated when it’s cold and barren), I have dusted off the Sony and have been taking some pictures. I have always loved taking photographs of things close up, and am finally taking the time to learn a few of the basics of macro photography. I definitely have a lot to learn, but I’m having a lot of fun getting out and visiting with my plant and insect friends!

A little spider was visiting this blackberry blossom
This chill dude was hanging out in downtown Mountain View.
Little guy posed for 20 minutes!
So beautiful and intricate!
Onion umbrel getting ready to flower soon
Spider web silk between two onion umbrels
Gabe and Libby’s parakeets
Enjoying a warm spring day outside
Herm’s roses

I know for sure that Spring is here: Thursday I caught my first glimpses of the redbud trees starting to blossom. I just love those beautiful trees. Dogwoods and Cottonwoods are also in bloom, and the quince bush is full of delicate, deep pink flowers. I finally got the time this weekend to work in the greenhouse and walk around the property taking some nice pictures of Spring in action.

Quite honestly, I feel like a bit of a fraud this season. My work at the clinic has been so crazy and all my spare time has been invested in helping to get my son’s new business off the ground (Abundance Mushroom Company: Everything you need for growing your own mushrooms at home, for the hobbyist or commercial grower). I never even had time to plant my seeds. Fortunately, a local greenhouse has beautiful starts at very reasonable prices, so I was able to plant a few tomatoes and peppers this weekend. We are going to experiment with growing a crop of corn in the greenhouse this year. Should be interestingl

Anyway, with the very real possibility of jumping into the housing market soon and with my lack of available time, it was decided that we would scale back on the planting this year. Herman is handling all the outdoor plants and I have been planning the greenhouse. The goal will be to have enough fresh produce without much extra for canning or preservation. I’m sure I will be dehydrating batches of veggies and canning some Cowboy Candy (sweet pickled jalepeno peppers–awesome on everything), but there will not be any marathon canning weekends at the Homestead this summer/fall. Anything more than we can use will be shared with neighbors, coworkers, and patients.

I hope you enjoy my pics. It was a lot of fun getting back out and enjoying watching Nature wake up after a long, cold, winter.