Toadvark

Thrilled to pieces to see these bloom for the first time. 😄 I picked up these seeds at my town's local seed swap where they were labeled "Swedish Tall Red". I knew of a few other names for the cultivar but I wasn't expecting the absolute onslaught:

• Dead Viking (coool lol)
• Biskopens gråært
• Bishop’s Grey
• Bishop’s Red
• Swenson's Swedish

I guess people like this plant. Now I'm crossing my fingers and toes that it can set pods and dry in my short season!

So, greetings! 😄

In short:
Early 30s, in an oddball place up north in the US. I draw things, photograph them badly, and enthuse about ecology a lot. I luv the site iNaturalist! Other hobbies and interests include regenerative agriculture, fountain pens (and art supply/media in general), cemetery and burial history, fantasy/scifi lit, roguelike games, animal rehab, and critter-keeping. The scrambling of communities on reddit and twitter has sent me a-wandering, and I like this place. Nice to meet ya!

Rambles: I'm an artist and illustrator by trade (plus whatever work I can find on the side- I've worn many hats!), and admittedly I'm a bit coy about it here on Mander. Posting art online has become so tied up and bogged down with branding, identity, commerce, and the like over the past few years, that the idea of presenting that "face" here up-front-and-center felt...off.

But, it is who I am, and experiences in the industry and the people I've met through it have shaped everything about how I see the world and sciences. In particular, I worked in the graphics department for a state natural resources department for a spell, and it was quite formative. Here's a quiet link to my work. If you have any little projects that could use a doodle to liven them up, I may be able to help.

Anyway, cheers to all of you trying to make something nice happen here. It really does make things better. :)

Hell yeah moss!! Went to trawl my iNat archives for presentable photos.

Crome Sphagnum (sphagnum squarrosum)

This year's winter-to-spring transition in my part of zone 4b was rough and the garden is looking haggard because of it, so I took a cruise through last year's photos to find something to share as my first post. Absolutely cannot wait for this year's snap peas- something about the plants just delights me.

These are Oregon Sugar Pod II and Mammoth Melting. This year I added a few other varieties to the mix (Admiral, SS 141) as well as the Swedish Tall Red* just to see what happens.

Happy growing!

*a dry/shelling/field pea