Blog Author
Quiyn
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Recent Entries to this Blog Garden Polinators
Posted: 14 Jun 2018
Back again...
Posted: 08 Jun 2018
Life of Dance
Posted: 14 Aug 2017
Life is Good!
Posted: 03 Aug 2017
Lawn Challenge - Call this "Day One"
Posted: 01 Aug 2017

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Quiyn's Blog




Garden Polinators

Category: Life | Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 3:18 pm

Typically I photograph dancers (as a dancer myself), but sometimes I like to get out with my camera and explore other styles of photography. Last summer Dad bought me a good macro lens, and so I took it out yesterday and went to the small parts of the garden.



( photo / image / picture from Quiyn's Garden )



( photo / image / picture from Quiyn's Garden )



( photo / image / picture from Quiyn's Garden )





Last edited: Thu Jun 14, 2018 3:18 pm

This blog entry has been viewed 223 times


Back again...

Category: Life | Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 4:40 pm

I'm back again. Unfortunately, as I'm sure a lot of you know, life does interfere. Last year I got into gardening after Dad and I moved into this house. But it was at the end of the growing season and there wasn't much I could do. It even got frustrating reading books and such. At the same time, my dance team got really busy with games, state, and ultimately nationals in February, which kept me occupied about every spare minute.

School is over now and I've been anxious to grow something for my very first time. Except...

Dad and I tracked the sun and shade through the backyard where I'd planned to garden. No place in the backyard would work. Between the house and the trees we simply didn't get enough sunlight through the day to make a garden any good. Not to be deterred, I went and bought some soft pots, filled them with gardening soil, peat, and fertilizer, and put them out on the large front patio we have, which DOES get at least 10-12 hours of sunlight during the day. While it's not ideal, I have my garden, small as it is, growing.

I've planted two types of pumpkins (always wanted a pumpkin patch), peppers, tomatoes, and some summer squash. And I have an actual pumpkin growing! Of course, it's super small, but still, it's a pumpkin.



Pumpkin is growing! ( photo / image / picture from Quiyn's Garden )






( photo / image / picture from Quiyn's Garden )

I also have some peppers growing. The only problem is, I lost the label and can't remember what kind these are. Whatever kind, they're probably not too hot since I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to spicy so I would have picked mild.




( photo / image / picture from Quiyn's Garden )


I know container gardening isn't idea for growing large crops like pumpkins and squash, but it's the best I can do right now.

Thanks everyone! Until next time... (hopefully not too long, though).


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Life of Dance

Category: Life | Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 4:18 pm

I've always been active in my life. When I wasn't in school I was dancing. When I wasn't dancing I was taking pictures. Now, of course, I'm adding gardening.

At my old school I was on the dance team, so I was thrilled to find my new school also had a dance team. I've been to some day camps this month with last year's team members and the coaches to learn the routines for tryouts. And I've become friends with the other girls. Well, tryouts were Wednesday. I made the team. And right away on Saturday we had to do a performance for a city wide back-to-school gathering.

And it was a blast!

The last dance team I was on had a two "bad apples", and they were an energy suck. My dad came out Saturday to watch and took the picture below. He followed us around during some of our warm-ups, met some of the other parents, and then watched the three dance routines we did. His comment was that it looked like all the girls wanted to excel as part of the team. That's crucial since this team typically qualifies and competes at the national level in Florida in February. I'm so looking forward to being on a team of girls that want it.




Dance Team ( photo / image / picture from Quiyn's Garden )


This picture was taken during our last routine of the day. I'm third from the right. While it looks like cheerleading it really isn't. It's poms and much more dance (hip hop, jazz, contemporary) focused. The school has a separate cheer team. Two of the girls on our dance team came over from the cheer team.

This is going to be a great year!


This blog entry has been viewed 245 times


Life is Good!

Category: Life | Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 2:22 pm

My biggest fear when I found out Dad and I were moving wasn't whether or not I'd get a garden. It was a very natural concern about getting new friends. I was on the dance team at my old school. So I was thrilled to find that my new school also had a dance team. This week I was able to go to an open camp they had to start learning the routines that would be required for tryouts later this month. It was a great experience. Another girl and I hit it off right away, especially since we found out we both have Jeeps. This lead to us talking about my other great love... photography. She had another friend with a Jeep, so the three of us went out last night and had a quick photoshoot with a great Colorado sunset (storms had passed over earlier).

Take three girls and their Jeeps, a beautiful Colorado sky, a camera on a tripod with a remote trigger, and this is what you get. :)




( photo / image / picture from Quiyn's Garden )



PS -- I'm in the middle.

This blog entry has been viewed 242 times


Lawn Challenge - Call this "Day One"

Category: Fixing the Lawn | Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 4:20 pm

When Dad accepted a new position in Colorado Dad promised a yard so I could start a garden I've been so desperately wanting to start for a couple of years now. He obliged and we bought a house with a lawn and space for a garden. But that promise came with a price... I had to maintain the lawn, as well.

What do I know about lawns? I've lived in condos most of my life, and what little grass there was was mowed by someone that showed up in a truck and mower hired by the HOA. But I accepted the challenge, and I started.

First there was the shopping list --
- Lawn mower (the one left in the back shed by the previous owners wouldn't start)
- Hoses
- Sprinklers
- Rakes
- Fertilizer
- Weed killer

Here's what I'm starting with --




View 1 ( photo / image / picture from Quiyn's Garden )


As you can see, the grass is dry and patchy in some areas. The right side edge is all weeds. A giant mound of sage surrounds the mailbox (in the foreground). There are a two layer flower bed. I've already mowed and fertilized.

This is the view from the other side.



View 2 ( photo / image / picture from Quiyn's Garden )

Once again, patchy grass.

This is the part I don't like. The side of the patio is thick with shrubs. I believe they're dwarf burning bushes. In the front they've been trimmed down. In the lower part of the flower bed I found some herbs growing. My neighbor said they were chives and basil, and I think she's right, but there's lots of weeds still. In the lower right corner you can see some kind of thick, pale green/blue ground cover.

And then the front bed.



View 3 ( photo / image / picture from Quiyn's Garden )

Besides the neighbor's cat, Sam, there's a nice rose bush growing on the right, and then there's random patches of columbine and snap dragons (once again, thank you neighbor for helping identify). And then it's just... UHG!

And finally, to the other side of the driveway is a small strip with a couple of pine small pine trees and some sage again. This is what it looks like after two hours of weeding. It still looks bad, but is so much better.


View 4 ( photo / image / picture from Quiyn's Garden )

So this is what I'm starting with. Bad shape, but I think there is some great possibility here. If anyone has any thoughts on what I can do to add to the potential beauty I'd be greatly appreciative.

Day One... Water, weed more, fertilize...



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