Rosie

Goodnight Call, audio installation by Sophie Barbasch

I collected voicemails from strangers on craigslist using this ad. When you pick up the phone, their messages begin to play.

Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis: "The Brain Teaser"

For a plant believed to boost memory, rosemary is hardy enough to be forgotten—that is, until there is a Mediterranean dinner to cook, or any occasion that involves roasted lamb, potatoes, or chicken. Otherwise, this low-maintenance herb plays well by itself, no surprise given that it earned its Latin name, “dew of the sea,” by surviving on nothing but water vapor carried on the breeze. 

Above: See more images of Rosemary in our Gardenista Gallery.

Spending time alone on a Mediterranean crag, rosemary has ample time for contemplation; from Middle Ages apothecaries to modern herbalists, centuries of healers have believed in the herb’s memory-promoting prowess. It was ground into a poultice and chewed—bitter!—and also used, as it is now, to flavor food.

Above: Rosemary has delicate blue flowers. Photograph by Michelle Slatalla.

Rosemary rituals: it was thrown into graves so mourners would remember the dead, and handed to newlywed couples so they would, er, remember they were married. Appropriately, Ophelia grips a sprig at the end of Hamlet, symbolizing the forgotten promise of marriage. 

Above: Rosemary, a perennial in warm climates, can be trained as a low hedge.

Cheat Sheet:

• Rosemary transitions easily from indoors to out and grows as happily in containers as in the ground.
• Marries well in a windowsill garden with lemon balm, parsley, and mint.
• Tiny blue flowers summon bees to an herb garden.

Keep It Alive:

• Give rosemary full sun.
• Drought resistant; water occasionally if you keep it potted indoors.
• Plant seeds outdoors in early spring, two months before the last frost date.

Above: Rosemary seedlings can be set in a cold frame in small pots (with 2.5- to 5-inch diameters). Photograph by Erin Boyle. 

Shakespeare never answered our most salient question: what kind of rosemary was it between Ophelia’s chilly fingers? The Tuscan Blue, favored for its gentle flavor and small blue flowers, or the long-leafed Gorizia, ideal for drying and pestos? In winter, it would most likely be the Rosemary Arp, which perseveres in colder climes, but our guess is the creeping Rosemary Prostrate, the most aromatic variety and the most romantic, cascading over the edge of walls and the lip of hanging pots.

Read More:

 

Above: For more, see our archive of posts about Herbs. 

Planting your spring edible garden? We have more tips for you in Field Guide: Chives and Field Guide: Lettuce.

More Stories from Gardenista

• DIY: Root Succulents from Leaves
• Field Guide: Dischidia Pectinoides
• Field Guide: Fiddle Leaf Fig

genicecream:

that-darn-hyena:

skully-pens:

cosmicremix:

tordles:

thingsthatsuckass:

marcovicci:

ah yes. my gender is blue with pink leg

so this is killing me cause my mind immediately thought.

and this is why im not allowed to be part of actual serious discussions.

i DONT UNDERSTAND THIS AT ALL I KEEP IMAGINING 

I feel particularly close to this one:

THIS POST GET’S MORE FUCKIN HILARIOUS EVERY TIME I SEE IT!

I made a thing aswell.

So scandalous~

hello friends

STK [Photo: Facebook]

STK opened its doors in Dupont Circle a few weeks ago. The opening party raised some eyebrows, and D.C. audiences have been waiting to see what the "female-friendly", nightclub-esque steakhouse is all about. Here's what the first Yelpers, bloggers and others are saying about STK.

The Endorsement from a Nats Pitcher News: Gio Gonzalez Tweets, "Thanks for the great dinner tonight @STKWashDC it was #unmiSTKeable." [Twitter]

The Seating Recommendations: NBC Washington offers this tip: "If you've made a reservation, don't be distracted by the standard square tables and chairs. Instead, wait for the maître d' to seat you in the white leather, curved booths on the left. Staged a few steps higher than the rest of the restaurant, on an elevated dias of sorts, this is the place to take in the scene at STK." [NBC]

The Much Needed News: STK is currently earning 3.5 stars on Yelp with 18 reviews in. One is from Blak B. who writes, "I can say that STK should be a huge hit. The concept is much needed in DC for sure. I love everything about the new location...Yes it's pricey duh! But isn't rent in DC as well? Haha." [Yelp]

The Overrated News: On Yelp, Allison K writes, "The bread was dry/stale, so left that alone after a few bites. We ordered the porterhouse, mac & cheese, asparagus, & the truffle fries. Everything was good, but not exceptional (like their reputation would lead you to believe it would be). Additionally, their wine list was ridiculous...and not in a good way." [Yelp]

The Decent Bread News: Jay P. writes, "The decor was dreadful & the DJ sucked... What you'd expect of a dull wedding reception. Overall terribly disappointed. #ButTheBreadWasGood." [Yelp]

The Best in D.C. News: Jana C. says, "Best steakhouse in DC. So modern and hip. DJ made the atmosphere great. Everything I ate was really good. The house-made bread was probably the best and most unique table bread I've ever had. Comes out warm and topped with melted blue cheese butter (a first) and with a side of chive oil (also a first)!" [Yelp]

The Variety of Steak News: Epicurean DC says, "One might come for the high-energy, trendy and lavish atmosphere, but it's the menu, and more specifically the steaks, that should most catch your fancy. Serving several cuts ranging from Small (6oz-10oz) to Large (24oz-34oz), there's a cut for every size appetite...Of course there's a bangin' raw bar with oysters, shrimp cocktail, and Alaskan king crab." [EDC]

The Concept, Explained: Revamp writes, "The idea behind STK is relatively simple: To create a steakhouse for women. That means replacing the traditional smoky and clubhouse atmosphere with a more modern, sexy vibe. And doing away with massive portions in favor of more modest cuts of meat (don't worry; a "large" cut is still available when the situation calls for it)." [Revamp]

The Gender News: UrbanDaddy writes, "We observed women on Friday night. Also: men. The steaks are available in smaller sizes, and the cocktails sport names like the Cucumber Stiletto. Which only sounds like a Sex and the City episode. And while we're assured that dancing will be happening here, we didn't see much of it as midnight approached. The cowboy steaks must have been still weighing everyone down." [UD]

The Burger News: CapitalCooking says, "The food was delicious and the small sizes allowed me to try many of the different options. My favorite by far were the Lil BRG's with STK's signature "special sauce" on a sesame seed bun. The Wagyu beef is the highest quality and I would absolutely love to return to STK to eat one of the best burger's I have ever eaten." [CC]
· All Previous STK Coverage [-EDC-]

“Dear PoPville,

Yesterday when I was at the intersection of North Capitol and New York Ave NW I saw 2 ATV’s driving down the sidewalk. Are these legal in DC??”

I don’t believe they are legal (unless registered with a motorcycle license maybe?) but def. not uncommon either – we last heard about them on H Street, NE in February. Though normally they’re on the streets and not the sidewalks.

gregory kloehn [has founded ]the ‘homeless homes project‘ — a community driven initiative. [It is] a low-cost, practical and imaginative solution for the construction of habitable shelters for those living on the streets.

he combs through heaps of illegally dumped trash, commercial waste and excess household items piled in alleyways and discarded throughout the city, and upcycles the raw materials into walls, roofs, doors, windows, wheels and locks. 

kloehn describes that adopting the otherwise disused garbage as a medium for architectural development ‘diminishes money’s influence over the building process‘ and transforms the rejected debris into an object of hope and happiness. 

More: gregory kloehn repurposes trash into vibrant houses for the homeless

Created for Lady Gaga, the Volantis is the world’s first flying dress and heralds the beginning of a new era for human flight, says one of its designers Benjamin Males.

It made me laugh.

Chunlong Sun, a photographer and digital retoucher from Beijing, China had some fun with this little personal project. A series of images featuring world-renowned dictators clutching plushies gives them a tender side we all wish they truly had. The juxtaposition between the face of evil and a cuddly stuffed animal makes these serious portraits instantly humorous.

Muammar Khadafi (aka Muammar al-Gaddafi):


Fidel Castro:


Saddam Hussein:


Hugo Chavez:


Mobutu Sesé Seko:


How they were created
To create the images, Chunlong Sun, photographed friends of his wearing uniforms and holding the toys. He then took the faces of the leaders from other photos and fairly seamlessly made composites (see below):






all images from Chulong Sun on Behance

The impending construction of the massive Wharf redevelopment process may be encouraging some liveaboard residents to sell. Keep reading »

Ever since I wrote about the impact that Thoreau's carefully curated notebooks have made on modern phenology research, I've been preoccupied with the idea of how we can put our general enthusiasm for spring's first buds to better use. Instead of merely cooing over the first redbud blossoms in Brooklyn, could we all be making like Thoreau by documenting the phenomenon? How can amateur plant enthusiasts could share their finds publicly (given that our notebooks probably won't ever line the shelves of world-class libraries like Thoreau's do)?

It turns out it's easier than ever to do your part as a citizen scientist. Here are four free apps—and one web-based site—that can help transform a passive walk in the woods into an exercise in scientific documentation. Nature nerds, unite.

Photography by Erin Boyle.

1. iNaturalist

This was my favorite app. A simple interface makes it easy to use and the developers seem to have taken an especially social approach to data sharing. They say: "From hikers to hunters, birders to beach-combers, the world is filled with naturalists, and many of us record what we find. What if all those observations could be shared online? You might discover someone who finds beautiful wildflowers at your favorite birding spot, or learn about the birds you see on the way to work. If enough people recorded their observations, it would be like a living record of life on Earth that scientists and land managers could use to monitor changes in biodiversity, and that anyone could use to learn more about nature..." Sign me up. I used it to record my first sighting of high bush blueberry in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

2. Project Noah

Like most of these apps, you need to sign up to use Project Noah through a website. The app was launched out of NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program as an experiment to mobilize citizen scientists. Users choose specific "missions" to which they can contribute observations. The compiled research is then made accessible to participating researchers. My personal favorite mission? The "Flowers of North America," which currently boasts more than 24,000 wildflowers spotted by  nearly 9,000 participants. Users are encouraged to document wildlife and organisms in their natural environment—so, yes to documenting wild garlic, no to documenting your favorite houseplant, lovely though it might be. From the developers: Project Noah is "a tool that nature lovers can use to explore and document local wildlife and a common technology platform that research groups can use to harness the power of citizen scientists everywhere." 

3. Nature's Notebook 

This app requires more buy-in. Users select a specific research site to which they're expected to return on a regular basis. The developers encourage users to choose a site that's convenient, representative of typical environmental conditions in their area, and of a manageable size (no larger than 15 acres). After site selection, users can add their local plant or animal observations. For each observation, a simple Yes/No chart within the app prompts users to record whether there are breaking leaf buds, young leaves, flowers or flower buds, open flowers, etc. While I'm not sure I have the time to commit to regular observation of a specific site, the simple format of this app appealed to my affinity for checking off boxes. Buds? Check.

4. What's Invasive

Have plans to travel this summer? This might be the app for you. Users can download lists of invasive species from a selection of participating parks and can help root out invasive species that have been identified in the region. Traveling to Acadia National Park, for instance? Download a sortable list of invasive plants and update the app with your observation of any of the species. The list can be sorted by common and scientific names, and each listing comes with a photograph, which users can also update, to help with identification.

5. Project Budburst 

This web-based site doesn't have a platform to allow you to update on-the-go, but what it lacks in mobility it makes up for in robustness. Users can sign up to contribute regular or single reports. Users who contribute regular reports commit to recording observations of a specific species throughout the year. Users hoping for a smaller time commitment can select a plant to observe once, noting the leafing, flowering, or fruiting stage of the plant on one particular date. The project tracks plants in five different plant groups: wildflowers and herbs, deciduous trees and shrubs, conifers, evergreen trees and shrubs, and grasses. Project Budburst encourages active participation of users ranging from newbies to experts.

Enthusiastic about what's growing, but not sure what it is you're seeing? See DIY: Identify Leaves and Flowers (There's an App for That). Prefer to focus on your own garden? See 10 Best Garden Design Apps for Your iPad.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Trending on Remodelista: Working It
• Yesterday's News: Vases Made from Recycled Papers
• Table of Contents: Outdoors In

this fucking show

bisexualpiratequeen:

The Bisexual Agenda:

8am: get woken up by cats.

9am: eat breakfast

10am: start writing.

1pm: Lunch

2pm: infiltrate gay and lesbian communities, betray their trust, break their hearts

3pm: infiltrate straight communities, steal their romantic partners, sleep with everyone

4pm: tv and book

7pm: dinner

11pm: bed

Here is a timely share of a Washington Gardener Magazine video from our Youtube channel. As you pot up your containers this season, keep these tips in mind from the U S Botanic Garden on the National Mall in Washington, DC. In the summer, you have seen their wonderful container plantings -- big, bold, and healthy in the hot sun. In this video, USBG gardeners, Margaret Atwell and Beth Ahern, share some of their container gardening tips.

A few extra tips I learned from them that are not in the video footage:
~ Margaret likes to use 6 different plants per container.
~ They use their own soil mix -- basically a light potting mix.
~ After potting up, they sprinkle in Osmocote slow release fertilizer.
~ They do not use any rocks, gravel, or other fillers in the bottom of their pots for drainage.

parlefeu:

soadu:

cmacmac:

Here is my comic: Toppings. 

Enjoy.  ｡◕ ‿ ◕｡

im hungry

Very well-said. 

In a down to earth, but highly beautiful collection, Sarah Trotter, Esther Stewart and Murray Barker present Simplify, the third project to come from collaborative initiative Groupwork.

Started in 2012 Groupwork is a collaborative initiative that brings together artists, makers and designers to consider everyday objects and moments. In their third collection, launched at ‘The Other Hemisphere’ as part of Milan Design Week 2014, Groupwork present ‘Simplify’ – a seriously beautiful collection of bathroom accessories.

Designed by artist Esther Stewart, architect Murray Barker, and Groupwork director and interior architect Sarah Trotter, ‘Simplify’ re-thinks mundane bathroom objects like towel rails, toothbrush holders and shower shelves.

The collection was inspired by the lack of flexibility in standard bathroom fittings, and instead presents an elegant and cohesive system that has a specific relationship to the space they are intended for.

Each element of the three-part set offers different uses depending on their orientation and combination and with their beautiful geometric nature and combination of timber and brass this collection is like no other!

junkculture:

Artist Transforms Recycled Bicycle Seats into Taxidermy Inspired Works of Art:

As part of last year’s exhibit titled “Saddle Up!” at Hot Art Wet City gallery in Vancouver, Canadian artist Clem Chen created a series of cruelty free, faux taxidermy creatures using recycled bicycle seats. Aptly named “Bite It” and “Pink Eye”, the sculptures were made by attaching plastic-cast taxidermy molds onto the bicycle seats with construction adhesive and 2-part epoxy glue. Additional sculpting was done using epoxy putty.

Here is something similar/related.

junkculture:

Gasoline Canister Sculptures by Gerd Rohling

German artist Gerd Rohling creates sculptural pieces of art using found materials that he collects from the streets of Berlin. His exhibition titled “NOTHING FOR ALL” at gallery Piet Hein Eek features a series of brilliantly inventive sculptures made from discarded gasoline containers which he has simply cut into angular faces. Some of the faces seem to be sporting masks, while others have halos and hats made from rubber tires and waste baskets. Rohling’s work is a visually striking statement against pollution and serves as a reminder to recycle plastic waste.

Heather Chapin from our Facebook page writes, “I have a tiny apartment and I’ve managed to grow 30 tomato plants, 3 flats of lettuce, peppers, green beans, sugar snap peas, avacado, basil, rosemary, potatoes and many more plants in just my kitchen and living room using the light that comes from three windows. Didn’t even have a grow light until just recently and I’ve had fresh veggies all winter long!” Check out the entire discussion here!

bettafish-resistance:

blackamazon:

masteradept:

queenconsuelabananahammock:

science-sexual:

america-wakiewakie:

Princeton Concludes What Kind of Government America Really Has, and It’s Not a Democracy | PolicyMic 

The news: A new scientific study from Princeton researchers Martin Gilens and Benjamin I. Page has finally put some science behind the recently popular argument that the United States isn’t a democracy any more. And they’ve found that in fact, America is basically an oligarchy.

An oligarchy is a system where power is effectively wielded by a small number of individuals defined by their status called oligarchs. Members of the oligarchy are the rich, the well connected and the politically powerful, as well as particularly well placed individuals in institutions like banking and finance or the military.

For their study, Gilens and Page compiled data from roughly 1,800 different policy initiatives in the years between 1981 and 2002. They then compared those policy changes with the expressed opinion of the United State public. Comparing the preferences of the average American at the 50th percentile of income to what those Americans at the 90th percentile preferred, as well as the opinions of major lobbying or business groups, the researchers found out that the government followed the directives set forth by the latter two much more often.

It’s beyond alarming. As Gilens and Page write, “the preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy.” In other words, their statistics say your opinion literally does not matter.

That might explain why mandatory background checks on gun sales supported by 83% to 91% of Americans aren’t in place, or why Congress has taken no action on greenhouse gas emissions even when such legislation is supported by the vast majority of citizens.

This problem has been steadily escalating for four decades. While there are some limitations to their data set, economists Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez constructed income statistics based on IRS data that go back to 1913. They found that the gap between the ultra-wealthy and the rest of us is much bigger than you would think…

(Read Full Text)

This is the kind of shit that gets civil wars started. 

Are any of us surprised by this? People have been saying the same thing for a while now. 

…well maybe we will actually have some revolution.

So Princeton needed how much money to figure out what POC have said for years

^^^^DINGDINGDINGDINGDING.

“There is really no such thing as the ‘voiceless’, there is only the deliberately silenced, or the preferably unheard”

- Arundhati Roy (via raygender)

weian-fu:

soulrevision:

These are the names of the abducted Nigerian girls. It is important that we recognize that they have families, dreams, futures. We must continue to humanize them. We must continue to circulate their names. Their lives matter!

And NO, I will NOT stop talking about this! Deal with it!

#BringBackOurGirls

Last I saw, these girls were sold into marriage for $12. We all should be a lot more concerned about how such a thing can still happen in 2014

king-in-yellow:

hopephd:

Seizure First Aid. 

Learn it. Share it. Know it. Use it. 

100% correct medical information on tumblr for once; also consider calling 911 if you don’t know how often the person has seizures and ESPECIALLY if the seizure has lasted 5 minutes or more (which is why the watch is critical)

lordflyte:

nevver:

How To Tie A Scarf Chart

♥ YES

“

10 BETTER BODY AFFIRMATIONS FOR YOUNG WOMEN

1. Your body is in flux for the rest of your life. Think of your body as fluid instead of static — it’s always going to change. So get comfortable with those changes.

2. No one will love you or not love you because of your body. You are lovable because you’re you, not because your body looks a certain way.

3. The most intensely personal relationship you’ll ever have is with your body. It’s a lifelong relationship that’s well worth investing in and nurturing the same way you would with loved ones.

4. You don’t owe your body to anyone. Not sexually, not aesthetically. Your body is yours. Period.

5. What someone else says about your body says more about them than it does about you. Look past the actual snark to the person who’s saying it, because it’s only a reflection of what they think of themselves. That’s when you’ll see how little power their words have.

6. Your body is not a reflection of your character. It’s a physical home for the complex and wondrous and unique being that is you.

7. Take up as much space as you want. You don’t have to be small, or quiet, or docile, regardless of your physical size.

8. Everything you need to accept your body is already inside you. There’s no book, or diet, or workout routine or external affirmation that you need to feel good about your body right now.

9. Your body is a priority. It’s always trying to tell you things. Taking the time to listen to is of the utmost importance.

10. Wear whatever you want. Your body shape does not dictate your personal style, and fashion rules that say otherwise are wrong. Dress yourself in a way that makes you feel happy and confident and beautiful, because guess what? You are.

”

-

Ami Angelowicz and Winona Dimeo-Ediger  (via fragolle)

Perfect

(via conspicuous-ac)

emilyfemmely:

dynamicafrica:

mazeljohn:

Mazel John is launching on May 5th.

Love this lookbook!

😍

amajor7:

my queen

From the Washington Humane Society:

“DC resident Charles Palmer, age 35, was sentenced today to 25 months imprisonment, three years of probation, and an order not to own any animals by the Honorable Milton C. Lee, Jr. Palmer pled guilty to two felony counts and one misdemeanor count of Cruelty to Animals, as well as one misdemeanor count of Simple Assault on January 31, 2014.

Palmer was indicted November 26, 2013 on fourteen counts, including five felony counts of Cruelty to Animals and five misdemeanor counts of Cruelty to Animals involving ten different dogs. Three of the ten dogs are now deceased, allegedly at the hands of the defendant, and two of the dogs (Porter and Roxy) were rescued and rehabilitated by WHS. At this time the location of the five additional dogs is unknown.

“Today’s sentencing is a major victory for the animals in the District. This case was one of the most horrific abuse cases my team has ever experienced. The officers who rescued Porter and Roxy, the medical team and caregivers who mended them, and the families who fostered and ultimately adopted them, all played a role in today’s outcome. This sentencing sets a precedent that animal cruelty is not acceptable, can and will be charged as a felony offense in DC, and will be punishable to the fullest extent under the law.” Lisa LaFontaine, Washington Humane Society President and CEO, stated.

WHS was first alerted to this significant abuse on April 23, 2012 after receiving a call that Palmer was allegedly fighting with his pit bull type dog (Porter) and was seen beating him, slamming the animal to the ground repeatedly, bringing him into the woods, and then exiting the woods with just the leash.

During the twenty plus month investigation that ensued, WHS Officers made multiple visits to the defendant’s address following several public reports of animal abuse.

Roxy, a second survivor, was rescued by WHS officers on June 19, 2013. When officers arrived at Palmer’s then address, Roxy was found to have difficulties standing, and like Porter, the young female pit bull type dog was rushed to an emergency veterinarian. She was found to have a broken front leg, broken rear femoral head, a broken rear toe, and two lacerations on her head. After her treatment, Roxy was taken in by a foster family who nursed her back to health and adopted her.

After delivering the sentence, Judge Milton C. Lee, Jr. expressly thanked the Washington Humane Society for stepping up and caring for these animals.”

Roxy nursed her back to health