ITS ALREADY APRIL!!!

And forget not that the Earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.. Khalil Gibran

I have long neglected my promise to write on my blog daily, but now the sun is back, and the earth is alive again, and so my soul returns to the garden to dig in the earth, to embrace the suns warming rays, and to feel the splash of water on my feet as i go about the business of growing..

I spent the winter darkness planning and designing, pouring over seed catalogs, dreaming of bright flowers, juicy tomatoes and crisp cucumbers!

I have learned a lot about what I want my garden to be this past year, by spending more time in the garden and by reading A LOT about the different styles of gardening, for me, Im sticking with the raised beds style, but I have gone a slightly different route as far as what im growing and why.

this year I have started almost everything we will grow from seeds. (crazy!) I also made a conscious choice to only grow, when possible , heirloom varieties, non gmo, open pollinated and untreated seeds. I see the value in continuing the traditional styles of many plants, to learn to harvest the seeds to keep them true to the original varieties.

everything we are doing this year meets at least 3 of the standards listed if not all 4 .I have worked hard the last few seasons to build soil that is healthy and a living thing all on its own, we dont use chemicals or pesticides in our garden. when the soil is healthy and the plants are healthy, is not really ever needed, there arent to many things that some ivory soap and water cant fix.

I am also going with a more diverse method of planting,instead of all the same things together, im trying to put things together that have similar water needs, but I am adding pollinator flowers like nasturtiums and borage and sweet allysium to help draw bees to all areas of the garden. Of course I have tons of hollyhocks and ive already started the sunflowers. I do have to say, i have worked on making our garden friendly to the bees, butterfly’s, ladybugs and wasps, I also have seen praying mantis from time to time.Oh Ya, and I now have worms in almost all areas!

we are growing UP this year as well if it can climb a trellis then we put one in! It should be fun to see a garden covered in arches with beans, tiny melons,cucumbers and tiny winter squashes, I will add pictures as soon as they start to look like something.

well its time to go out and stare at the plants, to water and to throw the ball for Gypsy, im am starting some eggplant seeds , the marigolds my grandson Greg planted are all coming up, and i guess I will dig thru the seed box to see what else can get going!

I leave with a spring blessing for the garden:

The Lady of life and the Lord of seeds-shall give my garden what it needs.In gentle Earth and breath of wind I will plant it to begin they will bring the rain and sun, and i will harvest when its done.

Dec .12 a quiet afternoon

Gardening adds years to your life, and life to your years..-unknown

Today is all about garlic.If you have garlic and salt, you can make almost anything!Last  year I knew nothing about growing Garlic, I went totally on faith that if I plant it, it will grow. I got a head of organic garlic from the market, broke it apart and stuck it in the ground.As it started to grow, I was surprised and thrilled.The pictures above show our garden from early sprouting to harvest.

So lets talk garlic, there are two styles of garlic, the Hard neck and the soft neck. I grew the hard neck , which was really flavorful , and easy to eat, I dont know the name  or kind of garlic it was,but it turned out pretty good, the hard necks are the most similar to wild garlic, and a little more robust in flavor..I have since learned that if you want scapes for cooking, you need to plant the hard neck varieties. Scapes are just the part of the plant that shoots up from the center, and is going to become the flower for the plant to create seeds. To use as a scape, you need to clip it before the flower opens.  A scape is very mild in flavor, and can come from garlic, onion or leek plants.Plus, when you cut it off, it helps the plant put energy into growing the bulb, and not the flower and seeds.you can chop it and use instead of garlic or onion, but its much more interesting if you pickle it for an antipasti platter, make it into a pesto, or add to a bean dip. Scapes are even great just brushed with oil on grilled or roasted till tender.

whew.. so we should move onto the soft neck variety. this is the type used when you see big braids of garlic, and many soft neck styles will keep for a very long time. This is the style most often found in the grocery stores. it handles well and is usually fairly mild.all garlic needs to be cured after you harvest it, To cure your garlic, leave the stems and the roots attached, brush all the dirt off and hang them in bunches in a well ventilated, room or in a shady area outside. Let them dry for about 3 to 4 weeks. you can go ahead and braid the soft necks before hanging to dry, and then, as needed thru the next 7 to 10 months ,you can cut them off and use as needed.

This brings us to elephant garlic, I dont think its really a true garlic, more related to the leek family.I haven’t grown this but am curious to try. I understand that one clove will have a top green area of up to 3 feet high and just as wide. I may give it  shot sometime soon.

So to plant your  garlic, it should go in to the ground in the fall , before the fall frosts come, although here in southern calif. that doesn’t happen to often. Still, get it in the ground as it take about 9 months to grow to maturity. ( I know, right?? that’s a long time!)Your ground and soil needs to be nice and light, not compacted, it needs good drainage or your bulbs will just rot. That’s why a raised bed or deep pot is perfect! 

I already have some garlic of unknown origin growing , but I am going to try to get a coupe of other choices in by the end of Jan. I am  looking for some heirloom variety’s, but still haven’t made a decision. I’m hoping my garden catalogs get here soon, so I can browse in comfort! well, I think thats all I know about garlic, I will update with news if I find some interesting styles to plant and will add pics as we go. Thats it for today!!      Be kind to our earth and to one another!!!

Dec. 6th, A soggy day in the garden

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need….Cicero

Today has been an  unusual day here in the garden, we don’t get much rain at all in southern California, and it has now rained for two days, yesterday was just a sprinkling , but today was a deluge.Our earth is so dry that the water pooled on all the garden paths, and created what i wish was the start of a small pond!It has since subsided, and my garden has had its fill of water.all the plants are standing tall, and my giant tree is shiny and clean, the accumulated dust of summer, washed from his branches.

I spent much of the day drawing a new garden plan, supposing where I can add planters and arches and perhaps some hidden little spots with benches and birdbaths.I even drafted a plan to create a small labyrinth on the ground using beach stones, creating a peaceful spot to walk the turns and meditate and reflect.Its good to dream!

 I read about heirloom styles of climbing beans that would be great to grow and then have for soups and stews , or just as a pot of beans and ham hocks.There are some really interesting choices, The blue morro, the bumblee bee, a calypso, Christmas lima bean, a cranberry bean and one called a goats eye bean. Im going overboard, I know, really I can probably do 2 , maybe 3 varieties this year . I didnt even take into account that i will need just a regular old green bean for fresh eating..

I’ve decided that this year , we will try to start most of our own plants, instead of buying them from the nursery. I’m pretty lazy and I like the ease of getting them already started, but I don’t have the excuse that I’m too tired from working anymore.. so right after the new year starts, I’m going to get my plants started, mostly tomatoes and some herbs, the rest grow fast enough when planted directly in the ground. we will see how that goes. I’m also thinking of redoing the inside of my purple garden shed,(i do this plan every year, still not done) getting more organized, and creating a little get away for me, sort of a little garden haven with a little seating area and umbrellas in the back.  

I want to end with my garden Blessing:                                                                                    May the soil nourish my seeds,                                                                                            the sun to warm the sprouts                                                                                                  the rain to quench the roots                                                                                                  and the bees to dance with my flowers……                                                                        Be kind to each other..Thanks for reading.

                                      

Dec 5th!! a rainy day in the garden.

Good morning, It was a little rainy this morning, so I sat with a  fuzzy blanket and sipped my hot  coffee for longer than usual. I spent the time dreaming about my improvements to the garden for spring and I realized, I need to get a move on and stop just wishing!

I went online and ordered a few seed catalogs, Im old school, I love to have a hard copy seed catalog , that way I can draw and doodle and circle, until im ready to order. I have to say, we are considering some really different tomatoes and melons and runner beans this year.I have to give credit to Roots and Refuge farm videos. I find inspiration from their farming practices, as they echo my own, grow organic, dont use pesticides, use compost and kelp plant foods, use a soap spry or hand pick the bugs.I wish I had goats and chickens(I keep asking Santa every year), but in the city, not a doable thing.

I have found that by including several bird food stations, and bird bath water sources, that the birds take care of a good deal of my insects, unfortunately they also seem to enjoy eating my butterflies:(  Anyways, A discussion with my wife, Angie, about the garden helped us realize that as we find varieties that we love, we need to be better stewards of our garden and actively save the seeds each year.I have dabbled with sunflowers, zinnias and my beloved hollyhocks and with some beans, but we need to get serious.!!

Today’s  observations  from my garden walk, Im going to have to thin some lettuce and arugula by the weekend, the green peas are up about 3 inches tall,it may be just a little wet for them, but I have hope! I threw in some red cippolini onions and some Spanish yellow onions and they are all peeking their heads up, the garlic patch is also taking off.I put in some calendula recently and they were doing well, but today they look too wet and a grayish tint is taking over their leaves, Im going to try a baking soda solution but I may have to wait for warmer days , at least I got a handful of blossoms, I dried them and I will put them in a next batch of tea, or maybe try a cream or lotion with them.who knows.

Anyways, thanks for checking in, remember to give mother Earth the love she deserves, say thanks to Sister rain for making our garden grow, and May all good blessings come your way!

DAY ONE:AND SO IT BEGINS

Hello and welcome to my very first blog, i’m not super techy, but i’m going to give it a shot! Its Dec 4th, and I’m not as busy in the garden right now. We have broccoli and cauliflower, garlic and onions, and salads as far as the eye can see. My goal for this new year coming is to continue to grow and expand the herb and flower garden. I love blending teas and herbal remedies as well as growing wild  sage and things to create my own smudge sticks.I walked the garden this morning with my Black Lab, Gypsy Blue Rain, or as shes usually known as “Hey give me that sock!”I am happy to report that I have tons of hollyhocks sprouting from the recent rain.I do love my spring garden and so do the bees.

So here is my dog Gypsy. she is a constant companion and all around good girl, She is the best at chasing the squirrels from the garden, and she helps me dig, alot…..

Im adding 4 new beds this year, They will be dedicated strictly for medicinal, and tea herbs and flower’s.I Have 9  active beds currently, as well as 7 wine barrels . the barrels contain mostly grape vines and flowers although we did have rattlesnake beans and corn in a couple this past season.This year my daughter and her three boys moved back for a while and It has been really fun to get the boys in the garden. Chris loves to plant and harvest, although  his watering is mostly on the dog! So I am going to sign off and try to figure out how to really work this thing. I want to upload some pictures, and my plans for the new beds, I have to get back outside and make sure the bird feeders are full and the bird baths are clean. As I go forward with this, I will share my successes and my plant failures, our seasonal solstice celebrations,my herbal tea blending, and of course in summer, about a million tomato pics, 

Be kind to one another and love mother earth.  She will always love you back!

thanks for reading !