This is a wonderful video about the 13 indigenous women elders, shamans and medicine women from around the world, who have been called together to share their sacred wisdom and practices. They are lighting the way for us to a peaceful and sustainable planet.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Summer is coming to an end
Today the weather feels different. It is warm, 89 degrees, but it feels different. The squash are getting very large, very fast. The basil is blooming too fast. The tomatoes are not setting much new fruit. The peppers aren't turning red because they get picked too fast. We are still harvesting onions that are juicy and sweet. Tonight, I cooked dinner from the garden with the French white zucchini, Anaheim peppers, lots of basil, onions, lots of garlic, and Roma tomatoes. This was cooked with brown rice, some pepper jack cheese and yogurt. Very yummy, and the leftovers will be wonderful tomorrow night.
After dinner, Lucy (inside cat only) got outside. Searching the garden for her, I saw that we have pole beans to harvest. They will be great as this will be the first picking. This was a very late planting. And it is about time to plant peas and spinach, lettuce, leeks, and more onions. I still have chard plants growing amongst the huge zucchini leaves.
By the way, I found Lucy next door. She had gotten over the fence and couldn't get back. She listened to me call her for a full hour and never meowed to me. She is on my lap (in my way) right now, just purring away.
The garden is starting to respond to the earlier days. Many plants will start growing now. It is getting dark by 8:15 now. The loss of daylight is the only thing that I don't like about these autumn days.
It is time to get our firewood in for the winter. This is something that coincides with the grape leaves starting to turn yellow. And we have lots of juicy Thompson Seedless on the vine.
That's the garden today!
"The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent upon it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do."
~ Galileo
After dinner, Lucy (inside cat only) got outside. Searching the garden for her, I saw that we have pole beans to harvest. They will be great as this will be the first picking. This was a very late planting. And it is about time to plant peas and spinach, lettuce, leeks, and more onions. I still have chard plants growing amongst the huge zucchini leaves.
By the way, I found Lucy next door. She had gotten over the fence and couldn't get back. She listened to me call her for a full hour and never meowed to me. She is on my lap (in my way) right now, just purring away.
The garden is starting to respond to the earlier days. Many plants will start growing now. It is getting dark by 8:15 now. The loss of daylight is the only thing that I don't like about these autumn days.
It is time to get our firewood in for the winter. This is something that coincides with the grape leaves starting to turn yellow. And we have lots of juicy Thompson Seedless on the vine.
That's the garden today!
"The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent upon it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do."
~ Galileo
Monday, July 02, 2007
It's July and everything is bursting out
Hi, The garden (all of them) are growing so fast that those that I don't want to be HUGE are in a race with me and my ability to deadhead, prune and weed; as well as mulch, mulch, mulch and water. I was going to get pictures up of the veggies in June. Where did June go?
I still have to get those pictures taken!!!
My mantra this year is Mulch, Mulch, Mulch or mulch 3 times (3 inches) and water once. Your plants will let you know that they really really like this technique. Everything is happy and growing so very well.
In the veggie garden we have eaten, peas, spinach, parsley, brocolli raab, lettuce, onions, zucchini, peppers (mostly anaheim), tomatoes (stupice, bush early girl & roma), nasturiums, eggplant and basil (lots of it).
We have been eating the lemons, grapefruit, loquots, plums, raspberries, and now what is left of the apricots. The figs are starting to fill out and the blackberries are getting close.
Lots going on. Oh, and I have potatoes to harvest and new ones to plant. The vitex tree is huge with bloom and full of honey and native bees. They have been a very loud hum for many weeks now.
And I forgot, the grapes are starting to fill out and crawling everywhere. I am taking an online class on how to control this monster this year. That will be really informative and exciting!
Have to run, but wanted to get an update online.
The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed. --attributed to Mahatma Gandhi
I still have to get those pictures taken!!!
My mantra this year is Mulch, Mulch, Mulch or mulch 3 times (3 inches) and water once. Your plants will let you know that they really really like this technique. Everything is happy and growing so very well.
In the veggie garden we have eaten, peas, spinach, parsley, brocolli raab, lettuce, onions, zucchini, peppers (mostly anaheim), tomatoes (stupice, bush early girl & roma), nasturiums, eggplant and basil (lots of it).
We have been eating the lemons, grapefruit, loquots, plums, raspberries, and now what is left of the apricots. The figs are starting to fill out and the blackberries are getting close.
Lots going on. Oh, and I have potatoes to harvest and new ones to plant. The vitex tree is huge with bloom and full of honey and native bees. They have been a very loud hum for many weeks now.
And I forgot, the grapes are starting to fill out and crawling everywhere. I am taking an online class on how to control this monster this year. That will be really informative and exciting!
Have to run, but wanted to get an update online.
The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed. --attributed to Mahatma Gandhi
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
More spring planting and more pictures
Hi, I am going to continue on from the last post three days ago.
I had been sharing the types of tomatoes planted. This is the continuation of those that are planted in individual pots, as the actual veggie garden is full. The tomatoes like the sunny spot where they are placed on the patio area.
Black Krim - Heirloom, dark brown-red, medium sized fruit. It is full flavored with a slight saltiness. 69 days to maturity.
I think this is my friend Laura's favorite tomato. This is my first time growing it. In this picture you can look closely and see the little yellow flowers, just as happy as anything!
All of the tomatoes are growing very fast right now. This one is just under two feet tall.
The last of the tomatoes is a Bush Early Girl that was also grown organic like all the other starts. This tomato, I am assuming, is much like the hybrid Early Girls that I used to grow before I decided to take the "high" road and really completely go organic with my seed and starters if I have to buy them. Well, this year I did not get to start hardly anything from seed myself, but thank goodness for organic starts from Talini's, the COOP, and Soil Born Farm. I even heard (have not checked it out myself) that Target is selling organic vegetable plants. I do wonder if they truly are certified organic.
This Bush Early Girl picture was taken four days ago. This tomato is a compact determinate that does not need trellising. It produces 6 oz. crimson, meaty firm fruit with fine flavor. At 65 days to maturity, the Bush Early Girl is also an early yielder and a reliable producer, even in cool temperatures. That means that it will still produce in the fall when the temps are cooler. Today I noticed that it has set three very small fruit. Wow! Gardening is so very exciting!
Yes, I did get the "snowy white" eggplant in the ground yesterday! So, the eggplant bed is complete.
Okay, I still need to plant the swiss chard, some purple basil, leeks, potatoes, a white zucchini, bush beans, pole beans, and ???
I have been spending time deadheading ornamentals, pulling up suckers, planting and transplanting in the front yard gardens today.
I am putting on a neighborhood garden tour next Saturday and I have sooooooo much to do to make the front yard look nice. Nine months of neglect to the whole yard is definitely visible. I will not be showing my backyard and the veggie garden this year. The two sides of the backyard have not even been weeded of volunteers and weeds. In fact, I am thinking that I might need some help in removing the ivy and blackberry brambles that have crossed the fence from my neighbors yard and rooted in my yard.
But first I need more mulch for the front yard gardens and for the veggie garden. So, the work goes on, but everyday is a pleasure and the results are a wonderful feeling of accomplishment and beauty.
Happy gardening days!
"There is more pleasure in making a garden than in contemplating a paradise."
-Ann Scott James
I had been sharing the types of tomatoes planted. This is the continuation of those that are planted in individual pots, as the actual veggie garden is full. The tomatoes like the sunny spot where they are placed on the patio area.
Black Krim - Heirloom, dark brown-red, medium sized fruit. It is full flavored with a slight saltiness. 69 days to maturity.
I think this is my friend Laura's favorite tomato. This is my first time growing it. In this picture you can look closely and see the little yellow flowers, just as happy as anything!
All of the tomatoes are growing very fast right now. This one is just under two feet tall.
The last of the tomatoes is a Bush Early Girl that was also grown organic like all the other starts. This tomato, I am assuming, is much like the hybrid Early Girls that I used to grow before I decided to take the "high" road and really completely go organic with my seed and starters if I have to buy them. Well, this year I did not get to start hardly anything from seed myself, but thank goodness for organic starts from Talini's, the COOP, and Soil Born Farm. I even heard (have not checked it out myself) that Target is selling organic vegetable plants. I do wonder if they truly are certified organic.
This Bush Early Girl picture was taken four days ago. This tomato is a compact determinate that does not need trellising. It produces 6 oz. crimson, meaty firm fruit with fine flavor. At 65 days to maturity, the Bush Early Girl is also an early yielder and a reliable producer, even in cool temperatures. That means that it will still produce in the fall when the temps are cooler. Today I noticed that it has set three very small fruit. Wow! Gardening is so very exciting!
Yes, I did get the "snowy white" eggplant in the ground yesterday! So, the eggplant bed is complete.
Okay, I still need to plant the swiss chard, some purple basil, leeks, potatoes, a white zucchini, bush beans, pole beans, and ???
I have been spending time deadheading ornamentals, pulling up suckers, planting and transplanting in the front yard gardens today.
I am putting on a neighborhood garden tour next Saturday and I have sooooooo much to do to make the front yard look nice. Nine months of neglect to the whole yard is definitely visible. I will not be showing my backyard and the veggie garden this year. The two sides of the backyard have not even been weeded of volunteers and weeds. In fact, I am thinking that I might need some help in removing the ivy and blackberry brambles that have crossed the fence from my neighbors yard and rooted in my yard.
But first I need more mulch for the front yard gardens and for the veggie garden. So, the work goes on, but everyday is a pleasure and the results are a wonderful feeling of accomplishment and beauty.
Happy gardening days!
"There is more pleasure in making a garden than in contemplating a paradise."
-Ann Scott James
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Planting a spring garden
Spring is really here! It feels so good to spend time in the garden. To clear off mulch, sometimes large prunings and to find that the soil is so alive and healthy. One raised bed had about 6 inches of mulch covering more than off the bed and the other half had about 2 inches of mulch. The difference in the soil between the two halves of the bed was very evident. So it tells me that I need to mulch mulch mulch!!! 
I have my eggplant bed planted with four starters, two Japanese long and two Rosa Bianca. There is also a catnip plant on one side of this bed.
My pepper bed is mostly planted. I have 5 green bells and 5 Anaheim peppers. I have one Ancho, one Jalapeno, one Habanaro and still have little paprika peppers to plant. I will probably squeeze in a couple basil plants too. I just can't get enough basil. We use it fresh in salads and cooking. I also dry it for later in the year when we don't have the fresh.
I planted half of the onion bed two months ago. Today, I planted out some Torpedo Red 1 lb. purple-red starts and California Red 4" late season slow to bolt onions.
The zucchini is doing well. Really growing fast, I could probably see it grow if I could sit there long enough. Who has time for that? Also planted in this bed is a row of sugar snap peas (in the light shade of the Elder tree), a broccoli raab and two Chinese cabbage plants. And a nastrutium and one basil. All doing well except the Chinese cabbages are very little - we will see on that one.
My paste tomato bed is doing well. They are all in flower. This year I planted 5 Roma paste tomatoes. Last year I tried Amish paste and they didn't do that well - but then again it was a bad year for tomatoes with two weeks of heat above 100 and up to 114 degree weather. Tomatoes won't set fruit above about 90 degrees. I also have basil planted amongst the tomatoes. They always do well together.
The rest of the tomatoes are planted in individual pots:
Stupice (heirloom indeterminate)-60-75 days potato leaf/good yielder with great flavor (tall, spindly 4’, 2-4oz.deep red, yellow on shoulder/dries well) -one of earliest tomatoes known/from Czechoslovakia
Cherokee Purple Tomato (heirloom indeterminate) 80 days, good producer & disease resistance (10-14 oz. maroon with green shoulders, excellent flavor)
-said to have originated with the Cherokee Nation
Jaune Flamme Tomato (French heirloom indeterminate) very productive, tangy flavor (2-3 oz. deep orange, apricot shaped fruit, great for drying) 75 days to maturity
More about tomatoes planted in my next post.
Also, my ideas for the rest of the spring planting.
Bush and pole beans, etc.
'Every one of us can do something to protect and care for our planet.We should live in a way that makes a future possible.'- Thich Nhat Hanh
I have my eggplant bed planted with four starters, two Japanese long and two Rosa Bianca. There is also a catnip plant on one side of this bed.
My pepper bed is mostly planted. I have 5 green bells and 5 Anaheim peppers. I have one Ancho, one Jalapeno, one Habanaro and still have little paprika peppers to plant. I will probably squeeze in a couple basil plants too. I just can't get enough basil. We use it fresh in salads and cooking. I also dry it for later in the year when we don't have the fresh.
I planted half of the onion bed two months ago. Today, I planted out some Torpedo Red 1 lb. purple-red starts and California Red 4" late season slow to bolt onions.
The zucchini is doing well. Really growing fast, I could probably see it grow if I could sit there long enough. Who has time for that? Also planted in this bed is a row of sugar snap peas (in the light shade of the Elder tree), a broccoli raab and two Chinese cabbage plants. And a nastrutium and one basil. All doing well except the Chinese cabbages are very little - we will see on that one.
My paste tomato bed is doing well. They are all in flower. This year I planted 5 Roma paste tomatoes. Last year I tried Amish paste and they didn't do that well - but then again it was a bad year for tomatoes with two weeks of heat above 100 and up to 114 degree weather. Tomatoes won't set fruit above about 90 degrees. I also have basil planted amongst the tomatoes. They always do well together.
The rest of the tomatoes are planted in individual pots:
Stupice (heirloom indeterminate)-60-75 days potato leaf/good yielder with great flavor (tall, spindly 4’, 2-4oz.deep red, yellow on shoulder/dries well) -one of earliest tomatoes known/from Czechoslovakia
Cherokee Purple Tomato (heirloom indeterminate) 80 days, good producer & disease resistance (10-14 oz. maroon with green shoulders, excellent flavor)-said to have originated with the Cherokee Nation
Jaune Flamme Tomato (French heirloom indeterminate) very productive, tangy flavor (2-3 oz. deep orange, apricot shaped fruit, great for drying) 75 days to maturity
More about tomatoes planted in my next post.
Also, my ideas for the rest of the spring planting.
Bush and pole beans, etc.
'Every one of us can do something to protect and care for our planet.We should live in a way that makes a future possible.'- Thich Nhat Hanh
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