just not with my ears, until husband Myke sent me this beautiful link to the singing plants of Damanhur. The voices of these plants are brought into the human realm via special electrodes connected to their leaves and roots. Their vibrations are given voice when the impulses are transmitted into a synthesizer. As you will see in the video, the ethereal music changes as the plants interact with individual humans. I’ve always found being in the presence of plants to be a soothing to my soul. Now I have a new depth of understanding why this is so.
I love daffodils. Perhaps it is because they dare to bloom on that grey edge between the bitterness of winter’s bite and the luring warmth of true spring, when another cold snap is not likely. This brilliant explosion of Tete-a-Tete lifted my heart earlier this spring. Brilliant trumpets, despite their dwarfed size, radiate the essence of joy. They seem to revel in being exactly what they are, exactly the way they were created. Absolute acceptance of Nature’s plan for them, absolute delight in living out their short time of glory. Even when their golden heads begin to fade, there is beauty in their crinkled delicacy. May I learn to be so accepting as my crinkled delicacy begins to show.
After snapping and stringing another 3 pounds of Cherokee Trail of Tears beans, I left my large colander on the kitchen counter for the night. My sweet girl, Bluestar, saw it as a grand opportunity to snooze the night away in a comfy ventilated bed. Apparently it’s a perfect place to spend a warm summer night. Guess I am going to have to buy one just for her. I wonder if they come in blue to match her eyes.
Due to torrential rains that occurred last night and into the late morning, my usual venture to the garden was delayed until the skies cleared. My enormous rain gauge – a shell of a garden pool that neighbor Chris kindly gifted to me recently (note the gift did not include the hole digging part ) – indicated rainfall of 2.5″. That’s a lot of rain in less than 24 hours but at least we got some and the rain barrels are now overflowing. This is the third or fourth gullywasher we’ve had in the past 10-12 days and when it hasn’t been raining the humidity has been stifling. Tough conditions for humans and plants.
Despite the weather challenges, the garden continues to grow daily. Today I gathered the first of the Cherokee Trail of Tears beans. According to Seed Savers Exchange, these beans were carried over the infamous Trail of Tears by ancestors of the late Dr. John Wyche of Hugo, Oklahoma. Dr. Wyche donated his treasured seeds to SSE in 1977, helping to keep this variety alive to be enjoyed by others for generations to come. According to SSE, these beans make superior dried beans as well as tasty snap beans. As a lover of fresh green beans, I could not let this first batch stay on the vine long enough to dry – not that they would dry in this weather anyway. I plan to prepare these using one of my favorite recipes from America’s Test Kitchen. A quick blanching, followed by sauteing in a bit of butter and minced garlic and enhanced by a few dashes of vermouth. Dee-lish!
This morning was a first in my long gardening history. I picked 2.5 pounds of berries from the six two gallon shrubs I planted just last season. That’s pretty encouraging for a gardener of any level of experience. Blueberries demand so little attention (a little fertilizer in the early spring, preferably bloodmeal and a decent supply of water throughout the growing season) yet they give back so much. They taste fabulous and they are just about unrivaled in nutritional value. It’s like having your cake – in my case cobbler, and eating it too!
Another bonus is that they are easily worked into the home landscape. I am on a mission to work in edibles not only into every crevice in the vegetable garden but throughout our yard. Have you worked any edibles into your landscape? If so, please share your experience.
We are fortunate to have homegrown, organic blueberries and strawberries this time of year. Blueberries are super easy to grow and I have incorporated them into our landscape where they lend interest year round. Strawberries are a snap when grown in hanging baskets. No bending over to pick them! Ours are an unknown variety that I purchased at a huge discount but they are incredibly naturally sweet – much sweeter than the organic ones from the grocery store. They are smaller, too, but their taste compensates for their size.
As the primary cook in this household, I have a sincere appreciation for a simple, delicious and healthy dish, especially when I can incorporate homegrown ingredients. This one is a perfect solution for breakfast or a snack.
- one cup plain yogurt (whole milk or lowfat, your choice). I prefer whole milk yogurt as it is a more complete food. Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods offer a good selection.
- stevia to taste (I make a conscious effort to avoid refined sugar and artificial sweeteners.)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons (or more) flax oil
- a handful of blueberries and/or strawberries
- sprinkle of slivered almonds, walnuts or other nuts of your choice
Mix the first four ingredients thoroughly before adding the berries and nuts.
This cool, fruity treat helps curb my craving for ice cream – and that’s worth a couple of pounds each summer.
If you try this recipe please let me know if you enjoyed it and what variations you come up with.
This morning I picked the first of the squash and the last of the lettuce. The squash is Zephyr from The Natural Gardening Company, a new (to me) variety that I discovered late last gardening season. I planted it to fill in the gap when my first planting of squash got decimated by squash bugs and borers. It held its own pretty darn well so I decided to plant it early in the season this year. So far, so good. The lettuce is Reine de Glaces from one of my favorite seed suppliers, Seed Savers Exchange. It is extremely heat tolerant and produces sweet, curly, crunchy leaves that make a wonderful salad.
The summer garden is growing quickly. The beans are flowering and little green tomatoes have started to appear. The Swiss chard is looking good and the cantaloupe is putting on inches a day. My peppers and cucumbers are sulking so I gave them a dose of Maxicrop liquid seaweed to perk them up. Each season presents its own kinds of challenges. I guess that helps keep this gardener on her toes.
I have to confess that I have been a lousy carrot grower – until recently. I finally had success with growing carrots using a simple technique that just about anyone can employ if they have access to a small sunny spot – deck, patio, balcony or even steps. All you need is a plastic dishpan, some potting soil and a pack of carrot seeds for a short variety such as Paris Market, Little Finger or any variety with a length at maturity that does not exceed the depth of the dishpan. Poke holes in the bottom of the dishpan to create drainage and fill with potting soil. Poke shallow planting holes in a grid pattern across the soil. (It’s okay to crowd this crop.) Place a carrot seed in each hole and cover with a small amount of soil. Careful not to cover too deeply or your seeds won’t sprout. Water thoroughly. Keep the soil slightly damp but not soggy and do not allow it to dry out. In about 10-14 days you will see little green sprouts appear. Be patient as carrots are slow growers. As the carrots grow you may want to get an idea of how large they are before pulling them up as you cannot replant them once pulled. To do this, simply push a bit of soil away from the base of the greens to reveal the top of the carrot, also known as the shoulder. The shoulder may be green but that’s okay. You will be able to get an idea of the size of the carrot by noting the diameter of the shoulder. When you carrots are large enough just gently pull them, rinse and enjoy.
or join a CSA. This article from NaturalNews.com confirms my instincts about food imported from China, particularly ‘organic’Â food. The FDA has found toxic levels of pesticides in Chinese ginger labeled as organic. Good news that they discovered this shipment, but how many did they miss? Massive amounts of imported Chinese foods make it impossible to discover every instance of fraud. The more independent we become from foreign imports of every kind (oil, furniture, fabrics, cars, etc.) the healthier and more powerful we will be. Not everyone can be a farmer or even a small-scale vegetable gardener but everyone can eat healthy by purchasing locally grown food as often as possible.
Take time to wonder at the beauty in this world that takes place every day – the seemingly small miracles that really aren’t so small. Louie Schwartzberg has produced, Pollen, a jewel of a film that does just that. A stunning collection of time-lapse photography shows in detail the magical world of pollinators. The cinematography is nothing short of exquisite. The film, produced by Disney Nature, is now showing in France and US release dates have yet to be announced. But this clip, from Schwartzberg’s presentation at TED, gives a tantalizing preview. Only the most hard-hearted will be able to turn a blind eye to this ethereal and mysterious process that keeps us alive. It is my hope that those who see this clip and eventually the film will carry a new level of awareness when considering employing traditional protocol to address issues with their lawns, gardens and flowers. In my book, Schwartzberg is nothing short of a hero and one of the truest champions of the natural world. As he says, “what you fall in love with, you want to protect”. I think a lot of people will be falling in love.
just not with my ears, until husband Myke sent me this beautiful link to the singing plants of Damanhur. The voices of these plants are brought into the human realm via special electrodes connected to their leaves and roots. Their vibrations are given voice when the impulses are transmitted into a synthesizer. As you will see in the video, the ethereal music changes as the plants interact with individual humans. I’ve always found being in the presence of plants to be a soothing to my soul. Now I have a new depth of understanding why this is so.
