....and I'm dumb..HELP!

So it looks as though the last frost date is after all going to be a frost date.

We're headed for 30* weather tonight if the weatherman is right.

Right now in the ground I have lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, peas, radishes, beets, and carrots. I know the broc and peas will be fine, what about the others?

The perennials I have in the ground already should be fine, most in the past have broken dormancy long before the frost date.

so should I cover up the garden tonight?

I love grape juice

And heck, who doesn't love to eat grapes right off the vine. Anyhow, to recap I took some cuttings from our daughter's great aunt's vines this winter and wadayaknow, one has sprouted. The unseasonably warm april has turned cold and wet on us, so this little stick has to wait indoors for another few days, taking trips to the front porch to get used to being outside. I've got the spot picked out, (actually I planned on having grapes there to begin with.

If you can look past the stunning beauty of the dilapidated cherry tree for a moment, you will see lattice instead of a fence section. Its a full 8 feet that ought to provide better air circulation than I would otherwise have against a fence. Circulation being key with grapes which are prone to various fungal infections. It gets plenty of southern exposure and a toolshed for shelter on the western side from wind, which is where the winter snow assaults us from.

Here is one of the few spots in the garden where I really think I have an ideal location. EXCEPT...the ground can and does get soggy. The last piece of this puzzle will be to mound up some soil (or maybe split a wine barrel) to keep at least part of the roots high enough to keep from getting flooded.

And I have a hyssop plant that reeeeally needs to get in the ground. I've seen few references to any compainion plants to grapes but hyssop has been on that short list, so in it goes

Its only when we are most desperate that we will sell our souls

just finished listening to an interview between Thom Hartmann and a spokesman from the Ayn Rand insitute. True to their cutthroat objectivist ethos, Dr. Brook advocated the idea that airable land should be sold off to the highest bidder, and farmed with genetically modified seed to maximize output.

Thom Hartmann was his usuall insightful, critical self in countering the argument, but there was something I thought was missed.

Will the food shortage drive us desperately into the arms of someone, anyone who promises to save us?

Would the beaten down economically depressed (German, Italian, Japanese, etc) people have otherwise allowed fascism on their soils.

Knowing full well what the future holds when genetically modified organisms superceed and wipe out the genetic diversity of existing lines, will the world sell its soul to monsanto for a quick meal today?

Stick a fork in it

The arbor is done, bring on the Kiwi vines.

(Well, except for staining a couple of the top bars, but thats not my dept.) If there is anyone keen on geometry out there you might get a kick out of this.

the footprint is 34x55 and the elevation is 89x55

the horizontal bars occur at

3", 5", 8" 13", 21", 34", and 55" the top is 89" being the next interval. The upright dowels are 13 and 21" from either side post.

Exhibit A in the case my wife makes that I tend to unnecessarily complicate things.

why do I punish myself like this...

The whore of babylon dared bring in a bible scholar to refute Speaker Pelosi's assertion that God commands us to care for the planet. Actually, I'll put the quote here because it is rather striking...

"The Bible tells us in the Old Testament, 'To minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.' "

Amen.

I purposfully avoided bringing religion into this site for fear of alienating people, but I feel this is a moment where two parts of my life must intersect.

For the record, Speaker Pelosi has disappointed me as of late, but I feel this needs defending. She was not quoting any specific verse, which the $hill they brought in as an expert asserts, but rather summarizing rather eloquently several, not the least of which is one of my favorite.

Gen 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

If that is not a clear cut directive to be good stewards I don't know what is. The Pharisees at Fox are content to pluck splinters and exalt their own virtues don't get it, and I fear they never will.

Theory and practice part 5: fear and trepidation

Following the schedule jeavons outlines, I transplanted a TON of stuff this week, peas (a labor of love to be sure) lettuce, (I jumped the gun on the broccoli and cabbage but they seem fine), onions, carrots, beets and radishes. The radishes were direct seeded, but the carrots and beets were transplants. Here's where my objection comes in. At this point in the schedule, they are still tiny. I wouldn't dare put them in anything less than perfect soil. Actually did dare, I put them in anyway. only time will tell if they make it.

The book is a still a fantastic resource, but I think it really needs some disclaimers about the expected conditions for the "sample" beds.

who knows, I could be wrong.

What is that lovely scent?

Ok, its official, I've gotten the reputation at the office as the "garden guy." A recent transplant* to our are was asking about growing tomatos. Something she had done in her home further south. She was complaining about the work required with weeding, and after finding out she leaves* them spaced thinly and in bare soil, offered some advice to at least cut down on the ability of the weeds to compete. She also mentioned her love of "that tomato smell" going so far as to rub a stem or two between her fingers so she has it with her when she leaves the garden.

THATS my kind of perfume!



*Dear God I can't stop with the puns today! Make me stop! someone! anyone! make it stop!

Finally

Finally some pictures of my labors the last few days.

The bat I evicted from our building at work:

The arbor (not finished):

The garden beds ( partly planted):

The neighbors old tree which could fall on our house at any minute.

The miraculously surviving cherry tree:

and no I don't normally leave the yard in such a state...

weekend wrapup (sorry no pics)

well the arbor is almost done, the beds are dug, the first of the transplants are in (I think I lost a couple lettuce plants to heat, thankfully I have replacements ready.) The sad part is that they were my favorites: "Tom Thumb" a softball sized heading lettuce. By far the most delicious I have ever tasted.

I put in nasturtiums in the walled bed that is holding some surprisingly lush blooming lilac saplings (surprising that they survived). What did I do this weekend for earth day? the same thing I plan on doing every weekend I can. Move towards a more empowering post consumer lifestyle.

My wife commented that I seemed especially driven, staying busing from sunup to sundown, strangely, it doesn't feel like work.

I got all the perennials in minus two that I couldn't fit in the armload, I realized I need a lot more to fill in the spaces. I got a bit of seeding to do tonight.

And to top it all off I had a great talk with our 8 year old about how the difference between a weed and non-weed is in the eye of the beholder. Our yard is in bloom with dandelions from about late may onward, and her previous impression was from someone who found them to be a nuisance and tried to eradicate them. I told her about the multiple uses for them as greens, coffee substitute, wine. She seemed impressed and pressed for more plants that could be used like that. I was at a loss to elaborate, but who knows I might have a little herbalist on my hands.

She's a self professed "indoor girl" but this weekend she came inside with dirty bare feet, so its a step in the right direction.

parting shots

well its a bittersweet day, it is now warm enough to transplant most of the fine perennials who have been keeping me company in my office. Despite only really getting sun in the morning they appear to be doing well if a bit leggy. So farewell (left to right) purple basil, german chamomile, hyssop, stjohns wort, valerian, stjohns wort, mint. See you in the back yard.

whatever will I do without them in the office...I know, plant MORE!

Is going green making you crazy?

yet another gem from foxnews (why the heck do I torture myself I dont know). Long story short people are developing anxiety about global warming and pollution. Nice how fox points the blame for the neurosis on going green rather than the pollution in their headline.

Since I probably fall into that diagnosis I have a plan for people suffering form this malais du jour.

DO SOMETHING.

chances are, if you are suffering from eco-anxiety, then you are generally prone to generalized anxiety. Anxiety demands a fight or flight response, anxiety is tension....so... release that tension and decide on fight or flight. (preferrably fight)

Rather than go to one of the growing number of therapists who suddenly specialize in ecoanxiety, spend that time and money actually doing something about the thing you fear.

Anxiety is a natural human response to a threat, if we try to philosophize, minimize, or convince ourselves that we are just crazy we ignore the thing that bothers us. Anxiety can be crippling (believe me I know) or it can be a powerful tool. Look at what bothers you, and use that unresolved tension that pulls on you, and put that energy to work.

Take the permaculture approach to anxiety, its only a waste if you cannot find a way for the system to reuse it.

timing is everything

First, thank you to rob and matt of onestraw and fat guy on a little bike respectively for the tool tips, I ordered a rake and pruners yesterday. The rake is forged so it ought to last a very long time. For those unfamiliar with metalurgy, forging is the process of softening a hunk of metal with heat and then pounding it into shape, as opposed to casting which is melting and pouring it into a form. Hot rod enthusiasts will tell you forged engine parts are about a zillion times stronger, and the same goes for tools. Silly me, I never really gave it much thought when I bought my digging fork to look and see if it was forged or not. Silly me, I assumed that something with relatively narrow strips of metal used for prying at dirt rocks and roots would by necessity have to be forged. Silly me indeed. So if I break this fork too (which was free the second time around, I will have to reconcile the ethical consideration of replacing with another free fork...trying to singlehandedly prove to the RIGID corporation that their tools are crap, or buy a forged one and save myself the repeated trips to home despot.) I just hope the rake arrives soon, I have a bed that needs some compost worked in, thus the need for a rake.

I'm also waiting on my shipment of spuds and onion bulbs from Moose Tubers. I should have started chitting 3 weeks ago, but they wont ship until after they are sure the tubers wont freeze on the truck. Admirable, but inconvenient. I guess I'm just going to throw them in the ground without chitting, they wont come up as fast but heck, it cant be that detrimental. can it?

Theory and practice part 4

Here it is, my first critique, thought, ammendment, whatever to the schedule in the Jeavons book. Peas.

I started the peas last week in flats and they are sprouting up now. Peas are very cold tolerant, given that we have had such little frost this spring, (I spotted one patch yesterday for the first time in weeks, but it was not widespread)...wouldnt it make more sense just to direct seed them in the bed? So I ask all you experienced pea growers, is there a minimum temp these little guys need to germinate? is that why they were started in beds? I direct seeded last year but it was too late in the season for them to really thrive.

adventures in chamomile

I'm not sure how many days it has been since dec. 25th, when I first started this, but the plant is beginning to flower before I feel reasonably safe it can go into the ground without freezing. Its a tad light starved but it seems to be doing well enough so far. I'm really itching though to get these perennials in the ground. Unfortunately our last frost date is still two weeks away, and I came across a frost patch this morning, so I know its no lie.

BTW I know this is faaaar to early, but does anyone have any good homemade tea recipes? I've got a few "tea" herbs growing but I have no idea about the proportions.

one small step for a lousy phone.

sweet, now I can post pictures from my crappy camera phone directly to the site. What will they think of next

Theory and Practice Part 3: Throw diversity at the problem

I found the second chapter of Gaia’s Garden particularly inspiring. The author retells a story about a group of permaculturists who were working with a relatively ingenious self watering bed setup adjacent to a wetland. Unsurprisingly they ran into roadblocks along the way in the form of local wildlife who found their garden particularly tasty. After giving up on trying to thwart the varmints, they found that the next year predatory species and other forms of competition were keeping the offenders in check. In other words, nature will balance the scales if given the opportunity. In theory then all we gardeners have to do is sit back and things will eventually take care of themselves right? Right?

The difference between myself and the above intrepid horticulturalists is one of diversity. Quite simply, there is no way I (nor most on a suburban lot) ever hope to approach the level of biological diversity present in the wetland example, nor even the average field/ forest boundary. Nor can most of us living on an 1/8th of an acre city lot afford the space to spare for the “wild” zones prescribed in permaculture landscaping. The only thing that comes close to being a zone five on my lot is the space behind the shed. So how do I cram the necessary number of species into my lot to never concern myself with pests again? Well, unfortunately I don’t believe that is an option, however I believe I can come close.

Anyone who has picked up a gardening book has heard of companion plants. I’m not going to go into adjacent plants providing enhancement to the soil, what I want to focus on is the ability certain crops have to attract certain animals, be they the “trap crops” which divert the attention of garden freeloaders, or nursery crops to shelter and attract beneficial predators. While it is impossible for the average enthusiast to know what every plant attracts or repels, I don’t think that is a problem. Simply increasing the number of plant species in any given area increases the chances of reducing the size of the bulls eye on your favorite vegetables. It’s a game of sheer statistical chance. If you plant it, they will come. So what do I plant?

Taking a cue from every permaculture reference out there, perennials, you cant beat the maintenance factor, and self seeding annuals aren’t far behind. I don’t need to plant borage near my tomato plants anymore, I did it once, and each year it comes back in such numbers that I continually thin it for weeks. The nice thing is, a lot of common herbs are perennial and hardy to most zones in the US. So I got seeds for all my favorite kitchen herbs, tea herbs, flowers, and some I hadn’t heard of and started growing them right around Christmas.

To date I have started
Hyssop, Lavender, St. John’s Wort, Valerian, mint, Creeping thyme, feverfew, chamomile, lemon balm, bee balm, wormwood, 3 kinds of basil, anise, angelica, bee balm, coneflower, red leaf plantain, black cohosh, garlic chives, common sage, rosemary, hollyhock, zinnias, morning glory, nasturtiums and I’m probably forgetting something. That’s 27 by my count. 26 Extra species this year who are doing nothing but looking nice, attracting bugs, and providing the occasional leaf for seasoning or tea. Ideally I’d like to have 2 species of non harvested plant for each one that is harvested. All of these are going in a section of the yard adjacent to the small pond we put in last year. Before the end of this year hopefully I will have some kind of cattails or lilies for even more diversity.

Over the centuries humanity has bred into our agricultural stocks desirable traits for our own consumption. This does not necessarily make them ideally suited to grow in the wild, but I believe by simply adding a touch of the wild in an area near our prized plants, we reintroduce the biological support systems which in turn reduce our dependency on “imported controls” to pest populations. Permaculture design does this by progressively wilder zones, but ultimately I think the real benefit there is diversity. I do not believe it is necessary to target specific pest populations if one has enough diversity present in the local flora. After 3 years of disappointing curcurbit experiences due to cucumber beetles I am going to try to not try this year. I’m not going to bother trying the “plant X to control Y” method, especially in light of its questionable effectiveness thus far. I’m going to throw a whole bundle of stuff at the wall and hope that something sticks, and if not, add even more next year.

One Step Closer, and the joys of warranties

First, thanks to Matt and Rob for their tool tips. I am definitely going to shell out some cash on a better hoe and a couple other things, but for now, I have a fork again. I happened to notice the tag on the broken fork said lifetime warranty, so I sauntered on into the Home Depot where I bought it, set down the two pieces on the return counter. The indifferent cashier (I have yet to find another kind at the HOME DESPOT) said "You wanna nuther one?" since I didn't have the reciept that was my only option, so I walked out with a new one. I was a little more gentle on this one. Which irked me since the last one broke while it was tugging at a root no bigger than a pencil.

At least I finished digging the beds. And I managed to make some progress on the arbor for what will be our kiwi vines. My wife keeps asking me why I dont just make a more simple design. I tell her again and again that it needs to be sturdy to hold up the vines, but somehow my description always comes out sounding overbuilt. Oh well.

It was too dark outside for pictures when I finally hung it up for the night. Sorry.

And I helped by brother and his wife move this weekend too, so I'm pretty sore.

a brief laugh

I think its a soldier beetle.


see more crazy cat pics

Hope and Faith

Wow, just when I was really feeling grouchy and cynical...

Yesterday while work continued digging the new beds, I noticed something. Buds, buds everywhere, but first a little background. Last year, against what prior experience would say is wise, we planted 5 new trees. Prior to that, we have attempted trees, and met with repeated failure. I don't know if it was poor quality stock (possibly) or poor site preparation (probably). But the bottom line is they don't last long for us. After transplanting last year things were not looking good for this batch either. The 4 lilacs had dropped quite a few leaves before the season was out, I'd say we were left with about 30% remaining...not good. The ornamental cherry did not fare much better. I was not expecting a return in the spring.

I was wrong. The lilacs are bursting with buds everywhere, and the cherry appears to have lost some of its longer branches, but is fairly vigorous on the shorter ones. But they survived!

If that was not enough, I found a bud on one of the grape cuttings, in spite of my anxiety about the process, it is working.

And to top it off, our son (well not legally ours yet but it matters little) just turned one yesterday. There's another one who beat the odds. Born at 27 weeks, a mere 2.2lbs, now a healthy growing 17 pounder crawling all over God's green earth and sprouting teeth.

So I guess I got exactly the lesson I needed yesterday, funny how things work out like that.

the horrors of change

How are we ever to grow if people like this get paid to write this crap...an excerpt which is at the heart of the problem.

In "An Inconvenient Truth," Al Gore preached to us about downsizing our
lifestyles. He wants us to take colder showers, hang our clothes outside to dry,
avoid driving, use less heating and air conditioning and generally reduce our
standard of living.

emphasis mine.



It doesn't matter what the overwhelming evidence says, if a person percieves that there is no problem, then there is no need to change. If a person percieves that to change requires sacrifice, and that ultimately that sacrifice will only result in an intangible change in total, then there will be no change. No one wants to reduce their standard of living, especially when the net gain will be negligable.

What we must first attack is the idea that the change in lifestyle is a reduction at all. Ask Mr. Dervaes if he is happier now, or before. Ask the folks over at elements in time if they are happier now? Everytime anyone consciously makes a decision about where their food, clothes and life's necessities come from, everytime someone realizes that personal responsibility and sovreignty is as much about choosing what you really want, and not what everyone seems to want...they are that much closer to truly being free and fully actualized. It is not so much a reduction in the standard of living as a realization of what living really means.


And for all the talk about the so called sacrifice not having any effect? Every person that stops by Path to Freedom and says, "wow, I never thought about that, I might try a few of those ideas." Every person that stops by the farmer's market "just to check it out" Every person who looks at the news and sees what the monsanto's of the world are doing, and wonders where the food in their fridge actually came from...

is one step closer to the turning the tide. Person by person the tide IS turning, and someday people who think like that WILL be in the minority, but by then, they'll just blindly follow what the rest of us consciously decided to do long ago.

and if its all for naught, at least I can meet my end knowing that I tried.

Why am I in such a mood to rant today? yesterday evening I broke my forked spade. Its not even a year old and snapped right at the tang. Post mortem revealed cheap cast "steel." Buy cheap buy twice. But hey I just caused economic growth, because I will have to buy another spade. Sell cheap, sell twice. Watch the GDP rise! the economy is GROWING! Hurray!

Grrrrr.

Mammon and Mutants

I knew monsanto was the many headed beast, quietly swallowing the genes and livelyhood of real agriculture, but I guess I never knew how downright despicable they really were. I have to credit Groovy green for finding this article in vanity fair.

Notice in the parting shot, my favorite global warming denier Steve Milloy gets a shout out as being one of the underhanded shills trying to move a whisper camaign of support for the devils.

The flood cannot be stopped, only redirected

Old Business First.



















as you can see, the nascent perrenial sanctuary is taking off! It will be a shame to part with the cheer when it comes time to move them into their permanent home in our yard. I will certainly have to fill the empty spots in the window. Nothing much to report on the veggie front, I'm still waiting on the shipment from moose tubers, by schedule, I should have started chitting today. A week or so shouldnt really mess with things in the long run. I do have carrot seed to start tonight.


On to new business...

My recent agricultural persuits have prompted my father to begin a more expanded gardening program this year. Last year he had a couple tomato bushes and a few herbs, but I found out last night he is adding another bed and going to try spinache, lettuce, and my favorite: peas. I convinced him to try some heirloom varieties, and I know as soon as he opens up that first pod, he'll be hooked for life.

If it was just political it might be funny

A friend of mine recently affixed this to his truck. "Hydrocarbon powered Eco Vehicle" well duh, all internal combustion engines burn hydrocarbons. His response was that only chemists will know the truth and he'll fool all the silly hippies. I like this guy, I really do, we've been friends for a while, but sometimes the unapolagetic unabashed elitism grinds my gears.

Or the people who vow to eat twice as much meat to make up for my vegetarianism.

Is one person's uncloseted environmentalism as much an invitation to backlash so as to provide yet another example of Jeavon's paradox?

The phrase "South Park Republicans" has come and gone, their ilk mostly concerned with libertarian issues of non-interference. I think the effect remains though, we are now a "South Park Nation" a country full of people who will deride anyone who cares about anything. Now Mr's Parker and Stone (south park creators) and Mr. Beck (who's smarmy storefront provied my friend with his adhesive clad vinyl statement) would say they don't mind people having opinions, so long as they keep them to themselves. (And God forbid perhaps make you rethink your position) But isn't speaking your mind part of having an opinion? If there is a fire in a crowded theater, please excuse me if I dare to open my mouth and let people know. If I'm wrong, and there is no fire, then I'll suffer the jibes for the inconvenience I caused. But I would be morally remiss if I said nothing.

I used to think that once I started caring about one thing, I will have to start caring about everything. I was right. Its made me neurotic, angry, and depressed at times, but in seeing the world for what it is and not just how I wanted to see it, I also see hope. I see people who are slowly remembering what it means to live, what is necessary and what is distraction or destructive, people who are learning to innovate again, people who are breaking dependency on a system that exploits them.

I can't help but keep referring back to the works of Frank Herbert. I'm reading Heretics of Dune right now. Herbert's analogy of hydraulic despotism, humanity's dependence on a single commodity leading to stagnation and possible demise, is so prescient.

But maybe I'm the elitist one.

before shot

courtesy of google earth the stack of lumber is now a deck, but you get the gist of exactly how small a lot I am working with. Can I make it to 100 lbs of produce? I think so.


And thank you for the wood stove suggestions, keep them coming, they have been very helpful. My father actually has a pellet stove, and maybe its too small for the room but it doesnt seem to work as well as our friend's "logburner".

more research is definitely necessary.