Last year was our first garden at the new house. We are renters and are lucky in the fact that our landlord hates yard work - he has been really wonderful in giving us free run of the front yard which is quite a substantial size. Because of this we turned the entire east portion into a raised bed garden. We did fairly well, but we also made some mistakes in not knowing quite how the light moved in our yard-in all honesty I should have paid more attention. Some of our plants like our tomatoes which were in a full sun location did amazingly well, while others like our kale which hardly got any sunlight due to a large oak tree- ended up stunted.
With spring approaching we will be pulling up the remaining lawn on the east portion of the lawn and simply making a full size garden from this portion of the yard (I will document this as we start the project). I have already made a list of vegetables and herbs which I will be growing in our Pacific Northwest zone 5 garden which will be mostly root vegetables, leafy greens, and medicinal herbs - not to mention one hot housed tobacco plant for a friend of ours.
In all the excitement of simply having a garden last year, I failed to do one very important things - Save Seeds. I have never saved seeds and have always just purchased the organic variety of various veg for the next garden - as I have learned, this is much to my detrament.
This months Urban Farm magazine had a really interesting little side article which I thought to share with you in regard to saving seeds, and how plants change according to their environment, passing this unspoken knowledge to the next generation (seed).
Saving Seeds:
"You're Really doing yourself a disservice if you're not saving seeds. Each plant becomes acclimated to your soil, to your microclimate and to your space spacifically, and will produce seed that will be rislient in your specific conditions.
The use of only open- pollinated seeds and learning to save seed are important elements to increasing yield overtime. Hybrid seeds produce plants that are either sterile or untrue to type. Open-pollinated seeds will produce plants that will be pollinated by insects or by wind and will produce viable, true seed. Cross pollination is possible, seed saving is actually less cimplicated in urban areas than rural areas. Corn, for example is wind pollinated. Its more difficult to get far enough away from other corn crops that can contaminate your seed in rural areas, than it is in urban areas.
Each year, successful plants in a garden make seeds with slightly different characteristics. Plants adapt to their environment. Seed grown in a certain locale will be genetically different than seed from any other area. See saved in a certain area becomes tailired to the area's specific conditions, leading to greater plant vitality. Seed saving not only increases the resilience of your plants, but it also saves money and fosters genetic diversity in our seed supply." - Urban Farm January/February 2013 pg 24 Biointensive Article.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Listen to that little voice
"The man who neglects the whisperings of the Comforter will never comprehend the salient truths of the universe. Locked tightly in a world of his own construction, he will reject anything that does not fit the pattern he has created."
Do you get a slight nagging feeling when you know something is wrong? Do you hear that little voice in your head telling you to take action, or to be still, or to assist? Listen to that little voice of intuition, it is the directional compass to great things.
Do you get a slight nagging feeling when you know something is wrong? Do you hear that little voice in your head telling you to take action, or to be still, or to assist? Listen to that little voice of intuition, it is the directional compass to great things.
Teaching Little Piggies Table Manners!
My husband and I don't have children, but I could not help but smile with I saw this idea posted by Homestead Survival on Facebook.
The idea is this:
You bring a pig to the dinner table, it can be a stuffed pig, plastic pig, a picture of a pig - or really anything else with piggies on it. You set the ground rules for the table; no burping, passing gas, leaving the table without being excused, expressing "please" and "thank you", etc. When someone breaks a table rule you pass them the pig. The last person stuck with the pig is the person who has to clear the table.
I am guessing your little piggies will learn pretty fast!
Bad Weather - Amazing Split Pea Soup!
The weather here his horrendous! It is Saturday, November the 3rd and rumor has it that we are in store for a whopper of a storm. There are warnings of flooding and excessive rain, with high winds on Sunday. Woo (husband) and I were supposed to go to Chilliwack today to pick up wood for the winter, but the weather and bad roads have kept us from doing so, thankfully we found a fantastic guy in Richmond who is happy to deliver a cord of wood to our residence for $170 buckeroos!
This moment of convenience has allowed me the time to make some really good tasting slow split pea soup . I wanted to share it with you so you too can enjoy this old timey om nom.
What you will need:
2 Cups dried split peas
1 Medium onion
1 Small bag of mini carrots OR 1/2 medium bag of mini carrots
1 soup bone (either beef or pork)
4 tbs of "Better than Boullion Organick Chicken Base" or 2 32 oz organic chicken broth
2 tbs butter
4 Bay leaves
2 tspHerbamare
The night before you will need to soak your 2 cups of dried split peas in 4 cups of hot water, I left mine out for more than 12 hours, they were totally fine. Make sure you rinse your soaked peas well so that you don't get an icky bubbly froth on your soup.
To start your soup you will want to put your 2 tbs of butter into your pot and let it melt a little bit (on low or medium low), while your butter is melting add the 4 bay leaves and the 2 tsp of herbamare and add your soup bone. Once I notice the soup bone is a little browned, I add just a bit of chicken stock to get the steam going.
Cut your onion fine (I do mine in the food processor) and either grate or cut your carrots (I also do mine in the food processor). Combine your onion and carrots with the contents of your pot, stirr it together. Add more chicken stock, enough to very lightly cover the contents, stirr and cover, let it come to a very easy simmer.
Once your pot has simmered for about five minutes, drain and rinse your peas and add them to the pot as well. You will need to either add more chicken stock, OR you can add water and spoon in a bit of the better than boullion in (this is what I do). Stirr the contents and make sure that everything is covered well with liquid. Cover and let cook on medium heat, the key however is to not reach a rapid boil, if you DO reach a rapid boil then take the cover off, stirr, and turn the heat down until you are once again at a simmer. Cook with the lid on, stirring and checking every 20 or so minutes - once the peas are done (about an hour) then turn the heat off, remove the soup bone (if you have a dog, this is a most excellent treat), and enjoy!
This moment of convenience has allowed me the time to make some really good tasting slow split pea soup . I wanted to share it with you so you too can enjoy this old timey om nom.
What you will need:
2 Cups dried split peas
1 Medium onion
1 Small bag of mini carrots OR 1/2 medium bag of mini carrots
1 soup bone (either beef or pork)
4 tbs of "Better than Boullion Organick Chicken Base" or 2 32 oz organic chicken broth
2 tbs butter
4 Bay leaves
2 tspHerbamare
The night before you will need to soak your 2 cups of dried split peas in 4 cups of hot water, I left mine out for more than 12 hours, they were totally fine. Make sure you rinse your soaked peas well so that you don't get an icky bubbly froth on your soup.
To start your soup you will want to put your 2 tbs of butter into your pot and let it melt a little bit (on low or medium low), while your butter is melting add the 4 bay leaves and the 2 tsp of herbamare and add your soup bone. Once I notice the soup bone is a little browned, I add just a bit of chicken stock to get the steam going.
Cut your onion fine (I do mine in the food processor) and either grate or cut your carrots (I also do mine in the food processor). Combine your onion and carrots with the contents of your pot, stirr it together. Add more chicken stock, enough to very lightly cover the contents, stirr and cover, let it come to a very easy simmer.
Once your pot has simmered for about five minutes, drain and rinse your peas and add them to the pot as well. You will need to either add more chicken stock, OR you can add water and spoon in a bit of the better than boullion in (this is what I do). Stirr the contents and make sure that everything is covered well with liquid. Cover and let cook on medium heat, the key however is to not reach a rapid boil, if you DO reach a rapid boil then take the cover off, stirr, and turn the heat down until you are once again at a simmer. Cook with the lid on, stirring and checking every 20 or so minutes - once the peas are done (about an hour) then turn the heat off, remove the soup bone (if you have a dog, this is a most excellent treat), and enjoy!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
A pinch of this, an ounce of that!
Being a huge stumbleupon.com fan, I like to share some of my helpful finds. The link below is called "Kitchen Helpers" and is a really cute conversion chart which you can print and laminate. I printed all of the available charts in color, laminated them, and put them on the fridge where I can see them.
Pretty darned handy!
www.liveoriginally.com/kitchen-helpers/
Pretty darned handy!
www.liveoriginally.com/kitchen-helpers/
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
No Lawn Furniture? No Problem!
You don't need to have lawn furnture when you can grow it! I really enjoyed this article - I dare you to try it!!
20 More Om Noms in a Jar
I LOVE this article, it gives you 20 more ideas for foods to pack in a jar www.thedailybuzz.com.au/2011/12/20-things-to-make-in-a-jar-3/
Wouldn't these be amazing at a picnic??
Lunch in a Jar
I am currently in the process of cleaning out my stumbleupon (www.stumbleupon.com), and thought I would take the time to share some of my favorite ideas.
Here is a fantastic site about the way to pack a healthy lunch. I know I have lots of canning jars in my house due to canning season starting, so I will definately use this! Also, its a great way to recycle used glass jars such as spagetting jars and mayo jars (make sure you clean them out really well first!).
www.thedailymuse.com/health/the-best-new-way-to-bring-your-lunch/
HUGELKULTUR!! Eh?!?
No, I didn't just sneeze, I said "Hugelkultur!". Hugelkultur is a wonderful way of using scrap wood (non coniferous) to bruild raised beds that are highly water efficient.
The idea is to lay down a tall frame of wood and to pile dirt over it. You can plant your veggies and then go without watering for most of the season. However, keep in mind that your second year will be your true baring year.
Here is the wonderful article I found about this fascinating style of gardening http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2beoNc/:VTrX0Tl4:KFZJ!MkA/www.richsoil.com/hugelkultur/
Do we have any Hugelkulturists in Vancouver? I would love to hear from you and see some photos of your garden!
Gardening in August
Being fairly "green" when it comes to gardening, I love to know what tasks to perform month to month - thus, at the beginning of each month, I will release a calendar which reviews the varied duties based on the season.
I hope you enjoy!
Perrenials, Annuals, and Bulbs:
Take some time this month to look over your garden and pick off the old dead flowers on your annuals, as well as the dead flowers on your perennials. Spending a little time to groom your plants can make a big difference in the glamorous appearance of your urban garden. By removing the dead flowers, the plants will not go into the seed producing stage and should continue to flower longer into the season.
Perennial and biennial plants can be started from seed sown directly into the garden this month or next.
Container grown perennials, shrubs and trees can be planted this month. Always take time to properly preparte the soil by mixing generous quantities of peat moss, compost and processed manure with your existing soil.
Fall blooming Crocus can be planted this month, to give you an extra week or two of flowers after the main garden plants have finished for the year.
If you have roses, prune them in late August to promote the most fall blossoms. Remove about a third of the vigorous growth. Any stems that cross each other should be removed, as well as those that are in the center of the plant. Weak, spindly canes and any damaged shoots should be removed. Except in colder regions, roses should be fertilized through the end of September.
I hope you enjoy!
Gardening in the month of August
The gardening tasks for August are generally shorter than most months. During this time of year you can relax and enjoy harvesting your crops as the end of summer draws near. The key considerations for August is making certain that your garden receives a good amount of water, and also paying close attention to weed control. Due to frequent watering and the warm weather, weeds easily germinate this time of year and will quickly overtake your garden if you are not careful.
More on August Watering:
When watering during the hottest part of summer, keep in mind that a simple sprinkle will not do! There is no reason to be timid when watering the garden, your plants need the water to thoroughly penetrate the soil, 3 to 4 inches deep to allow the roots to properly soak.
I am aware of the water restrictions in Vancouver, but please keep in mind that these retrictions ONLY apply to lawn care. Vegetable gardens are exempt from the curren bi-laws (for a current update on watering, or to review my source, please see http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/water/conservation/Pages/sprinkling.aspx , scroll down to Exemptions).
One of the absolute BEST sprinklers I have found is also the least expensive, and it comes with a fantastic name! The product is called Dad's Reliable Sprinkler and you can purchase it at Canadian Tire for $5.99 or www.canadiantire.com .The flow of this sprinkler is even and very easily controled to manage a very small or large garden, also the fact that is cast iron means that it will not move when the pressure is increased AND you don't have to worry about it breaking.
Quick Tip: If you want to be certain that your plants are recieving enough water, press your finger down into the soil 2 to 3 inches, if its moist, its good (sorry, that sounded a little pervy).Perrenials, Annuals, and Bulbs:
Take some time this month to look over your garden and pick off the old dead flowers on your annuals, as well as the dead flowers on your perennials. Spending a little time to groom your plants can make a big difference in the glamorous appearance of your urban garden. By removing the dead flowers, the plants will not go into the seed producing stage and should continue to flower longer into the season.
Perennial and biennial plants can be started from seed sown directly into the garden this month or next.
Container grown perennials, shrubs and trees can be planted this month. Always take time to properly preparte the soil by mixing generous quantities of peat moss, compost and processed manure with your existing soil.
Fall blooming Crocus can be planted this month, to give you an extra week or two of flowers after the main garden plants have finished for the year.
If you have roses, prune them in late August to promote the most fall blossoms. Remove about a third of the vigorous growth. Any stems that cross each other should be removed, as well as those that are in the center of the plant. Weak, spindly canes and any damaged shoots should be removed. Except in colder regions, roses should be fertilized through the end of September.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Potting Bench, Eh?
Let it be known that I am a major suporter of repurposing old furniture! Only this last year when we moved from the recording studio to our current location did we really start repurposing older pieces of furniture.
Our repurposing came from necessity, because we needed new bedside tables and did not have the money to spend on new ones. I found an article on the web which gave a tutorial on how to repurpose a desk with drawers into a set of side tables or night stands. Needless to say, I was absolutely hooked! Now when we need "new" furniture we see what's at the local flea markets, garage sales, and of course, we paruse Craig's list.
The attached article is from Better Homes and Gardens and is a tutorial on how to repurpose a china cabinet into a gardening station. I love this and hope to try it in the not too distant future! I will be certain to post some photos when I do!
Our repurposing came from necessity, because we needed new bedside tables and did not have the money to spend on new ones. I found an article on the web which gave a tutorial on how to repurpose a desk with drawers into a set of side tables or night stands. Needless to say, I was absolutely hooked! Now when we need "new" furniture we see what's at the local flea markets, garage sales, and of course, we paruse Craig's list.
The attached article is from Better Homes and Gardens and is a tutorial on how to repurpose a china cabinet into a gardening station. I love this and hope to try it in the not too distant future! I will be certain to post some photos when I do!
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