starting again, or continuing

March 30

After weeks poring over seed catalogs, all orders are in. During the past month or so I've spent so many days on this--literally, days of working out lists, comparing one to another, obsessing over details, looking for sources and inspiration, getting carried away--that it's practially an occasion for celebration to be done with it, finally, although it's really only the beginning, and I'm a little worried about what I've gotten myself into... Last year we bought most of our plants at the Friend's School Plant Sale but this year we're starting everything--EVERYTHING--from seed. A big responsibility.

The nifty little seed box I to which I devoted several painstaking hours of collage work last year is far too small to hold the hundred (!?!) new packets I've recently acquired from Fedco, Seeds of Change, Seed Savers, Mother Earth Gardens and four favorite co-ops, so I guess I'll have to devise a new one. Maybe cedar instead of cardboard, with a hinged lid...

Many projects this year. In addition to adding dozens of varieties of vegetables, we'll be planting several fruit trees from Saint Lawrence Nurseries. We've also got 200 trees on order from the local soil and water conservation districts, to begin the windbreak for the back garden. The raspberries need permanent staking and pruning, as do some of the existing apple trees. Some of the grapes and hops probably need to be moved. The arbor garden will be planted with permanent climbers and other perennials. The medicinal garden needs some reworking, with some additional medicinals getting established in another area. We'll need to do a planting around the newly finished sauna as well. Functioning compost systems need to be established for both the front and back gardens. If time and energy allow, I hope to put in a drip irrigation system for the front garden. And there's more.

To be honest, I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed and a little daunted right now at how much there is to do... then I look back at where we started last season. It's almost unbelievable, how much was changed in just one year, and how much goddamn grass we weeded by hand. The grunt work is done, for the most part (except for digging holes for 200 trees...) and it's possible, maybe--just maybe--that things will actually be a little easier this year. We'll see about that. The goal for 2009 is to bring the existing areas into a manageable state, while expanding in increments. Seeds will be here soon. We start with dirt and light, and go from there.

frost bite

January 5, 2009

Surprise, surprise: I'm in love again, with snow and sky, light and shadow. I haven't been carrying my camera so I haven't captured any of the beauty of this season, except in memory, but here's a moment from Christmas morning of last year to mark the lengthening days and New Year.


I chose to fast over the holidays this year, from Solstice through Christmas. It was a cleansing, energizing, rehabilitating and grounding experience which I look forward to practicing again, perhaps at Spring Equinox. In the days til then I hope for snow--piles and piles and piles of it. Drift under blue sky, in the purple shadows and amber light of Winter. Breathe in the white. Love.

found

It's been a while.

Harvest has long since past and winter's well on its way. Last weekend we spent a few hours out in the woods, clearing trails in anticipation of December snow and skiing. Somewhere between the Gravel Pit and the Big Hill, under a very large old oak, I came across this acorn resting in the arms of a very small tree:

Whether it fell into place or was put there by another, I can only guess. Is there a difference?

Crouching Gardener, Hidden Broccoli

August 27

A bit of rain this morning, and a nice warm overcast day. A storm rolled in after sundown and it's been pouring for at least an hour now, giving everything a much-needed soak.

It's harvest time, and the garden knows no rest. Peas, beans, tomatoes, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages, herbs, zucchini... There are signs of fall, also: the oats have turned from green to brown, and the hops are close to ripe. Brussells sprouts are still going strong, though:


Dotted mint (Monarda punctata) in bloom. Amazing.

What's Happening Now

August 3-4
Garlic on the trampoline.

The bounty.

The most beautiful cabbage anyone has ever seen.

Purple cabbage after the rain.

Lady's Mantle, magical.

Onions and oats in the back garden.

Three sisters in blossom.

Not the place it used to be

Here's where we started, two Springs ago:


This is more or less what was growing then:

Quack grass
Dandelions
Pigweed
Grass
Lamb's ears
Creeping Charlie
Purslane
Crab grass
Various weeds
Grass
Milkweed
Goldenrod
Nettles
Grass
Peonies
Currants
Baby's breath
Oriental poppies
Chives
Oregano
Asparagus
Rhubarb
Raspberries
Grapes


And here's how things were looking in July of this year:


This is what's growing now:

Tomatoes (Brandywine, Moonglow, Green Zebra, Federle, SSE Italian)
Peppers (Cayenne, Jalapeno, Aurora, Bulgarian Carrot, Sheepnose Pimento, Jimmy Nardello, Lady Bell, Golden Bell)
Eggplant (Japanese little fingers, Louisiana green, classic, early)
Cabbage (red, green)
Brussells sprouts (green)
Cauliflower (white, purple)
Broccoli (green, purple, Piricaba, Raab)
Rutabagas
Turnips
Parsnips
Parsley root
Beets (Detroit red, Lutz salad leaf)
Kohlrabi
Carrots
Radishes (Daikon, rat-tailed)
Chard (White, Golden, Rainbow)
Kale (Dinosaur, Red Russian)
Arugula (Astro, Sylvetta)
Endive
Mustard (Chinese thick-stemmed)
Tatsoi
Spinach (Fordhook giant)
Lettuce (mixed)
Chervil
Wrinkled Crinkled Crumpled Cress
Radicchio
Strawberry spinach (aka beetberry)
Melons (Swan Lake, Haogen, Charentais, Cream of Saskatchewan, Blacktail
mountain watermelon)
Cucumbers (West Indian Gherkin, Mexican Sour Gherkin, slicing)
Peas (Cascadia Sugar Snap)
Zucchini (Black Beauty)
Ground cherries (volunteers)
Asparagus (existing)
Rhubarb (existing)
Garlic (planted last fall)
Garlic chives (planted last year)
Chives (existing)
Oregano (existing)
Mint (peppermint, spearmint, chocolate)
Lemon balm
Cilantro
Fennel
Basil (sweet, cinnamon, Thai)
Parsley
Dill
Epazote
Lovage
Sage (planted last year)
Thyme (planted last year)
Red Shiso
Nigella (black cumin)
Borage (planted last year)
Calendula
Bachelor's buttons
Agrostemma
Nasturtiums
St. John's wort
Marigolds
Zinnias
Amaranth
Chamomile
Feverfew
Angelica
Sweet Annie
Sunflowers
California poppies (planted last year)
Nicotiana rustica
Rattlesnake master
Echinacea
Butterfly weed
Milkweed (volunteers)
Goldenrod (volunteers)
Asters (smooth blue, heath)
Prairie phlox
Dotted mint (monarda punctata)
Wild bergamot (mondara fistulosa)
Blazing star
Culver's root
Blue vervain
Cardinal flower
Longleaf bluet
Anise hyssop
Great blue lobelia
Lavender, Munstead
Lady's mantle
Horseradish
Peonies (existing)
Currants (existing)
Baby's breath (existing)
Oriental poppies (existing)
Jerusalem artichoke (volunteers)
Purslane (volunteers)
Red clover
White clover
Crimson clover
Winter rye
Vetch

And, in the southernmost strip (in the foreground):
Corn (Hopi blue, Oaxacan green, Ashworth white)
Beans (Rattlesnake snap, Scarlet runner, Henderson Lima, ...)
Squash (Lakota, Hubbard, Acorn, Butternut, Buttercup)
Pumpkin

The pictures really don't do it justice... The transformation has been truly amazing and the whole garden is just incredibly beautiful, luscious, nourishing and inspiring. We set out to create a place of beauty to be enjoyed, as well as both see and show what change can be and do. The result has exceeded all our expectations and then some. I'm in love with it, completely, at the moment. If only everyone in the world could have such a place.

July is Lovely.

July 13-26