So ... the neighbour gestured across the street in the direction of my front yard gardens and said ''I don't mind if you grow that ... I'm not about to call the city*".
I'm not bothering to put in the context of this sentence, but the gesture was an astounding insult to my gardens and, by extrapolation, to me.
I came in the house and thought, and thought ... and tried to go to sleep last night and thought until about 2:00 a.m. ... and got up this morning and decided to develop an entirely new garden out front so marched out at 7:00 a.m. and started removing multiples and burying green and brown decomposables in trenches between plants so that they (a) develop soil and (b) hold moisture in the soil for the plants and (c) become sponges for rainwater. Meanwhile, husband had gotten up and cut grass on the nearby hill, so I had beautiful clippings to put on top of newly cleared areas.
I have yet to decide what to put in the new zones, which need to survive under a tree (ie be in shade), must have shallow roots, must be able to grow in the poor soil that was exchanged for ours by the City several years ago when the road was rebuilt. The obedient plant is coming on and one purple flowering unknown, which stretches and lays down in the shade zone is sending out side shoots so we'll have purple all through.
Slightly east of the shade area, I also deadheaded coreopsis and golden marguerites, preparing for second growth. Trimmed back some bergamot for the same reason. Deadheaded lavenders also; they were gorgeous. There've been waves of colour out front. Sprint phlox and dianthus, tulips, daffs, sun rose, gaillardia. Rue and ladies mantle flourished. The Russian sage is huge this year. Campanula carpatica is flowering its soft blue/purple bells. We will have September ruby michaelmal daisy, purple coneflowers will be out, rudbeckia and sneezeweed (brown eyed susan) are coming soon.
Sustainable, organic, evolving, soil creating, moisture retaining, continual bloom cycle, colourful, scented, enjoyed by hundreds of people who go to and from the medical building at the end of the street, loved by me and mine. Not tidy according to one neighbour.
Anger as always been my biggest motivator.
It's gotten me seated on my husband's incredibly uncomfortable chair, writing this on his computer, because my own has been dead for two weeks.
Best regards to all,
Why's Woman
Monday, July 26, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Garlic Seeds? "Bulbil" is not the name of a Hobbit.
Greetings! I am still around. But gardening season is upon me. And ...
It's the time of year when the bulbils are waving in the air in my garden.
Bulbils are not aerial artist Hobbits. They are the clusters of small bulbs that form in the garlic scape that is left on a garlic plant.
I hadn't planted garlic until a few years ago, when I began planting what I call "redemption garlic" Redemption garlics were the one or two cloves I'd keep from the imported garlic - China! Philippines! - that I was reduced to buying when I ran out of Ontario grown. I figured that if I let the cloves grow in good soil - instead of what I assumed was pesticide-treated - and grow in my backyard - instead of traveling fuel-oil-packed miles - then they would be cared for, redeemed somehow. Plus, it would redeem me for buying the imports!
So I started growing garlic and did a bit of reading to figure out when to plant ... but basically popped cloves in whatever ground I had available whenever I had some. As things grew, I began to notice scapes and bulbils. "Bulbil" turned out to be the correct term for what I was calling the funny seeds that formed at the top of the tall garlic stalk.
Bulbils. Such interesting thing! Edible themselves. Different on different types of garlic ... and I still have no idea what types of garlic I have because there were never any labels or hybrid names on the imports, or on the Ontario grown from market. I started to wonder if the bulbils could be planted fresh, straight from the plant top or if they needed to be kept from a late July garlic harvest - given time to cure - and then planted in late October.
How long did it take to get from bulbils to garlic? Is it a one year or a two year process?
Lots of questions.
And I still don't have definite answers - sorry! - because I'm a lousy note-keeper, because I planted so randomly and because I seem to have at least four different kinds of garlic growing. They all grow at a different pace.
But I'm inspired to pay more attention to the bulbil-to-garlic growth cycle by a couple of recent articles in The Canadian Organic Grower quarterly journal*, that pretty terrific publication I've mentioned before.
There's even a project going on for people to report in on their experiences with growing garlic from bulbils. I've taken the project notes that follow from the Winter 2010 issue of COG from Paul Pospisil's article Growing Garlic from Bulbils.
Check out the information below and if you are intrigued send Mr. P. an e-mail
Happy harvesting!
Why's Woman
---------
The Bulbil Project
Growers and gardeners, especially home gardeners, are invited to participate.
Purpose: to grow garlic by the bulbil method in as many regions and soil conditions across Canada as possible to validate the utility of this growing technique in maintaining a strong, healthy stock of garlic for planting.
What do you need to do? Plant different types of garlic bulbils. Harvest, weigh and measure the first year's crop, and replant. Continue with this until you have full-size bulbs (i.e. at least two inches in diameter). Each year record the planting and the harvest, as well as any growing observations. Growing instructions and record forms are provided. Your information will be consolidated with other reports into a database that can be used by growers. A set of five bulbil strains will be provided to start or you may use bulbils from your own garlic. Provided bulbils will be free but The Garlic News asks for a small contribution to help pay the mailing costs. Any garlic you grow from this project is yours to keep. If you already grow from bulbils, your information would be appreciated.
Contact for further information: The Bulbil Project: Paul Pospisil, editor of The Garlic News, 3656 Bolingbroke Rd., Maberly, Ontario K0H 2B0, garlic@rideau.net
--------------
*The Canadian Organic Grower quarterly magazine is wonderful. It may be available in your library. It is not published online, but is available with membership in the the excellent Canadian Organic Growers organization (www.cog.ca).
It's the time of year when the bulbils are waving in the air in my garden.
Bulbils are not aerial artist Hobbits. They are the clusters of small bulbs that form in the garlic scape that is left on a garlic plant.
I hadn't planted garlic until a few years ago, when I began planting what I call "redemption garlic" Redemption garlics were the one or two cloves I'd keep from the imported garlic - China! Philippines! - that I was reduced to buying when I ran out of Ontario grown. I figured that if I let the cloves grow in good soil - instead of what I assumed was pesticide-treated - and grow in my backyard - instead of traveling fuel-oil-packed miles - then they would be cared for, redeemed somehow. Plus, it would redeem me for buying the imports!
So I started growing garlic and did a bit of reading to figure out when to plant ... but basically popped cloves in whatever ground I had available whenever I had some. As things grew, I began to notice scapes and bulbils. "Bulbil" turned out to be the correct term for what I was calling the funny seeds that formed at the top of the tall garlic stalk.
Bulbils. Such interesting thing! Edible themselves. Different on different types of garlic ... and I still have no idea what types of garlic I have because there were never any labels or hybrid names on the imports, or on the Ontario grown from market. I started to wonder if the bulbils could be planted fresh, straight from the plant top or if they needed to be kept from a late July garlic harvest - given time to cure - and then planted in late October.
How long did it take to get from bulbils to garlic? Is it a one year or a two year process?
Lots of questions.
And I still don't have definite answers - sorry! - because I'm a lousy note-keeper, because I planted so randomly and because I seem to have at least four different kinds of garlic growing. They all grow at a different pace.
But I'm inspired to pay more attention to the bulbil-to-garlic growth cycle by a couple of recent articles in The Canadian Organic Grower quarterly journal*, that pretty terrific publication I've mentioned before.
There's even a project going on for people to report in on their experiences with growing garlic from bulbils. I've taken the project notes that follow from the Winter 2010 issue of COG from Paul Pospisil's article Growing Garlic from Bulbils.
Check out the information below and if you are intrigued send Mr. P. an e-mail
Happy harvesting!
Why's Woman
---------
The Bulbil Project
Growers and gardeners, especially home gardeners, are invited to participate.
Purpose: to grow garlic by the bulbil method in as many regions and soil conditions across Canada as possible to validate the utility of this growing technique in maintaining a strong, healthy stock of garlic for planting.
What do you need to do? Plant different types of garlic bulbils. Harvest, weigh and measure the first year's crop, and replant. Continue with this until you have full-size bulbs (i.e. at least two inches in diameter). Each year record the planting and the harvest, as well as any growing observations. Growing instructions and record forms are provided. Your information will be consolidated with other reports into a database that can be used by growers. A set of five bulbil strains will be provided to start or you may use bulbils from your own garlic. Provided bulbils will be free but The Garlic News asks for a small contribution to help pay the mailing costs. Any garlic you grow from this project is yours to keep. If you already grow from bulbils, your information would be appreciated.
Contact for further information: The Bulbil Project: Paul Pospisil, editor of The Garlic News, 3656 Bolingbroke Rd., Maberly, Ontario K0H 2B0, garlic@rideau.net
--------------
*The Canadian Organic Grower quarterly magazine is wonderful. It may be available in your library. It is not published online, but is available with membership in the the excellent Canadian Organic Growers organization (www.cog.ca).
Monday, June 28, 2010
No apologies for plants
A few days ago some neighbourhood children asked if they could pick flowers from the plants that grow down by the road at my place. That was fine with me - I rather liked that they thought of the mostly groundcover plants as flowers. And it was funny that they asked while showing me the blooms already harvested into a small, green satin sac.
I took them 'round and showed them what to pick(or get scissors to cut) and what to watch out for.
We do have a rue plant out there. It has blue-green foliage that I love the scent of, but its stems exude a sap that, on the skin in sunlight, can cause painful blisters if you are sensitive to it. I am, but I keep the rue plants throughout the gardens because they are host to swallowtail butterfly eggs and larvae. I think I'll have to move the plant from the roadside, if children are going to be picking nearby. It had been planted there before I knew about the sap.
I showed them the oregano, which flowers white and is unusual for that. Lots of thyme, just coming into flower. Gorlden marguerites. And the soapwort is just about to bloom.
One little guy was a treat. When I pointed out the milkweed, he almost shouted. 'Hey! we learned about that in school!" So we talked about monarch butterflies.
All the children were attracted to the feverfew. Quite a few plants are in a sort of hedge and all are in bloom. I'm used to their sharp smell and like it, but when we went over I started to say to them that even though they had pretty white and yellow flowers they might seem sort of "stinky". And the little guy marched over, shoved his face into the mass of flowers and popped back up to say: "They aren't stinky, they smell fresh!"
Well, that'll teach me. I will never apologize for a plant. It is what it is. Never mind that a guidebook or provincial list says something is a weed (the milkweed - asclepias syriaca - will have clusters of pink flowers with a rich scent). Never mind that the cheerful feverfew blooms don't have a pretty scent; it is, afterall, a medicinal herb with leaves that are used to prevent headaches.
And anyway, the feverfew smells "fresh".
And I will never apologize again for a plant.
Best regards to all.
Why's woman
I took them 'round and showed them what to pick(or get scissors to cut) and what to watch out for.
We do have a rue plant out there. It has blue-green foliage that I love the scent of, but its stems exude a sap that, on the skin in sunlight, can cause painful blisters if you are sensitive to it. I am, but I keep the rue plants throughout the gardens because they are host to swallowtail butterfly eggs and larvae. I think I'll have to move the plant from the roadside, if children are going to be picking nearby. It had been planted there before I knew about the sap.
I showed them the oregano, which flowers white and is unusual for that. Lots of thyme, just coming into flower. Gorlden marguerites. And the soapwort is just about to bloom.
One little guy was a treat. When I pointed out the milkweed, he almost shouted. 'Hey! we learned about that in school!" So we talked about monarch butterflies.
All the children were attracted to the feverfew. Quite a few plants are in a sort of hedge and all are in bloom. I'm used to their sharp smell and like it, but when we went over I started to say to them that even though they had pretty white and yellow flowers they might seem sort of "stinky". And the little guy marched over, shoved his face into the mass of flowers and popped back up to say: "They aren't stinky, they smell fresh!"
Well, that'll teach me. I will never apologize for a plant. It is what it is. Never mind that a guidebook or provincial list says something is a weed (the milkweed - asclepias syriaca - will have clusters of pink flowers with a rich scent). Never mind that the cheerful feverfew blooms don't have a pretty scent; it is, afterall, a medicinal herb with leaves that are used to prevent headaches.
And anyway, the feverfew smells "fresh".
And I will never apologize again for a plant.
Best regards to all.
Why's woman
Friday, June 25, 2010
Oxfam action at the G8 effective visual
I just spotted some photos on the London Free Press website, and I'm not sure how long they'll be up: http://www.lfpress.com/news/g20/2010/06/24/14501691.html
Oxfam Canada volunteers took their message about the need for better maternal health care, and commitment by governments to promises they've already made, to the G8.
Skin-tone body suits covering pregnant bellies, accurately made oversize masks of the G8 leaders - right down to our P.M.'s pale eyes - a brilliant and peaceful action. These photos will go around the world.
The Oxfam Canada website is www.oxfam.ca ... a simple url to remember ... go take a look at its programs. Decide if there's a way you can contribute.
Thanks Oxfam, for innovation, activism, non-violence and humour.
Why's Woman
Oxfam Canada volunteers took their message about the need for better maternal health care, and commitment by governments to promises they've already made, to the G8.
Skin-tone body suits covering pregnant bellies, accurately made oversize masks of the G8 leaders - right down to our P.M.'s pale eyes - a brilliant and peaceful action. These photos will go around the world.
The Oxfam Canada website is www.oxfam.ca ... a simple url to remember ... go take a look at its programs. Decide if there's a way you can contribute.
Thanks Oxfam, for innovation, activism, non-violence and humour.
Why's Woman
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
catching up
Tuesday, June 22/10
The leg is continuing to get better. I rode my bike for the first time on Sunday.
Sarah Elton, author of the excellent book Locavore, spoke at the London Central Library. Ninety (90! +) people came to hear her. It was a terrific turn out. She spoke for 30 minutes and then turned things over to the audience ... to ask questions and for them to give each other answers and comments as much as for her to do so as 'expert'. I loved this encouragement to the group. After the talk, Sarah came along to Garlic's restaurant with some people involved in local food production. Garlic's itself tries to use as much locally produced food as it can. I know it supports the City Farm project, which has several acres out by Fanshawe Pioneer Village. Two people who joined us are members of the National Farmers' Union, local branches. The NFU is a wonderful advocate for farmers and for local.
On June 17, Transition London Ontario had about 25 people turn out - again at our ever-helpful Central Library - to watch the film Farm for the Future. This is the film Rebecca Hosking made about her explorations on how to make her own family farm more sustainable. If you have a chance to see this anywhere, do. There's enough images of 'conventional' agriculture to get ideas going, but the focus is on how much fossil fuel is used in agriculture and some of the ways this can be reduced from changes to fodder grasses, permaculture, and going small. Rebecca found out for herself what many big institutions are now saying: small is the way of the future. Oh! Just put Farm for the Future in an internet search engine and you'll find excerpts or the entire thing on line. It's worth watching even on a tiny screen. Please, watch it. You'll like this film.
And, I'll add, more people are going to have to become involved in food production. This involvement will be in our backyard and frontyard urban gardens. And there will be more mixed farming happen in what are called 'peri-urban' areas, those green belts around cities that too many places (like London!) seem to value more for their potential as housing developments and mall parking areas than for food production. I absolutely believe we will be using those spaces. Less food will have to be transported long distances. Farming will again become a respected job, instead of something dictated to farm managers by corporate agribusiness.
Hmmm, I can tell by the tone of that last bit I'm getting cranky again. On-line time is over. I have to walk around and do some exercises.
Best regards to all,
Why's Woman
The leg is continuing to get better. I rode my bike for the first time on Sunday.
Sarah Elton, author of the excellent book Locavore, spoke at the London Central Library. Ninety (90! +) people came to hear her. It was a terrific turn out. She spoke for 30 minutes and then turned things over to the audience ... to ask questions and for them to give each other answers and comments as much as for her to do so as 'expert'. I loved this encouragement to the group. After the talk, Sarah came along to Garlic's restaurant with some people involved in local food production. Garlic's itself tries to use as much locally produced food as it can. I know it supports the City Farm project, which has several acres out by Fanshawe Pioneer Village. Two people who joined us are members of the National Farmers' Union, local branches. The NFU is a wonderful advocate for farmers and for local.
On June 17, Transition London Ontario had about 25 people turn out - again at our ever-helpful Central Library - to watch the film Farm for the Future. This is the film Rebecca Hosking made about her explorations on how to make her own family farm more sustainable. If you have a chance to see this anywhere, do. There's enough images of 'conventional' agriculture to get ideas going, but the focus is on how much fossil fuel is used in agriculture and some of the ways this can be reduced from changes to fodder grasses, permaculture, and going small. Rebecca found out for herself what many big institutions are now saying: small is the way of the future. Oh! Just put Farm for the Future in an internet search engine and you'll find excerpts or the entire thing on line. It's worth watching even on a tiny screen. Please, watch it. You'll like this film.
And, I'll add, more people are going to have to become involved in food production. This involvement will be in our backyard and frontyard urban gardens. And there will be more mixed farming happen in what are called 'peri-urban' areas, those green belts around cities that too many places (like London!) seem to value more for their potential as housing developments and mall parking areas than for food production. I absolutely believe we will be using those spaces. Less food will have to be transported long distances. Farming will again become a respected job, instead of something dictated to farm managers by corporate agribusiness.
Hmmm, I can tell by the tone of that last bit I'm getting cranky again. On-line time is over. I have to walk around and do some exercises.
Best regards to all,
Why's Woman
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
blogging stops when you can't sit down
Wednesday, June 9. It's been longer than usual between postings. I slipped and fell 9 days ago, pulling a hamstring muscle enough to have massive bruising which has now shifted down my leg as far as my ankle and is trying to wrap my knee. I know the damage could have been far worse and that I'm pretty lucky, but it's ugly.
I've been more than cranky, mostly unable to sit down (which sure makes me prioritize what I have to do at the computer), and missing a lot of sleep. Why is it that throbbing happens at 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.?
I adore my husband. He's helped me clamber over the tub edge into the shower, put my socks and shoes on, retied laces when he tied them too tight, and puts arnica cream on my leg three times a day. I don't know why arnica cream works to speed healing of bruises by speeding their reabsorption, but it does. I've been calling it magic cream.
Arnica montana is the proper name of the herb in the cream I bought. The seeds are available through Richter's herbs (www.richters.com) and I've decided to send another order in this year so I can get some started in the garden. Arnica montana is a perennial in zones 6-9 and I think I've got a microclimate up by the house where it'll grow. This experience is going to be my inspiration to make my first herbal cream (next year, anyway). For now, I'm thankful to the company that made the stuff I have.
Thankful to my husband, and .... hey, I just realized I've been sitting for a whole fifteen minutes ... sort of slumped with no pressure on my leg, but sitting.
Best regards to all and hoping you have no accidents!
Why's woman
I've been more than cranky, mostly unable to sit down (which sure makes me prioritize what I have to do at the computer), and missing a lot of sleep. Why is it that throbbing happens at 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.?
I adore my husband. He's helped me clamber over the tub edge into the shower, put my socks and shoes on, retied laces when he tied them too tight, and puts arnica cream on my leg three times a day. I don't know why arnica cream works to speed healing of bruises by speeding their reabsorption, but it does. I've been calling it magic cream.
Arnica montana is the proper name of the herb in the cream I bought. The seeds are available through Richter's herbs (www.richters.com) and I've decided to send another order in this year so I can get some started in the garden. Arnica montana is a perennial in zones 6-9 and I think I've got a microclimate up by the house where it'll grow. This experience is going to be my inspiration to make my first herbal cream (next year, anyway). For now, I'm thankful to the company that made the stuff I have.
Thankful to my husband, and .... hey, I just realized I've been sitting for a whole fifteen minutes ... sort of slumped with no pressure on my leg, but sitting.
Best regards to all and hoping you have no accidents!
Why's woman
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Oil and tears don't mix
Sunday, May 30/10 7:30 a.m.
There are two tear drops on the table just below my key board. They're not dried up yet and they dropped there shortly after 7:00 a.m. when I listened to the news for the first time since yesterday morning.
I've been trying to avoid hearing anything or reading anything about that oil leak off the coast of Florida ... because I've known in my heart how awful it is and that it is going to do nothing other than kill things, kill everything in its winding paths.
I really wanted the cement injection thing to work and stop that leak. And it hasn't worked. And all the images of ruin that I read again and again when I went through my teenage phase of reading science fiction short stories flood into my mind.
And now, there's some talk about putting a cement dome over the thing to siphon off the oil. Well, that's the first thing I thought of weeks ago ... based on a bit of logic and the same lot of science fiction. I recall from first aid that if someone has a cut aorta the first responder can only put on a thick cloth and press down. Surely there's some physics-y/engineery equivalent that should be on a ship stationed right beside any oil rig.
And I keep asking what the people who want to drill oil under an ocean are thinking? ($$$$) And how can they not have had in place at least ten crisis domes and hoses and pumps and back-up holes and really thick cloths that actually work? ($$$$) What are they thinking? ($$$$)
And even though I am not an adherent of any of the formal religions ... right now I want them all to be damned. And for those who have any conscience and have seen what they've done, perhaps they know they are.
Ten minutes to write this. The tear drops have dried but they've left a mark on the table. What are the marks on our hearts?
With love to any readers,
Why's Woman
There are two tear drops on the table just below my key board. They're not dried up yet and they dropped there shortly after 7:00 a.m. when I listened to the news for the first time since yesterday morning.
I've been trying to avoid hearing anything or reading anything about that oil leak off the coast of Florida ... because I've known in my heart how awful it is and that it is going to do nothing other than kill things, kill everything in its winding paths.
I really wanted the cement injection thing to work and stop that leak. And it hasn't worked. And all the images of ruin that I read again and again when I went through my teenage phase of reading science fiction short stories flood into my mind.
And now, there's some talk about putting a cement dome over the thing to siphon off the oil. Well, that's the first thing I thought of weeks ago ... based on a bit of logic and the same lot of science fiction. I recall from first aid that if someone has a cut aorta the first responder can only put on a thick cloth and press down. Surely there's some physics-y/engineery equivalent that should be on a ship stationed right beside any oil rig.
And I keep asking what the people who want to drill oil under an ocean are thinking? ($$$$) And how can they not have had in place at least ten crisis domes and hoses and pumps and back-up holes and really thick cloths that actually work? ($$$$) What are they thinking? ($$$$)
And even though I am not an adherent of any of the formal religions ... right now I want them all to be damned. And for those who have any conscience and have seen what they've done, perhaps they know they are.
Ten minutes to write this. The tear drops have dried but they've left a mark on the table. What are the marks on our hearts?
With love to any readers,
Why's Woman
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