A Seed of a Thought

I have come across some disturbing information over the past couple of years, and it has finally bothered me enough to write about it.  I have enjoyed gardening for many, many years.  In fact, it's probably a surprise to even my mother, that I enjoyed it as a kid - but would have enjoyed it much more if she had me do more than weed the flower beds.  I was always curious about the flowers, the vegetables, (we had a HUGE veggie garden out back) and could watch the bees and butterflies pollinate for what seemed like hours.  Many years ago, my step-father gave me a subscription to the Seed Savers Catalog.  At first I thought, "Hmm.  How odd."  But then I read it, and was hooked.  For those out there not familiar with their services, Seed Savers has collected tens of thousands of varieties of seeds, primarily from organic, and many heirloom plants, making them available to people who want them.  The catalog is a clearing house, so to speak, of quality plant possibilities, linking gardeners up with long lost, or 'seldom found in the grocery store seed bin' seeds.   Their headquarters, in Iowa, is Heritage Farm - a wonderful place to check out not only seeds, but heirloom animal breeds as well. 

Although I have not ordered from Seed Savers for quite some time, the whole idea inspired me to save my own seeds.  As mentioned previously, I attend the Gore Estate plant sale annually, to obtain heirloom plants from days gone by.  Had they not saved those seeds way back when, we would not be able to benefit from the plants' existence now.  The flowers and veggies of the victorian era are living well and prospering in my yard today thanks to some kind and thoughtful soul's act of reaching in and saving the seeds at just the right time.  I started saving my seeds from the garden, replanting them the next year to expand the flower beds.  I sent packs of seeds to family so they could enjoy a part of my garden at their homes.  When we ate a new species of organic melon we loved, we saved the seeds and planted them the next year so we could enjoy the melons again and again from our own yard.  We still come across old packs of seeds from the past years, shoved in a drawer, or lost in a pile of magazines, and find they are still viable, able to produce beautiful flowers and tasty vegetables.

It pains me to read about big agri-businesses buying up the seed businesses.  The intention here is to control the seed market, moving away from heirloom and organics and toward genetically modified, pest resistant varieties.  Companies such as Monsanto, Syngenta and DuPont focus on developing seeds that can be protected by patents, making it very expensive for growers to save the seeds (not that you'd want to).  Heavy fines are placed on those who get caught saving seeds, making it much more challenging for the small farmer to be successful.  

According to Organic Gardening Magazine, a report issued by the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture has warned that our seed supply is in grave danger.  Over 2000 varieties of seeds have been eliminated in one year alone.  Those are seeds that will never be replaced, at least not by agri-business.  However, if folks have saved seeds, those plants are not gone forever.  It has been estimated, the magazine article goes on to report, that at least 75 percent of genetic diversity among our agricultural crops has been destroyed.

So what does that mean for us?  Buy organic.  Always.  When you can, buy heirloom veggies at the store or farmer's market.  If you have the time and space, plant a few heirloom varieties and save the seeds.  It's really quite zen-like to harvest seeds, and can give you the sense that you are helping to save the world.  Well, it gives ME that feeling - saving it one seed at a time.  Check out what Seed Savers has in store - if not for this year, then perhaps for next or another in the future.  The more seeds we save now, the better off future generations will be.  Think about the victorian plants in my yard - someone had the foresight to save those seeds a very, very long time ago.  And - the seeds and plants are free that way!

We Want Your Yard!

I just heard about this great organization taking off in Canada.  It's called Sharing Backyards, and it matches folks with gardening instincts but no space with folks with space but no time/resources/interest to garden, or perhaps they garden, but have space left over to share.  If you think about it, this idea is incredible on so many levels: 

1. Unused garden space is utilized for food (and/or flower) production
2. Community members are put in regular contact with each other - you get to meet new folks who have yard space, or you connect with old friends regularly as you use their yard
3. It beautifies the neighborhoods
4. It lessens the greenhouse effect with increased production of produce and vegetation, and less need for produce to be trucked cross-country
5. A stronger message is sent to the 'BIG Grower' that we want more variety, more organics, and more locally grown produce
6. It offsets the economic crisis at hand by lowering the cost of food
7. It gets more people outside in the fresh air to move their bodies as they grow their food/flowers
8. As the typically manicured yard space is used for garden, less gasoline hogging lawn/yard tools are necessary for maintenance
9. It helps people of all ages become more aware of how they nourish their bodies, and how much energy is necessary to produce their food

Oh yes.  I can think of so many great reasons for making use of such a program.  Currently, I believe the bulk of Sharing Backyards' programming is in Canada, with a smattering of connections in Portland, Oregon, Washington DC and Boise, Idaho.  But they are looking for others willing to offer their yards, and will assist in connecting them up with eager gardeners.  According to the Sharing Backyards website, 40% of our communities have no access to soil to grow their own food, while a full 60% have access but do not always make use of it.  

Do you have space for gardening that you are willing to share with others?  Below are the considerations from the Sharing Backyards website for becoming a land partner, which is free.  They do support organic practices, and are looking for those who do the same.

Considerations for Sharing your Backyard Garden

There are no restrictions on how you might choose to share your space - however there are a number of issues that you might want to consider when making arrangements to share your gardening space with another member of your community.

Time Considerations

• How many hours per week will the garden space be available?
• On which days of the week?
• What time(s) of the day?

Tool Considerations

• Do you have tools to share?
• Where will they be stored?

Soil Considerations

• Is there enough soil?
• Who will pay for soil amendments?
• What types of amendments or additives are acceptable?

Seeds / Transplants

• Who will provide the seeds and/or transplants?
• How will decisions be made about what is grown?

Water Considerations

• Can the gardener use the hose and water?
• Who does the watering?
• When?

Harvest Considerations

• Who will harvest the food?
• How will the harvest be distributed?

Privacy and Security Considerations

• Who can enter the garden? (children, partners, friends, pets)
• What space can be used? (shed, basement, bathroom)
• What about locks and gates?
• Emergency contact numbers?

Make sure you check out their website if you are interested: Sharing Backyards.

A Day of Reflection

What does it mean to be mindfully simple in today's world?  In looking back at my reasons for starting this blog, I revisited my vow to make life for myself and my family a bit more thoughtful, more kind and more generous in a non-financial manner.  I wanted to find ways to give of our time and energy without leaving us exhausted and broke.  I wanted to find ways to involve our children in our community, to help them feel firmly planted in something real that you didn't have to turn on with a switch.  What I find challenging is balancing all that good thinking with the actuality of raising a family, holding down a couple of jobs and trying desperately to keep my head above water at all times.  (How do other people do this?)

First, I took a hard look at my habits for time management.  Knowing I wanted to retire early, I have been making plans to hold on to as much money that we bring in as possible.  In order to bring in more with little time spent, I have had to piggy back a few jobs, working harder for shorter periods of time rather than spreading work out over the whole week.  In this way, I can spend more time in the afternoons with my kids and feel that I am a steady presence in their lives.  After that, I looked at how I keep our home.  A while back, I complained that I am a rotten housekeeper.  I hate wasting my time on keeping our messes cleaned up - always have.  There's always something more exciting to do than fold laundry.  However, I really do love a clean house, and hate the embarrassment of friends stopping by unannounced, so we have jumped into super organized mode at our house for the past 4 weeks.  We have pulled out the stops to get the house and yard pulled together - not bad after living here for 10 years.  Where there were no curtains, we now have lovely and colorful cloths that shade our rooms.  Where there was a pile of styrofoam and packing materials, we now have a clean and clear closet.  Our camping equipment is within easy and organized reach for our inexpensive summer jaunts.  Our dressers hold only seasonal clothing, with the rest packed neatly away for the next turn or New England weather.  Coming home to less clutter makes me want to (gulp) vacuum.  I'm serious.  

Over the past few weekends, I have made sure I found time to garden. I find it so meditating, it is imperative that I get out in the yard regularly, no matter how chaotic our lives feel.  It is also so important that I be able to add to my family's diet by providing nutritious, organic vegetables.  My yard is not quite suitable for all this growing what with all the shade and such, so I am investing all my gardening energy into the new deck as my canvas.  With some coaxing, I think I can produce enough produce to keep our food costs low this summer.  

Beyond this, I am finding more time to consider community service for my family.  There are wonderful websites that offer connections to get started in volunteerism, even for children.  It takes some time to get started, but it is well worth the wait, I am sure.  I notice that just about every magazine I pick up these days has some article (or more) about living green.  It bothers me that our current economy situation has fueled a craze to 'go green' - bothered me because although it is high time someone notice the condition of our global economy, I know these things tend to blow over when the next fad bows in.  I suppose I have the same fear about my own new habits, but I hope they are all unfounded.

What are your reasons for living mindfully?  What makes you choose to be more careful each day with your purchases, diet, thoughts?

I Think I Figured It Out!

I have to celebrate.  I have made a revelation about my time and my expectations.  Typically, at this time of year, I make a list, either mental or physical, of all the things I 'need' to get accomplished, it being Spring and all.  Most of the time, it included clean up the yard, plant the garden, clean out the basement, etc, etc.  I would then get overwhelmed and exhausted, just considering my list, and quit.  This year, tired of never getting past the first thing on my handy list, I decided to take things much slower.  It wasn't really a conscious decision, more of an accident, then the revelation.  I went to the garden store last weekend and vowed not to purchase more than a couple of flowers and maybe a tomato plant.  You may recall from this post, that I love to go to the Gore Estate sale, but I have not yet been able to make it (coming up this weekend - hurray!!).  Knowing that I would have time to plant this past weekend and not having been to Gore yet, I snuck off to the local garden store to grab a few lovelies to tie me over until the plant sale this weekend.  And instead of coming home with armloads (and trunkloads) of plants as usual, I came home with what I said I would: a patio tomato, some foliage plants and a petunia.  I was able to get them all into soil that afternoon without feeling overwhelmed.  

Last weekend, as you may recall from this recent post, we were able to score some old chairs from a 'free' pile after a yard sale.  I promised a post on the project I had in my head, and here it is.  

I have seen this idea a few times in gardening magazines, and I always said if I found one of these antique chairs without a seat, I would do this project.  And of course, this past weekend gave me the exact tools to proceed.  I gathered my chair, weathered beautifully, some organic potting mix, a basket planter I had lying around, and assorted plants.  I chose to go with only foliage plants, with interesting color, but you could use anything that caught your eye.

It was SO simple - put the plants in the basket with extra soil, place the basket in the seat.  But although simple, it makes a dramatic impact - don't you think?

Here are a few other things I have planted this week:

These are the baby bush cucumbers in an old washtub-

These are more foliage plants in an old cooking pot (last year I put tomatoes in it as a little joke.  I may have been the only one who noticed...).

And here is my first attempt at basket and moss wall planting, with a planter picked up for .50 at a yard sale last year.  It will be interesting to see if the petunias live all summer as when I water, the water comes running out the sides.  They still look good, though, four days later, so they must be getting something!
Perhaps as the season progresses, I will update you all on how these projects and others are coming along.  I have plans to go to the Gore sale this weekend - do you think I can stick to my small is better approach at a once a year heirloom plant sale??  Time will tell.

Do you have garden projects that you want to share?  If you email me your pictures, I will post them here!  And check out the makeovers on Sanctuary Arts At Home

Oh Yes...I love a New England Spring

I have two absolute favorite times of year.  The deep Fall when the leaves are at their peak of color and the air is crisping - no more humidity.  And the Spring when it's almost summer, there is no sign of frost and it's time to plant the garden.  My family, out on the West coast, has been gardening for months now.  But me?  I can hardly plant until Memorial Day weekend.  This year, it looks like I might get to plant a whole week early - Oh Joyous Day!  

Above is a picture of the plants I purchased at the Gore Estate Plant sale last year.  The sale starts this weekend, and I can hardly wait to go.  They sell heirloom and organically grown vegetables, herbs and flowers at rock-bottom prices.  I have so many perennials in my yard thanks to them, and love watching them spread and flower: Thistle, bronze fennel, Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate (a victorian-era towering flower that reseeds every year), black hollyhock, sage, oregano, lemon thyme and flowering maple (this one needs it's hand held all winter and is tricky for me to keep alive).

When I worked in the greenhouse at my job, with the preschool children with vision impairment, we went to the Gore sale and purchased many different but related herbs to put in barrels.  We chose several citrus-scented herbs such as lemon verbena, orange mint and lemon basil.  It was a great experience for the kids to explore the plants, which have varying textures and scents.  Another barrel was full of different mints - pineapple, curly and peppermint.  The mints are great since they come back after a hard winter with snow, and find it challenging to spread since they are in the barrels.

What is it about plants that makes some of us so happy?  I get so jazzed about planting that I can hardly breathe steadily at garden centers.  When someone tells me of a plant swap, I clear the calendar to attend.  I start to swoon at the first smell of mulch... crazy, I know. But don't you just love knowing that the tomato on your plate was warmed by the sun, and can bring nourishment to your family?  This year, I'm pretty sure more folks will be planting their own garden with the economy in the slump.  In planning my garden this year, I vow not to be swayed by the fancy tomatoes and eggplant - I really just want the 'easy to take care of' organic varieties that will do well and feed my family.  At this point, I don't feel we have a choice - we all need to do something about feeding ourselves in order to break the pattern of putting pesticides and additives in our bodies.

My heart will be singing this weekend as I linger over the incredible offerings at the Gore sale.  I will post photos once I get back.

It's Garden Planning Time!

I love this time of year.  It's not quite time to do the garden work - you know - digging, hauling, raking, mulching, dirt encased under the fingernails...  But it is time to dream and plan like crazy.  Last year, we had a deck built off the back of our house.  I can't wait to see if the extra sun space will give me enough room to grow our family veggies for the summer.  The first step is to install some hanging hooks to hang these nifty upside-down tomato bags.  Next, we will look into building deck planters to thinly line the deck for lettuces and other various greens.  Above those, we will have off-railing planters for flowers, herbs and other lovelies.  I have yet to find the large 1/2 barrels for things like cucumbers and squash to grow either as bushes or up poles.  

I have most of the sun in the front yard.  So far, all we have planted have been herbs and flowers.  Perhaps this is the year we actually turn over more of the grass to plant larger plants such as pole beans, larger tomato plants and (could we?) corn.  I would really like to try fingerling potatoes in buckets, so these may go up to the deck as well.  The hottest part of our property seems to be the driveway, which many people use, but well...maybe we'll just have to squeeze just out a bit more space.  

Down the side of the house, lining the driveway, we planted a couple of blueberry bushes.  Though we didn't expect it, we did get a small handful of berries this past year, and hope for more as the years move along.

We go to a local non-profit group in May for our heirloom vegetable plants each year.  It's a great sale, only $4 per 4" plant or 6 pack.  There are so many amazing and hard to find herbs that have found homes in my garden over the years.  I enjoy adding more to the beds every year.

One of my favorite parts of our garden is the creeping phlox that is just beginning to hang over our rock wall out front.  Every spring, visitors are met with an explosion of color as they walk up our walkway, pink, white, dark red, spilling over the wall, reaching for the ground.  When we first moved to this house 10 years ago, I saw a yard filled with phlox in the neighborhood, with the phlox growing every which way, and spilling over a wall.  I knew right then I wanted that too, so off to the garden shop I went for my little plants.  I bought 7 phlox babies, and when I got them into the ground, I thought they'd never grow big enough to spill over the wall.  But now, 10 years later, they are spilling away in a lovely manner.  

So much joy is gained in making food for one's family.  Watching things bud and bloom brings light to the heart.  And the effort involved in making the yard beautiful is so good for us - out in the sun, breaking a sweat.  So good.  I love spring.