Tag Archives: gardening

July 25, 2015 · 10:04 am

Regroup

I was away for six days at the Integral Theory Conference 2015 upon my return the garden had exploded once again!! Home for a few days now, thoughts turn to conference impact & the next phase of the garden. I realize I’m not exactly sure when to harvest certain foods or how I will be able to eat all of it! It is amazing to have fresh vegetables!

It is also amazing to reflect on the fact the speedy travel to Northern California exists – I think about the Edson Trail and how it could take up to three months to travel from Edmonton to Grande Prairie. This is currently a 4.5 hour drive. This leads me to thinking about transport of food and associated costs.

Food waste on a personal and commercial levels is a hot topic this month. With France declaring it illegal to throw food out, and Jon Oliver showcasing food waste in the U.S. (I’m sure Canadian waste would compare) and knowing how much work went into my small garden I feel compelled to review and modify my shopping, and waste habits.

One day last year I decided to only purchase Canadian products with a preference for Alberta grown, then any other province. It was eye opening. My cart had about twelve items and the cost of anything Canadian was considerable higher than produce from California or Seafood from Malaysia or India. What sticks outs is prawns from Asia about $8, white spot prawns from British Columbia $30. Access to food and affordability, a topic for another post. Not to mention production processes, labour standards and factory farming. Front yard gardens should be the norm

Specific Winking Beagle Updates – beans have arrived, peas are crazy and even a single cucumber showed up. My dad was up for a few days and built the best climber for the peas – I’ll admit mine was dismal at best! I’ll be adjusting the pea location next year as well, I have to climb into the box to reach all of them. Oops!

Hillbilly Pea Climbers (according to dad)

Peas…

Beans…

Happy to report that between myself, RC, Milena, Uncle Murray and the dogs everything picked; including pea shells and strawberry tops has been consumed. More picking today!

I almost forgot an amazing surprise (sort of) from Mother Nature was also waiting for to get home – an abundance of Saskatoons!

Saskatoons waiting for harvest

Berries!

Patience is a Virtue

At this point the kale is now gone, radishes soon to follow… All at the hands of a small moth with the biological imperative to reproduce. I am also just letting those crops go – exhale – non attachment. I have also made several observations – potatoes are growing like gang busters – but will be moved to far east bed where the wind seems the craziest next year. All other crops are moving along, but at the same time seem stunted. I think they need more heat – less wind.

This week, the most exciting discovery is that little Grizzabella has a flower – so perhaps she will bear fruit. The band aid is still on, as is the gauze and chop sticks they haven’t blown off!!!

The wind has died down. A little rain and things seem to be coming together. It’s been a busy couple of weeks. Coming and going. Memorials, baby showers, going away parties and retirement celebrations. Many opportunities to practice non attachment. My Buddha candle continues to exist in a halfway state and the quote “go ahead… PRACTICE NON-ATTACHMENT Burn the Buddha! (You can do it)” is always running through my mind.

Will wrap up this post with freshly hilled potatoes – done by hand – so therapeutic! And hands reeking of Cilantro one if my favorites!

Go Ahead…

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Tagged as buddha, calm, cilantro, gardening, go ahead, june, non-attachment, potatoes, raised beds, solstice

May 30, 2015 · 11:14 am

Patience (or lack thereof)

The wind is non-stop. I for one, am pretty much done with it! Keeping the garden watered has been a huge challenge, the wind just strips the moisture off the top. I can only imagine (and I am sure not accurately) the dustbowls of the 1930s. Between the wind, the dust, the inability to grow food or make and income…

I don’t claim to be a historian, but I will say Barry Broadfoot’s Ten Lost Years had an impact. My dad had a copy, and of course it ended up in my hands – I was probably 13 or 14 when I read it. Pre high school English curriculum – thinking back to English 10,20,30 I am disappointed that Grapes of Wrath was the required reading and not a Canadian equivalent, being honest all anyone talked about was Rose of Sharon feeding the dying man – grow up I know… In Grade 11 I had to read and write an essay on Who Has Seen the Wind by W.O. Mitchell – yes a depression era story, but my story of that essay writing experience should be saved for another day – I am sure my mom will agree!!

Any rate, back to the garden – A few hiccups this week.

WIND!! Power Outage for several hours one evening. I had no idea until the water from the hose started to sputter and gasp. I went straight to the garden from my car – didn’t go inside. Apparently the well requires power to operate to it’s best ability.

Garden being used as giant cat litter box – ten acres and the garden is the best place for it. Always where the tiniest sprouts are coming up.

Came home Tuesday Evening to find little Grizzy snapped almost in half – I found a band aid, and some gauze and chopsticks for a plant splint – she seems to be surviving, but is she thriving? In my focus on a single plant I neglected to water one bed and came home Friday to semi wilted peas and more wind!! ARGH.

All is watered and I even started weeding. They are just big enough to bother…

I will say that I am not confident in my carrots – give them a chance I know – but still I can hear Blake Shelton on The Voice – and I am pretty confident growing carrots is not in “My Wheelhouse”.

Lack of patience and expectation, my nemesis (nemesi?) were leading the way this week. Lucky for me this article popped in my newsfeed: Is There a Way to Make Plants Grow Faster?

Thanks to fellow blogger – culturalsnafu.wordpress.com for a great write up on Ten Lost Years and made it possible for me to not have to use an Amazon review… Canadian Encyclopaedia http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/ (I just discovered this today), and rodalesorganiclife.com for the patience…

Tag Archives: gardening

Regroup

Patience is a Virtue

Patience (or lack thereof)

Images from the Road

Catch up with Roadnoises