Lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer…
I love this time of year. Looking back over our shoulders at where we’ve been the last three to four months, how could we not be amazed by the shape and size of all that is growing in our gardens. Even the hailstorm that ripped the plants to shreds last month couldn’t destroy its beauty. The tomatoes, beans, and greens are going strong.
If you want to enjoy some amazing community gardens (and some pretty cute chicken coops as well) come out for the 2010 Albuquerque Coop and Garden Tour this Saturday and Sunday, July 31st and August 1st. Maps will be available at the website by Friday. If you come by The Source garden on Saturday, I’ll be there along with other gardeners to show you around. It’s free, it’s local, it’s educational, it’s inspiring and it’s one of the best ways to see all varieties of urban gardens and backyard farms, and put to rest forever the notion that you can’t garden. It’s not too late to get one in this year!
The next couple of weeks gardeners should really consider how to integrate a fall garden into their growing spaces. I am a firm believer in growing year around here in Albuquerque and most of mid and southern New Mexico as well. Why waste all those warm, sunny fall and winter days?
A good overall plan is important and must include the following:
What is the location and how much sunlight will be available to the bed mid-winter?
What is being grown in that space now so we can determine appropriate crops in rotation?
And don’t forget a key question: what do I like to eat?
You would be surprised how many people take up a garden project without careful consideration to what they actually like to eat! If you plant something you and your family have never tried, you may find it way too easy to forgo a trip outside on a cold day to check on turnips and parsnips.
I’m also urging the community garden to get something like this going on one of the properties as soon as possible. 
Far less costly than a greenhouse and faster to put up, hoop houses are practical and economical whether used as season extenders or for starting seeds. Hopefully, if our hoop house becomes a reality it will serve both purposes. (I’ll let you know here when the Hoop House workshop is scheduled.) Chery at The Source garden ate from her winter greens bed for over three months simply by adding a piece of plastic cover to the bed and holding it in place with rocks. Surely a bit more construction and stability will add months of greens and other tasty items to our menus.
I also encourage the saving of seeds from heirloom and non-hybrid varieties of all plants. With a hoop house, we become even more self-sufficient by growing our own seedlings for each season. Here’s a good check list for what you can still plant and harvest this fall compliments of Urban Farmer Seeds.
For starting seeds, one of the simplest, cheapest way to start your own seedlings is with newspaper. Check it out. We’ll be making some this week and staring our fall garden seedlings.
How to Create Seed-Starting Pots From Newspapers — powered by eHow.com
Whew! If you already have that beautiful garden/growing area happening, come register with the 2012 Edible Abq Gardens by 2012, an initiative that started here but is gaining popularity all over the country. It’s free, it’s simple and it will help us all connect more deeply with the urban gardening movement in our city.
And finally, here is the lunar planting guide for the coming month compliments of Farmers Almanac:
July 2010
24th-26th First Day Good For Planting Above Ground Crops. Last Two Days Are Good For Planting Beets, Carrots, Salsify, Irish Potatoes, And Other Root Crops.
27th-28th Good Days For Killing Weeds, Briars And Other Plant Pests, Poor For Planting.
29th-31st Good Days For Planting Beets, Carrots, Radishes, Salsify, Turnips, Peanuts, And Other Root Crops. Also Good For Planting Melons, Cucumbers, Pumpkins, And Other Vine Crops. Set Strawberry Plants.
August 2010
1st-2nd Barren Days, Do No Planting.
3rd-4th Root Crops That Can Be Planted Now Will Yield Well.
5th-6th Any Seeds Planted Now Will Tend To Rot.
7th-8th Most Favorable Days For Planting Beets, Onions, Turnips, And Other Root Crops. Plant Seedbeds And Flower Gardens.
9th-13th A Barren Time. Best For Killing Weeds, Briars, Poison Ivy, And Other Plant Pests. Clear Woodlots And Fence Rows.
14th-15th Good Days For Planting Above Ground Crops. Excellent For Sowing Grains, Winter Wheat, Oats, And Rye. Plant Flowers.
16th-17th Plant Peas, Beans, Tomatoes, Peppers, And Other Above Ground Crops In Southern Florida, California, And Texas. Extra Good For Leafy Vegetables. Plant Seedbeds.
18th-20th Cut Winter Wood, Do Clearing And Plowing, But No Planting.
21st-22nd A Good Time To Plant Above Ground Crops.
23rd-25th Barren Days.fine For Killing Plant Pests.
26th-27th Favorable Days For Planting Root Crops, Fine For Vine Crops.
28th-29th Barren Days.do No Planting.
30th-31st Root Crops That Can Be Planted Now Will Yield Well.
Hope to see you this weekend at the Garden Tour where you can meet folks like Melanie Rubin and visit her backyard farm!
A Cure for the Gulf Coast Blues
And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.- Kahlil Gibran
Hard these days not to feel either hopeless and depressed or so outraged and disgusted you consider creating open season on the management of BP Oil. Yeah, been there myself.
What does pull me up from the pits of despair is something like this photo, taken last year of my granddaughter, feeding lorikeets at the Rio Grande Zoo. When one of them landed on her head, I prepared for a lorikeet mob action if Maddie began to cry or shriek.
Instead, she stood statue-like, asking if I could see any more wanting to join in. Unconcerned about the possibility of “droppings” she was in awe of this contact between thirsty winged creatures and herself and was totally content to allow it to continue. Sorry I don’t have a pic of the enormous grin on her 7 year old face.
I recently returned from a four-day gathering of indigenous elders and others in a small town outside Kansas City, Missouri. I just needed to be out of the city, with people I hoped understood what I am feeling. You know, that sort of camaraderie where you don’t have to explain how you know something or why it’s important. Where there aren’t many deep, head-tripping discussions, just deep moments of silence and laughter and sharing. And here there were ceremony, sweat lodges, ritual which didn’t demand university degrees or letters of introduction. The only prerequisite was respect for the Earth, respect for each other and a willingness to be present.
I also drove to Missouri in search of some clarity on how to continue through all that was collapsing around the world. The group prayed for the Gulf while being reminded that Mother Earth knows what she’s doing so don’t drag her down with your own unrelenting grief. Rather, if we choose to pray, pray for ourselves: to regain balance, to remember our place within and among all the other creatures of the Earth, to set aside our incessant addiction to things, things and more things. We were asked to become givers, to stop taking more than we need. And most interesting for me at this time, we were instructed to be “in-joy.”
Indeed, CELEBRATING the Earth on a daily basis could be just the shift we need to re-balance our relationship with the only home we’ll ever know: this miraculous blue, spinning ball suspended in space by an invisible energetic connection with an enormous swirling gaseous ball of fire. When I wake up each morning, I can only marvel that I slept peacefully while spinning in space at approximately 1,000 mph on a large sphere chasing around the Sun at (hold on!) 67,000 mph! And what would this planet be like if gravity had lined us up say, 100 miles further away or 100 miles closer to our star/sun. Think about that….
This message of joy keeps coming back to me through various channels and frankly it is the one action I can initiate that moves me out of anger and pain. I look for joy and celebration in every moment. I find myself being less critical of those who are responsible for this greed and irresponsibility because in some ways, I AM RESPONSIBLE.
I drive a car– still; I reluctantly accept a styrofoam cup when there are no other choices offered; I wrap left-overs in cling wrap or ziploc bags. Minor infractions, maybe, but multiplied by millions of people millions of times each week and well, that adds up to a lot of petroleum. After meeting up with Julia Butterfly Hill in St. Louis recently, I’ve started carrying my own china, drinking cup, napkin and utensils to functions so that I can take them home and wash and not use disposables.
I’m driving less on purpose, got my bike out of the shop, spending more time helping in the gardens, saving seeds, getting ready for an adventure with the same granddaughter.
We’ll drive this summer to see the redwoods in Northern California. I’ve dreamed of meeting them face to face since I was Maddie’s age. When she was born, I made a silent vow to her “One day you and I will go the redwoods together.” That was almost nine years ago. This is the summer I’ve committed to fulfilling the vow. Another part nags at me to stop consuming gas just for my own personal road trip. And the other part of me isn’t so sure we’ll have another opportunity. This I can give her and me now, this is a once in a lifetime adventure. We can’t know about next summer let alone next month. What I do know is that we can stand together in the temple of the redwoods, in awe and in balance for a little while, simply experiencing the magnificence of beings that pose no threat, harm no one or no thing, take nothing more than they require for survival, and when their time on the planet is finished ease back into the very soil and soul of the source of life.
I have a strong feeling that while she stands in the shadow of trees taller than any building she’s seen in her life, a bird just might flutter by. Maybe even land on her shoulder.
In joy!
Meeting at 7:30am on Saturday, June 26, utilizing the energy of the Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse to activate a vision for Mother Earth in her Highest Light. Location is Rio Grande River bridge on Central NW in Albuquerque. Hope to see you there! (PS: HIGH fire danger-no candles, lighters, incense, etc.)
Gardening calendar for June/July from the Farmer’s Alamanac:
June 2010
25th-26th Poor Planting Days. Cut Hay Or Do General Farm Work.
27th-29th Plant Late Beets, Potatoes, Onions, Carrots, And Other Root Crops.
30th. Poor Day For Planting. Kill Plant Pests, Spray, Fertilize, Do General Farm Work.
July 2010
1st. Good Day For Killing Weeds, Briars And Other Plant Pests, Poor For Planting.
2nd-4th Good Days For Planting Beets, Carrots, Radishes, Salsify, Turnips, Peanuts, And Other Root Crops. Also Good For Planting Melons, Cucumbers, Pumpkins, And Other Vine Crops. Set Strawberry Plants.
5th-6th A Barren Period.
7th-8th Root Crops That Can Be Planted Now Will Yield Well.
9th-10th Poor Days For Planting, Seeds Tend To Rot In Ground.
11th-12th Most Favorable For Corn, Cotton, Okra, Beans, Peppers, Eggplant, And Other Above Ground Crops. Plant Seedbeds And Flower Gardens
13th-16th A Most Barren Period. Kill Plant Pests And Do General Farm Work.
17th-18th Favorable For Planting Peas, Beans, Tomatoes, And Other Fall Crops Bearing Above Ground. Sow Grains And Forage Crops. Plant Flowers.
Amazing ways to honor Big Momma!
It’s been an intensely painful week personally, trying to deal with so much human-induced abuse to this amazing planet and to all of her creatures, including humans. And while some days all I can do is walk by the river and weep, I’ve received some truly inspiring ideas recently that are happening right in our community. Here are just a few I hope can perk up your Momma’s day.
Yes, it’s TRUE! The World Hunger Exhibition is coming our way in just a few days! Read the rest of this entry »
It’s March: we’re late, we’re late!
For now it’s been typical spring in Albuquerque: snow, rain, wind, sunshine, heat, more wind. I hope you already have peas in the ground. Pea seeds love to be snowed on at least once this time of year. And get those potatoes going–in bags, boxes, tires!
I recently facilitated a short workshop on “Taking Your Garden to the Next Level” for the Albuquerque Backyard Farms priming attendees to get their garden ideas out of their heads and into action. It’s important to think about not one or two but three seasons when you start laying all those seed packets on the kitchen table. You’ll want to get on the ABF email list because this group of talented, feisty gardening and farming addicts has pulled together a non-stop list of workshops, garden tours and resources to help everyone realize their desire for self-sufficiency.
At the March workshop, the first of the Albuquerque Backyard Farms series for 2010, I introduced folks to two zippy little on-line planting programs to help in setting up your schedule for the coming season–especially if you’re behind in your planning! Read the rest of this entry »
For Haiti’s Sake: A Permaculture Relief Corps
Permaculture is a design system based on ethics and principles which can be used to establish, design, manage and improve all efforts made by individuals, households and communities towards a sustainable future.
There is a growing buzz on the internet and social networking systems about a “different” kind of aid effort: a Permaculture relief corps. There is actually a listserve devoted to this discussion and articles are popping up all over engaging in this theme. Why Permaculture and what would a “permaculture relief” team look like? Here’s one article I found helpful on Maddy Harland’s blog Permaculture Magazine Editorial. Read the rest of this entry »
New Year, New Moon and Haiti
As I was writing this last week, I was feeling the excitement of a book nearly completed, of a Youtube video on ‘outrageous gardening’ being edited, of all the support I receive on nearly a daily basis from friends, family, colleagues and the amazing women of my personal sisterhood collective. I was ready to announce the availability of my book on the New Moon, Jan. 15th.
And then it was Tuesday evening at my computer, after a delicious meal with a good friend, that I received the first dispatch from Margaret Trost, founder and chairperson of the What If? Foundation: Read the rest of this entry »
An end to hunger and poverty: don’t doubt!
“It is important for people to realize that we can make progress against world hunger, that world hunger is not hopeless. The worst enemy is apathy.”
– Reverend David Beckmann
And sealed within apathy is the feeling of helplessness with a smattering of “it will always be this way” thrown at us on a daily basis.
Sunflowers shouldn’t grow in a sidewalk grate but they can and do. If I believed it would always be this way, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do which is teach people to garden, collect simple, sustainable methods for gardening, or plant even one seed. Gardening teaches me that nothing is impossible or unchangeable.
Life in general IS change. Without change we could not grow, heal from illness, bake bread, fall in love, have children. All those and more demand that something changes. And true to the life energy itself, my personal career path has meandered onto a completely different territory since August, one that is allowing me more time to write on the book that set this blog in motion.
The purpose for this blog and the book remain–seeking ways to end hunger and poverty at the most basic and empowering level by growing our own food. Read the rest of this entry »
Full Moon BOOK Giveaway
This Lammas I had much to celebrate. My personal “harvest” included a transition to new type of position living alongside a house full of women on the University of New Mexico campus. This allows me to use many of the skills I’ve acquired over this lifetime (including patience which I know will be tested many times) and provides time to continue to write and support all the new gardens cropping up (no pun intended) all over the city.
While re-reading the most recent edition of Cosmic Time ezine from astrologer, Allison Rae, I couldn’t help but see myself and this new position reflected in her column. Her Star Priestess website and blog are pure poetry and her insights are uplifting and positive while keeping us well-grounded: in the movements of the planets and the constellations, and in this amazing Universe where our exquisite blue planet is suspended. Here are her thoughts on the power of the ancient celebration of Lammas (traditionally August 1-2) and its late summer dance in the wheel of the year: Read the rest of this entry »
Growing food–Missouri style!
It’s been a wild and crazy year in the garden–cool early summer in Albuquerque and now blistering hot. I’ve traveled to the midwest and back and while some of my plants withered while I was gone, I have the fall garden to look forward to. Three season gardening should become the norm rather than remain an exception and one of easiest systems for creating a fall garden while preparing for the spring is with the “lasagna gardening” system made popular by Patricia Lanza. (You can buy her book–Lasagna Gardening– from the Amazon link on the right side of this blog.) Everyone seems to be doing it. And why not? You can create a flourishing garden right over the weeds or compacted soil or even the driveway. And while I prepare a raised bed system for many reasons–more drainage in wetter areas, easier access, easier to protect from frost damage–there is no faster, cheaper way to get started growing food than with a lasagna bed. And here’s a cute little youtube video from Peaceful Meadow Farm to prove it:
The “secret” of Outrageous Gardens
[This site was fully operational in less than 24 hours and even faster thanks to my amazing webmistress Michelle Vandepas of Divine Purpose Unleashed and some powerful intending. Although I don't generally promote for profit sites, I can't say enough positive things about this amazing woman. If anyone is still wondering about putting up a website or grumbling about the lack of attention from a current situation, run! fly! to her website and come under the loving spell of Michelle.]
So what’s the “secret?”
The title of this blog may be a bit deceiving to some yet I am quite certain that what we call gardens are simply energetic relationships that manifest through the intention of soil, seeds, water, air and sunlight brought together all in one place. People at our workshops watch us throw together some newspaper, dried leaves, spoiled hay or grass clippings, some not quite decomposed compost, maybe some pumice stones or even cola cans, toss them into a tire or wading pool or a rectangle of straw bales– VOILA! –they see a garden. I see the Universe. But that’s another blog. Read the rest of this entry »
