Gaia's garden seeds

ideas about growing a self seeding polycultural matrix to plant your garden into

2011-07-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

Nature almost always plants in polycultures or matrices. The plants in these groupings tend to support one another in multiple ways. Some plants readily access certain nutrients better, and share with their neighbours through leaf fall and dieback. Their roots are constantly growing and then dying slightly as the weather changes. The dead bits release nutrients, and sometimes medicinals for the other plants to access. Some plants are better at attracting pollinators, or predators for plant eating bugs. Others are strong smelling and confuse the pests. This makes it difficult for them to find their food. We know that certain plants grow better next to certain others. We can plan this if we want to, but I find that in a self seeding polyculture nature seems to take care of it. That and the fact that we should edit those plants who are unhappy. Certain plants seem to be adaptogens for others. In other words they make them stronger. A mixture also means that plants have different profiles. Some have deeper roots, some creep on the ground, and others are tall and thin. Nature also leaves no bare soil. Bare soil equals weeds. We may as well choose what kind of weeds will grow there. I have noticed in the garden, that bare soil often dries out faster due to exposure to wind and sun. Those areas planted more thickly often actually had more soil moisture. Thick planting can be a form of mulch. Polycultures have so much to teach us, and are less work to maintain than monocultures. They also have less disease and pest problems.

Self seeding annuals and biennials that can form part of a polycultural base to plant into can include the following in the Pacific northwest. Parsley overwinters well and is biennial so let a few set seed each year for a continual crop. Cilantro is a short lived self seeding annual. Harvest the seeds as coriander. Calendula is both edible and medicinal. The flowers look great in salads and teas. Dill is great in all kinds of foods and makes a gentle stomach soother. Johnny-jump-up flowers and leaves can be eaten. Seed poppies AKA opium poppies produce an edible seed, and an opiate from the plant. Kale is a winter hardy biennial that gets better in the cold. Mustard gives wonderful spicy spring greens. Lettuce should be a 4 seasons type, able to withstand heat and cold. Parsnips are a self seeding biennial that store in the ground overwinter. Eat the roots before they start to head into setting seed the second year. Leave the largest to reseed. Hollyhocks are another edible biennial with very edible cooked leaves and flowers for salads. Baby plants make great spring greens. Cosmos is the only one on the list not edible, but the beneficials love it as they do almost all listed plants when in flower. Sunflowers have edible seeds of course, but the flower petals, very young seedlings, and flower buds are all also edible. Potatoes will come every year if a few are left in the ground each fall, and so will garlic. Garlic will do better as a separate crop, but it aids the other plants in the polyculture. I have had tomatoes self seed into my polyculture when I gardened in Winnipeg. Principe Borghese was a small plum cherry tomato used for sun drying in Italy that regularly produced a plant full of ripe tomatoes from a self seeded plant before frost came. Arugula is a spicy nutty flavoured green which comes in 3 kinds. One of them is perennial. Nasturtiums have spicily edible leaves and flowers, and the green seeds have been used as a caper substitute. Chickweed is both edible and medicinal. Radishes can be pulled for roots and cookable leaves, or left to set seedpods which can be eaten green. One plant produces bowls full of seedpods which taste like juicy little radishes if picked before they get woody. Lambs quarters is another weedy edible self seeder. The leaves are packed with nutrients. Magenta spreen is a prettier version of lambs quarters with a shimmery magenta undercoating to the young leaves. Sweet dames rocket is a self seeding biennial with edible young leaves and flowers. Orach comes with red or green leaves for salad or cooking. Fennel is a self seeding perennial or biennial with edible leaves for salads, fish, and veggies, and the seeds are familiar from spice racks. Skirret and Salsify will also self seed into a polyculture happily. It seems that the "weedier" and closer to their wild relatives these plants are the better they grow in matrixes.

For greater biodiversity and range of nutrients, perennials should also be part of the mix. Egyptian walking onions multiply well and can produce at least 2 crops a year. The first is the extra green onions in early spring, and the others come from the top sets. Dandelions are great for the soil nutrients as well as being edible and medicinal. Because they bloom early the beneficial insects love them. Welsh onions are another perennial onion ready to thin out in early spring. It also has ornamental and edible flower heads. Onion seed can also be used as a spice. The extra seedlings make great baby green onions for salads. Chives will give a lot of cut and come again greens and flower heads. Garlic chives are similar but garlic flavoured and bloom much later. Daylily is a wonderful edible surprise for most people. Flowers, flower buds, dried old flowers, root bulbs and spring greens are all edible in the tawny daylily. The flowers of other daylilies are edible, with the orange and yellow ones supposedly tasting the best. Hyssop is a wonderful medicinal for the respiratory tract, and the leaves are used for a bitter minty flavour with beef or in salads. Lemon balm can be eaten in salad, drank in a tea, or used as a soothing medicine. Elecampane roots are medicinal in their second year. The flowers have also been used medicinally. It self seeds freely and the first year roots are bitter but were eaten as a vegetable in the middle ages. Angelica has edible and medicinal leaves. I include a few in salads and teas. It is Macrocarpic, meaning it dies after setting seed. It is worth letting it go to seed just to attract the huge crowd of pollinators it gets. Sweet cicely has edible leaves and seeds. The leaves are added to rhubarb to sweeten with less sugar. Lovage has edible potently celery flavoured stalks and leaves. It self seeds freely, but the small seedlings are easy to pull and great in spring salads and cooked green dishes. Plantain is a weed with edible and medicinal leaves. It is also a great nutrient accumulator. It seems that salad greens, cooking greens, and roots tend to grow best in polycultures.

Thinning, harvesting and choosing where to plant into the matrix are the biggest jobs of a polyculture gardener. Editing is the hardest part. I find I need to thin more than I think I do each year. It is difficult to pull healthy growing baby plants, but I get better crops if I thin fairly heavily. Remember that certain kinds of seed comes up later than others, so keep thinning as you harvest to leave room for newcomers. Taller perennials and biennials should be left to grow near the north side of the garden. Their seedlings can be pulled and eaten in other areas. Seedlings that are too copious to be eaten make great high nutrient animal food or compost.

Many modern vegetables don't do as well in a crowded polyculture. Even those that do ok will do better if given a little space. Broad beans seem to like growing in polycultures especially when fall seeded, and they provide nitrogen to the soil. Beets seem to do ok if given enough moisture and rich soil. Most of the cabbage family does well if cleared around. The same for tomatoes. Corn does well from transplants with judicious thinning of the matrix. Most of these things will do better if transplanted in. Young shrubs and trees can also be planted into the matrix with the end goal of having a food forest. As the woodies grow they'll slowly outcompete the forbs below them, but this will take years. In the meantime you will have edible plants around it that are better for the tree or shrub than the normal grass. Biodynamic gardeners have studied companion planting for years, and have recognised that fruit trees do worse when surrounded by grass.

It should be no surprise to us that many plants prefer a monoculture. We have been selectively breeding them as solo crops for thousands of years. If we grow something as a monoculture and select the strongest plants, we are selecting for those who like the monoculture. Most beans, peas, peppers, cucumbers, melons, carrots, strawberries, annual onions, and the main crop of garlic will all produce better in separate beds. This just means that the beds they go into get more heavily harvested before planting to this years crop. Squash will smother the polyculture in it's bed once it gets going, and needs to be free from competition when younger. The Mediterranean herbs like thyme, sage, rosemary, lavender and winter savoury will grow better in a dryer bed with less competition. Give everything a small trial to see what works for you. Polycultures imitate nature, with plants growing more naturally to support one another. Nature has been working at the concept for millennia. We might as well follow her lead, and learn something while growing highly nutritious foods.

Voluntary simplicity- my reasoning behind it and how it plays out in my life

2011-07-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

I spend less, use less, and recycle more for many reasons. Almost everything we purchase costs the environment in terms of pollution during manufacture, transportation, and depletion of resources. By reducing, repurposing, and re-using I can eliminate some of those environmental costs. If enough of us do this there is less overall demand, with, we are told, a reduction in price for what we do consume.
When I buy less I can spend my money more ethically by being able to afford organics, fair trade, cruelty free, and local products. Yes, these items cost a bit more per each, but overall I am spending much less money, and am supporting processes that are much more ethically acceptable to me. If I cannot condone cage raising of animals, then how can I pay money towards the cruelty of modern mega farms. If I don't want excess hormones in my drinking water or my meat, then I must needs support a permaculture or agriculture that doesn't utilise them. The less I purchase the less packaging I force into the environment. If I don't use disposables the environment benefits greatly as does my pocketbook.
Another cost we tend to forget is the labour and lack of autonomy required to earn the income to buy the junk. Earning an income costs a portion of that income. Most jobs entail special clothing, the need to make or buy lunch, the costs of getting to and from work, and more. So we spend x percent of the income on earning the income. Then there is the assumption by most employers that ones ethics are theirs. I have been ordered to lie, been lied to, been knowingly safety compromised, and more by my employers. In case you think this is exceptional, the last employer to do this to me was the department of health in Manitoba under an NDP government. I am going by their actions, not their words. There was all kinds of lip service to keeping us safe.. As long as it didn't cost any money. These things are unacceptable to me. So I now do odd jobs, which means that if an employer and I disagree on what is OK, we can end the relationship, with no real harm to anyone. Losing a fulltime job for refusing to lie is very hard on the employee. Jobs are hard to get. If one is a good worker and arrives when he says, then part time jobs are easy to find. Casual Labour is also really easy to fit into your schedule, rather than fitting your life into your work schedule, as most full and part- time jobs do. I like being able to go somewhere when I want.

Many people who drive a car forget to cost into each trip a portion of the cars original cost, the financing necessary to pay for it, insurance, drivers licence, traffic tickets, taxes for cops for traffic tickets, taxes for infrastructure necessary for the vehicle, cost of the land and garage to park the vehicle, etc… Then there are all the environmental, health, visual, noise, traffic "accident", and other miscellaneous costs involved. When you figure out how many hours of work that is a week, add on the costs of working for those hours and translate that to hours, add in time to pay the taxes on the income, you'll often find that most any other way to get to work costs less. Especially when you add in the health benefits from walking or riding a bike to work. So I bike or walk to work. I get to enjoy the scenery, My vehicle and I kill a minimal amount of insects, as ossposed to the current slaughter of all kinds of wildlife on our streets, roads, and highways. I've seen road kill of insects, amphibians, mammals, reptiles, and birds. I get to talk to and acknowledge more people. I get a relaxed sense of the flow of time. The cash costs are minimal. The benefits are ongoing.. And you should see my legs :D

When you purchase food, unless your cash is limited, you lose a lot of control over what goes into your food. Many items going into the food aren't labelled. Excess packaging is making a wasteland of our oceans. Medications and hormones in our animal products are harming us and the environment. Modern farming practices are destroying the soil and the web of life. People starve while we waste hordes of edible food due to classist, ineffective and unnecessary food safety rules. GMOs are rapidly polluting our food stream. Transportation comes with environmental and monetary costs. Our food intake directly affects our health on many levels. I need to have as much control of this as possible. So, I grow what I can in my embryonic polycultural permaculture. I barter for or buy from friends and neighbours for veggies, fruit and animal products that are environmentally and ethically raised. When I have to purchase from elsewhere, I try to get organic, fair trade, from as close as possible in bulk so as to reduce frequency of transportation and packaging. There are huge problems with the organic standards council now, and so I do not always trust that "certified organic" means what I think, or would like it to mean. This means I want to know the farmer as often as possible, and preferably be it. At present, I am a landless farmer. I have 3 large 6x80 raised veggie beds [produce shared with friends, food bank, and fellow community gardeners] in the community garden, a medium sized 30x45 Carbohydrates garden, and a share of 2 family gardens in exchange for labour and some seed. A friend and I are also sharing 7 hens and a rooster, which we range in chicken tractors on her land. We get plenty of high vitamin eggs, and are hoping for chicks for replacement egg layers and some stewing fowl. I forage for wild foods of all kinds-salad components, cooking greens, shellfish, mushrooms, berries, and more. I do eat meat, mostly local and free range. Some of it is raised as a functioning part of a polycultural farm. Polycultural raised meat on marginal land contributes to our diet while enhancing the environment. My diet is quite varied and contains a huge amount of natural vitamins and minerals. Because I am gluten intolerant I am still paying a lot of money for my food. However I knowingly pay extra to hopefully get organic grains. I want to support healthy farming practices, and maintain a good balance of nutrients in my diet. Better nutrition and a greater range of nutrient sources means better health. Better health means less personal and health care costs. I've also come to the conclusion that multi-national agri-corporations have purchased our government when it comes to agricultural, environmental and chemical issues. By choosing to support the little farmer who doesn't use their stuff, I cut off some of their money. The less money they have the less they can influence my government. I do eat out and I tip well. This isn't about doing without. It's about being happy about where my money goes. I preserve my food in a way that uses as little electricity as possible. Solar dehydration, dehydration above the wood stove, curing and canning are my favourite ways to do so.

I have huge issues with much of what my government is doing right now. They do more thing that I disagree with than things they do that I benefit from. War mongering, murdering innocent women and children, condoning torture, embracing the chemical industries, supporting GMOs, trashing the environment repeatedly, bailing out those who caused the last crash, bailing out the auto makers who have refused to embrace alternative technologies, increasing the gap between rich and poor, blaming the poor for their problems, fear mongering, a hugely expensive, ineffective and classist food safety system, recanting on our basic rights and freedoms, homophobia and racism are all unacceptable to me. The current government does all those things Our health care system is awash in a sea of red tape and bureaucracy. It also denigrates holistic and dietary health care while shoving unnecessary and often harmful drugs at us. These drugs are showing up in our eco-system and creating super-bugs, which we are told we need stronger drugs with worse side effects to deal with. Our school system is based on left brain[ rationalistic, straight line thinking] while ignoring the rest, and teaching our kids to memorise as opposed to teaching them how to think critically. They are trained to follow orders and accept that those in power are unquestionable. Our roads are designed to need fixing quickly, which creates more pollution and costs us more. Our government has a prejudice against pedestrians and cyclists.. If I earn a small enough income I am not supporting them in these issues through my taxes. If I purchase less through regular channels I pay less gst or hst, and support the government less. If this means that I get less "benefits" I am willing to live with that. I cannot support the rest of what they do.

I find that a cash or plastic economy dehumanises the transactions, and often leaves both parties feeling like they could have done better. Yes I need cash. I pay certain bills, buy food and products, and deal with the government with cash. When I can I do trade, or pay as you can afford. Those type of transactions always make me feel like I've gained more than I've given. Usually the other person involved feels the same way.
I get my clothing second hand or free as much as possible. I reduce, re-use and recycle a lot. I use second-hand pickle jars to store my dried foods. I use the library and buy books and give them to the library. There are 2 libraries here, and both of them are community funded, not funded through taxes. Much of my clothing and kitchen ware came from the free store [a second hand shop that doesn't charge]. I also donate where possible to them. I cut my own hair with a 30$ set of clippers which have lasted for 3 years so far. At a haircut every 6 weeks, or, more likely, every month, my haircuts have cost less than 1$ each, even if you count in the electricity costs. I use less than 5$ worth of hydro a month. My propane for cooking costs somewhere around 20$ every 3 months. My water comes from the land. I work trade for a place to live. I cut deadfall for my firewood. I buy my art supplies from the local bookstore and support a friend through my purchases. I grow, wild craft or work trade most of my medicinal herbs. Most of my health care practices are holistic, and cost no extra cash. I get my exercise from my work and my method of transportation, as well as dancing. I get my education from online, through books and libraries, from friends and neighbours, and lastly by paying for it.I have a cell phone and a mini laptop. The cell costs 55$ a month and I dislike the health issues surrounding it. I buy a phone card for 4 cents a minute long distance. As soon as I'm more permanent I'll get a landline- cheaper and safer if I don't get cordless. The Wi-Fi internet I get from friends, neighbours and local businesses, freely given.

I have a rich, varied, fulfilling and beauty filled life. This isn't about asceticism. This is about right living, responsibility for my actions, an examined and aware life, and a relaxed way of being. I look after myself, and have access to a lot of what I consider luxuries. There are books to read when I need them. I go to music and dancing regularly. I play with art often. I have time to volunteer and contribute to community. My food is amazing and often would be considered gourmet. I get to be in nature as often as I wish. My housing would be considered substandard in the city, but I like it. It keeps me warm and sheltered. I am able to communicate with my friends both locally and across the country. Life is wonderful and I thank the goddess daily. I have more spending money now and earn less than 1/3 of what I used to earn.

corn from transplants

2011-07-07T11:27:00.000-07:00

This year on Denman both May and June were quite cool. Cool damp soil is terrible for corn germination.So, we have the day length for corn to grow, but germination outdoors is terrible. How do we fix this?
We've all been told again and again that corn doesn't transplant well. However,I found out that a friend of mine always starts her corn plants indoors and then transplants them after danger of frost is past, and at about the 4 leaf stage. Hers were planted out in mid may and are doing well. I did a few transplants, and had success with all. In fact some were planted into the garden by a novice gardener, and they did fine. The corn seeds that were planted in ground in early June, on the same day the transplants were put in, had horrid germination [maybe 15%}.
This wasn't a scientific experiment, and I have yet to see how the transplants produce, but I'll probably transplant em all next year.
Other crops which are forgiving of transplanting even though many books say NO, are the cucurbitae [cukes, squash etc.], and beets. I start the cukes, squash and melons indoors for the same reason as the corn. The beets I transplant as I thin them. Beet[and Swiss chard] "seeds" are conglomerates. Each piece contains more than one seed, which is why beets always need thinned.
The warnings in books are to keep you from blaming the author for any problems. Yes corn and the others transplant less readily than tomatoes, but with minimal care it is still doable.

Why the cost of food is rising, and what to do

2011-04-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

Yet another large chunk of humanity can now not afford to eat. Basic food prices have started to spiral. The answers as to why are well hidden.
1/ climate change is a reality, and 97% of scientists are convinced that humans are exacerbating the issue immensely. In other words, Our SUV's and wasteful personal, business, farming and manufacturing practices are making climate change much worse.
2/ "Modern" farming practices cause more flood-drought cycles. When we let nature do her thing, trees retain a lot of water then slowly release it. Potholes, swamps and sloughs hold water then release it through the ground. Deforesting and flattening the land means that water isn't retained in the soil. This means that during heavy rainfalls the water is all sent downstream causing floods, and later during a drought, there is no water in the soil to keep plants alive. Due to this, we are growing less food than we could if the water was managed in the way nature used to handle the process.
3/ Food now equals petroleum. Because we are using corn to create "bio-fuels" , we are using space, that could be used to grow food, for creating more fuel to spray pollutants into the bio-sphere so we can increase climate change.
What this means is that any petrochemical product [gasoline, plastics, chemicals, diesel, chemical fertilizers, and much more]purchased increases the price of food. We buy the petro-product, corn is grown to replace the petroleum used, and the price of food goes up.
Our government Likes to pretend that these fuels are somehow environmentally friendly, and ethically acceptable, because profit can be made on it. I disagree. Making a profit from someone's starvation is not acceptable.
4/The price of petroleum is on the rise. Most of our food is grown and transported with petroleum. Non-organic foods are grown with chemical fertilizers, anti-fungals, pesticides and herbicides that are made from petroleum. The field is cultivated, seeded, sprayed, often resprayed, cut and harvested all with petroleum to fuel the tractor or plane. Non-organic meat has another whole layer of petroleum usage. Even organic grain and veggies are produced by mechanical [i.e. petroleum fuelled] methods. Non-local organic foods are also transported with it.
5/ the idea that genetic manipulation will somehow increase our productivity over the long term has been proven to be a falsehood. In India, where Monsanto heavily pushed their roundup ready cotton, there are now roundup resistant weeds. Meanwhile, the price of seed has increased by almost 100 times for the farmers, many of the farmers are bankrupt, and a large amount of the bankrupt Indian farmers have committed suicide.
6. We, as a species, are extremely overpopulated. Locally we are producing less children than our death rate, which is good. In order for the other species to also thrive, there needs to be less humans.
What can we do? Grow our own food! Buy local! Buy organic or better yet poly-culturally grown foods. Buy less plastic and other petro-chemically based products. Grow a food forest. A mature food forest will produce many times more food than a mono-cultured gene-enhanced chemical crop, with an enormous gain in carbon retention. Eat less meat and dairy products. It takes more land to produce them than vegetarian food. When you eat meat, buy grass fed, there's much less transport involved. Eat seasonally. Eat your weeds, they are free, organic, and often contain much needed micronutrients. Eat from the wild. Blackberries, seafood, wildlife and much more are available. Avoid those foods your body cannot handle. We usually eat more food when we eat what we are sensitive or allergic to. Bike, walk, carpool, etc.! Travel less! Rediscover community.
We can grow an amazing amount of food here. We already do produce a lot of meat, eggs, dairy, nuts, fruit and veggies, as well as edible ornamentals and wild foods. Some of this is available for sale, and some is consumed by family and friends. Denman used to produce food for itself as well as a chunk of the big island.
For an interesting list of what we can grow here contact myself, Peter Janes, or David Hicks. Attend one, or some, of Annie siegel's courses. Talk to bruce and Lee-Anndra. Take a permaculture course from Jesse Lemieux. See if you can get some of the local farmers to talk about what we can grow. The list of foods is absolutely amazing- grains, meats, eggs, dairy, honey, maple syrup, wildlife, seafood, vegetables and herbs galore- year round, Tea, many fruits and berries, a large selection of nuts, and then there are the unusual edibles. If you aren't already growing food, start with a small garden- a raised bed 4x15 can produce a lot of food when garden by the square foot, cubed foot, or french intensive methods. You can create an absolutely beautiful food garden. Read a few books on permaculture/alternative farming, and food forests. Support Local Farmers!!!! You`ll eat healthily, and help keep food affordable for more.
Tim Jeffrey

abundance

2011-04-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

marshmallow and comfrey- 2 favorite edible perennial herbs in my wpg. garden.
What is edible for humans that can be grown on Denman Island.
Due to climate change, and rampant population growth, food will soon be at a premium. Growing our own will make us less reliant on a turbulent world food and transportation market.
The following is a partial list of what we can grow on the island. I have tried to divide it into sensible groupings, but many items will fit more than one list. You may indeed find some of them listed more than once. It just means that plant is quite useful.
Food Trees, woody vines and shrubs:
Apples fresh from the tree from august through January[winter banana] and some keep till April or may; pears; plums- from damson through greengage, prune plum, wild American and European plums, pluots [a cross between an apricot and a plum] and many more; cherries- sweet and sour, bush and tree, including all the wild cherries and cherry x plums; medlars-a neat late fall fruit that needs to be bletted to be eaten; quince-which must be cooked for eating; high bush cranberry; raspberry, blackberry, tayberry, marionberry, etc..; filberts and hazelnut which are very happy here; Persian and black walnut are for the patient or those lucky enough to have inherited a tree; butternut, heartnut, buartnut, etc.; Chinese chestnut; oaks[acorns]; persimmons- both native American and Asian; mulberries- red, black and white; edible honeysuckle which is also known as honeyberry and????; grapes of many kinds, whose leaves are also edible; kiwi fruit- actinidia chinensis, arguta, and ????; pinenuts[species??]; autumn olive; goumi berries; blue berries; huckleberries; Oregon grape berries; Big leaf maple syrup, spring flower buds are edible; hawthorn berries; rosehips and rose petals are edible and medicinal; gooseberries; red, white and black currants; figs; Bay leaves are used as an herb; some of the passion fruit can be grown here, in an unheated greenhouse if not in the open.; olives are very marginal here.; Linden leaves and flowers are edible.; Hops flowers can be used in beer or as an herb in pillows for sleep aid.
Goji berries, aronia, lingonberry, bilberry, elderberry, sea buckthorn, cornelian cherry, cornus kousa[Japanese flowering dogwood], Japanese wineberries, berberis species-barberries, The Japanese Banana, Musa Basjoo and Musa Sikkimensis, or Musa Hookerii as it is sometimes called, are undoubtedly the hardiest and most suitable for gardens in the U.K. Frosts will still cut all of their top growth down without protection, but their roots will happily stand 5 degrees of frost and if planted deep, with a very good mulch on top, may withstand temperatures down to minus 20 degrees centigrade. Provided conditions are good, their top growth will quickly be replaced each year.
Then there are the cold hardy citrus- calamondin orange- citrofortunella, citrus aurantium- seville orange, Trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata] hardy to -30, used for marmalade, for hybridization or as rootstock,
Ichang papeda (Citrus ichangensis) hardy to -15C and Parent to a number of hybrids, including the yuzu, sudachi, ichang lemon/shangjuan, and others. It also must be made into marmalade to eat. Jiouyuezao mandarin (Citrus reticulata 'Jiouyuezao') is hardy to -13C and edible. Changsha mandarin[citrus reticulata] is edible but seedy and hardy to minus 11C. The Satsuma [also citrus reticulata is hardy to -10C and rated excellent for edibility. The kumquat [citrus japonica] is hardy to -12C and has a sweet skin and sour flesh, supposedly edible. Some of these we do not have access to trees of as yet. I know at least one local permaculture nursery that is working on it. We can also buy some of these fruits in the store and plant seeds from them. There are also the Interspecific hybrids. One is citrandin [citrus reticulata x poncirus trifoliata which is hardy to -18C and considered semi-edible[more marmalade :D]. Changsha is the hardiest citrandin. The citrange{citrus x sinensis x poncirus trifoliata]is also semi-edible and hardy to -15C. Rusk is the most edible citrange. Hardy also to -15C and edible is the citrangequat. Thomasville is the most edible one. The yuzu [citrus ichangensis x citrus reticulata] is hardy to -12C and used in cooking. There are many Japanese cultivars. The orangequat may survive a sheltered location, and would be great in an unheated greenhouse. It is hardy to -9C and edible. Nippon is a varietal favoured for both hardiness and edibility.

Animal foods:
Cattle produce beef and milk products; goats produce meat, dairy, and sometimes spinning fibres; Sheep produce wool, meat and sometimes dairy; rabbits can produce meat, hides and sometimes spinning fibres; chickens for eggs and meat; some ducks are raised for meat, others for eggs. All can be plucked for down. Khaki Campbell's produce eggs as well as, or better than most chickens.; geese, guinea fowl, and pigeons are usually raised for meat and sometimes feathers or down; Bees give us wax, pollen royal jelly and more, and then there's honey!; Llamas are eaten in their homeland, and produce a nice spinning fibre; from the wild we get venison, waterfowl, and seafood of all kinds- clams, oysters, mussels, salmon, herring, smelt, and much more
Grains:
Wheat of all kinds- winter, spring, hard, soft, Emmer, spelt, Kamut, ???; Barley both for flour or pearl and for malting. Malt can be used as a sugar substitute as well as for beer of course.; Oats; Rye is an overwintering grain often used as a green manure but also makes a great dense sourdough bread. There are plenty of wild yeasts around if we run out of processed yeasts.; triticale is a triploid cross of wheat and rye; Quinoa is a small grain that gives complete protein. Redroot pigweed is a relative and yields grain from it's seed heads; Amaranth is another small grain from south America. Any of the ornamental or "weedy" amaranths can be harvested for grain once much of the seed is ripe. Like quinoa, some seed will be falling out while the tip of the flower head is still blooming.; Millet will grow here; buckwheat is like amaranth in it's ripening; corn can be grown for flour; flax is edible and can be grown for fibre; sorghum might be worth a try;
Vegetables:
Asparagus, beets, beans of amazing variety- green, yellow, multi-coloured, snap or dry, bush, or pole, broad, scarlet runner and more; corn, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, sprouting broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, rapini, kale, collards, mustard greens and seeds, Swiss chard, arugula, Mache, a wide array of Chinese greens, artichokes, Jerusalem artichokes, crambe cordifolia and maritima, horseradish, radishes, turnips, rutabagas, skirret, salsify, schozonera, onions, garlic, shallots, welsh onions, Egyptian walking onions, multiplier onions, potatoes, parsnips, peas grow very well, Broad beans love our spring, leeks, celery, lettuces, rhubarb, strawberries, okra, new Zealand spinach, cape gooseberry/ground cherry/Cossack pineapple
All the following do better with some heat retention and/or plastic tenting for heat and for disease reduction. They will probably produce without it, but are better with.- tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash-summer and winter as well as those designated as pumpkins, muskmelons, watermelon, cantaloupe
Ornamentals that have edible parts:
Daylilies- hemerocallis fulva has edible flowers, flower buds, spring greens, and roots. All daylily flowers are edible but yellows and oranges are supposed to be better tasting.; sunflower seeds, petals and flower buds are edible; poppy seeds are familiar to many; calendula flowers and leaves are edible in salads or cooked. They are also gently medicinal; Another medicinal and edible ornamental is the violet. Both leaves and flowers are edible. Pansies and viola's are more highly bred versions of violets. Don't overuse these medicinals as food. Use as an accent rather than as the main part of the salad or dish.; hollyhock, and any mallow, leaves and flowers are also edible, as well as the "cheeses"[ another name for the green seed heads]; Primula flowers and leaves can be eaten; English daisies are also edible; nasturtium flowers, and leaves are used in salads and the pickled seedpods are a capers substitute.; The flower petals of the lemon and tangerine gem marigolds are edible; the flowers of most campanulas [one species of many commonly called bluebells] are edible. Rampion [campanula rampunculoides, AKA Winnipeg blue bells] have edible roots, spring greens, and flowers. Too bad they are so aggressive[ or is it :P].; perennial phlox flowers are considered edible.; chrysanthemum daisies have edible flowers and leaves. These are also known as Shasta's, oxeye daisies and one called shungiku greens.; Sweet William and related dianthus species flowers can be eaten or used to flavour beverages.; fuchsia fruit can be eaten; sweet dames rockets flowers and young leaves are also edible; many more ornamentals are listed under herbs or woodies.

Herbs- some of these can be eaten as vegetables[ I use handfuls of many of these in my salads], some are woodies, and many are grown as ornamentals, but we most commonly think of them as herbs. Medicinal herbs can be harmful in very large quantities, Just as most allopathic medicines are poisonous in large doses. However, most medicinal herbs will strengthen your body if consumed regularly in small amounts. For a good discussion on herb safety and government control of them for financial gain of the few, please check out http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/free-herb-information/comfrey.html read the entire piece and then decide for yourself as to the safety of comfrey as a food or medicinal. Always know what you are eating, and why it is or isn't safe, so that you may make your own decisions and retain control of your diet, health and life. Government information is heavily biased in favour of corporate control of our diet, health and monetary choices. Corporations can afford lobbyists. Government listens to lobbyists before they listen to the electorate. Governments have stopped doing their own testing, somehow believing that corporations will test for our greatest good. Remember that corporations only controlling motive is profit. Get informed. :
Anise hyssop- leaves and flowers can be used in salads or teas; bee balm- monarda dydima, Oswego tea, bergamot- they're all the same plant. Leaves and flowers for tea or salad. The florets are medicinal for migraine.; lovage- amazing strong celery-ish flavour from a burly perennial. Leaves and stalks are cooked or used sparingly in salads. This is an acquired taste. I now use lots of it in my spring greens mixes and love the flavour. However, Too much of this diuretic herb isn't a good thing.; Most mints are great in salads and teas.; Lemon balm can also be added by handfuls to cooking greens or salads. A mixture of many strong flavoured greens and herbs in your salads gives a fresh clear, sharp and enjoyable flavour to your salad. It also means you are getting vitamins and micronutrients that your body needs.; English, German, winter, and lemon thyme are all great with meat and vegetables, as well as in teas and salads; Sage [salvia officinalis] is a tough herb for use in cooking, teas, and, finely chopped, in salads.; rosemary; lavender leaves and flowers can be used in teas, desserts, French cooking, and salads . The flowers of most of these herbs can be eaten.; Winter and summer savoury both grow here; dill and fennel will cross pollinate which makes me wonder why we name them so differently in Latin nomenclature. Leaves, flowers and seeds are all used.; Basil is another heat lover we can grow; Oregano and marjoram will self seed here. Leaves and flowers can be used in cooking, salads and teas.; Coriander is what we call the seed, and cilantro is the leaf, but they're all the same annual self seeder.; feverfew is a very bitter herb used for migraines, but people add it very sparingly to meat dishes and salads.; Comfrey is controlled as a medicinal, but we can still eat it without the, oh so sincere, governmental concern. Use finely chopped leaves or flowers in salads, with cooked greens, or in tea.; yarrow leaves and flowers are used in salads and teas; young alfalfa leaves can be used sparingly in salads, teas or as cooked greens. All foods should be eaten in moderation, because they can be harmful in too large doses. Just eat a wide enough variety so that this is possible.; chamomile makes a nice relaxing tea; chives and garlic chives are wonderful in salads, and gently cooked.; Angelica leaves are pungent but nice in teas and salads.; borage leaves and flowers supposedly taste like cucumber.; salad burnet is also supposedly cuke flavoured.; caraway roots, leaves and seeds are edible.; catnip leaves and flowers make a nice tea or salad addition.; chervil is a light flavour for salads, omelettes or soups.; Sorrel grows well here, and makes a nice spring soup or salad addition.;
still more to come on water plants and wildlings/"weeds" at some point I'll try to post the same on medicinal herbs, dye plants and the like. :D need to get a voicetyping program :D

holistic stock raising for the pacific northwest, with some ideas transferreable to other parts of the world

2011-03-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

Up until 100 years ago most livestock food was grown on the farm. We utilize mineral supplements because the diversity of our feed is so minimal. We need to get back to a good balance of grasses and forbs or "weeds" in our forages and hays. We also need to include food from trees and shrubs. Woodies are a great way to feed livestock while retaining large quantities of bio-matter. Roots, kale and squash can also add to the mix of vitamins and minerals. If we produce all our own livestock food, then our transportation costs become nil. If we can do without mineral supplement blocks, then our meat becomes truly organic. I realize that our climate may not seem ideal, but the British Isles have a very similar climate and they've been producing livestock "organically" for thousands of years.
Ideally multiple species of stock should be short term rotationally grazed . Using multiple species of livestock can mean less disease and parasites, as well as utilizing a greater variety of food plants, thus leaving less weeds to deal with. Having a greater variety of plants means more vitamins and minerals in the diet. There are more edible materials over a longer season with diversity. Being diverse, the plants can utilize a wider range of nutrients and depths in the soil. In a polyculture the overall yield of any one species is lowered as compared to a monoculture, but the overall yield in total, and disease resistance are increased. Fields should be just big enough for each group to finish in one or 2 days. Ideally you want them to eat everything edible but not kill their favourites by overgrazing them. They should also eat much of the stuff that is edible, but less palatable before being moved to the next mini field.
Sheep, cattle, goats and horses can all graze together unless the cattle are aggressive and have horns . They can be followed by poultry. Chickens will scratch up and scatter the feces of their predecessors in the field in search of bugs and grains. As a side benefit this reduces the chances of diseases or intestinal pests staying in the field. Pigs can be used to "rototill" or plow an area in need of renewal or rotation. Or they can follow the hooved group in fast rotations. They should not be grazed with the poultry. Pigs will eat chickens. They, like us, are omnivores. Each species prefers different food plants. Thus few species of "weeds" will be left big enough to shade out their more desirable neighbours.
Electric mesh fencing seems ideal except for the plastic and having to have electricity. Even the pigs and goats will respect it. Page wire works well, if properly installed for most of the livestock, but chicken wire may need to be installed for the poultry and baby pigs. This is also expensive to put in. Woven wattle would work well, and cost little or nothing, but be labour intensive. Split rail can work well though goats could probably climb it, and it's expensive unless you have your own source of rails. For the poultry you will need portable housing for the nights, egg collection, and predator prevention. You may also have to provide things to hide from hawks and eagles under. 2 pallets made into an A frame, or dead but very bushy shrubs scattered through the days grazing area should help.
Utilize those grasses grown locally for pastures and forage. Here that could be canary reed grass, orchard grass, redtop, and fescues. Legumes should be part of the mixture, both for nitrogen fixation as well as for high protein forage. Alfalfa and clovers are usually used. Forbs will also bring nutrients up for the grasses, and carry a wide range of nutrients and nutritional medicinals for the stock. Some forbs to include are: stinging nettles, yarrow, wild strawberry, chicory, dandelion, plantain, chickweed, oxeye daisy[also known as shastas] , and, of course, comfrey. Comfrey can be up to 40% of the animals diet with no harm, and will provide much needed protein as well as being a source of healing. My understanding is that the "bocking 4" strain of comfrey has the best stock food value, as well as being sterile, so it's not self seeding and can only be spread by root cuttings. Besides food and important micronutrients, as well as being medicinal for some of the animals, these herbs also attract beneficial insects, help the other plants to grow well, assist in decomposition of dead bio matter, bring other nutrients into the humus available to the grasses, and increase total yield of edible plants per acre.
Animals also get food, medicinals and trace nutrients from shrubs and trees growing in fields and fencerows. Apples, plums, pears, and cherries are happily eaten by most stock when they fall, and low hanging branches and summer prunings can be browsed by many animals. Alders are nitrogenous, easy to grow here, and we should be able to coppice them for firewood. Poplars can be coppiced and fed, as can willows which can also be pollarded. Willows and hazels can be used to make wattle or basketry. My guess is that the maple, which will coppice, and provides a thin sugar syrup, is also edible to some of these animals. Red cedar is also browse and a medicinal. The eleagnus species [autumn olive, goumi, and Russian olive] are also nitrogenous, and have edible fruits. In the southern states mulberries, persimmons and pawpaws are used as self serve stock foods, and produce over a fairly long period. They are also edible for humans. Hawthorns, raspberries, roses, blackberries, elderberries, and wild cherries provide food for wild birds, as well as berries, medicinals and browse for the livestock. Nut trees can also be a great source of livestock food. Traditionally chestnuts and acorns have been grown for livestock, especially pigs. Chinquapins have a small nut suited for birds. Hazelnuts can be browsed and the nuts provide proteins and fats. Any other edible nut or fruit tree that will bear a crop in your area can be used as stock food.
Things that historically have been used to feed stock, but have gone out of fashion, are things we think of as vegetables. Kale can be grown as a winter graze. Pumpkins, squash, carrots, turnips, beets, potatoes and parsnips can all provide some of the winter nutrients. Some sources say that potatoes are best cooked. All vegetables are best chopped. Mangels are a huge type of beet grown as livestock food. One source, but only that one, says that they must be dug and stored for 6 weeks before feeding to cattle. Cornstalks, grain stubble, sunflowers, Jerusalem artichokes, quinoa and amaranth stalks and post harvest gardens can all be grazed in the field. Many of the common garden weeds are relished by livestock, like chickweed, pigweed and lambs quarters. Milk can be off flavoured by the cabbage/turnip family, as well as by alliums [garlic, onions], mustards, and some weeds. There are heirloom lettuces that were grown as chicken feed. Check out www.prseeds.ca for seeds of Mangels, chicken lettuce and more. Extra milk or whey has often been fed to calves, chickens and pigs. Nettles, chamomile, seaweed, calendula, dandelion leaves, raspberry leaves, strawberry leaves, and other nutritional and medicinal herbs can be added dry to winter cattle feed to increase micronutrients and herd health. Seaweed can provide nutrients and salt.
An overwintered green feed hay could include oats, wheat, rye, and Austrian field peas, cut when heading out. This could be followed by a kale crop to be grazed during the winter. Comfrey also makes good hay but is problematic to dry. Alfalfa, clover or any good forage mixture will also make great hay if cut when the majority of the crop is starting to bloom. In the British Isles they do a process called fogging off occasionally. This consists of letting hay grow so that it is near it's peak when the cold season arrives, and letting the livestock graze it as standing hay . This makes for less work, but probably more gets trampled into the mud .
Hardy heirloom breeds graze and browse best. Canadian horses, that's an actual breed, were bred to live off the land by themselves during Quebec winters. Kerry, Dexter, Devon and highland cattle are rugged breeds from the British isles. The Canadienne was bred in Quebec for it's foraging ability as well as for milk. Many breeds of sheep and goats are very adaptable to tougher conditions. Katahdin is a hair sheep that forages well and can deal with humidity with less pest problems than most sheep. Geese and muscovies can get almost all they need from grazing. Breeds of chickens that range well include Brahmas, Cornish, cochins, and most bantams. The chantecler, a canadian breed, tolerates cold well. There are heirloom turkey breeds that free range very well, and are smarter than the big breasted boobies. There are also still wild turkeys that will survive wild in Manitoba, so they should be fine here if the moisture isn't too much for them. All these produce less breast meat, but, because of their foraging it has greater nutritional value. There are also Berkshire, large black and Tamworth pig breeds that free range well. Horses and goats browse most, but many of the "wilder" breeds of cattle and sheep can utilize nutrients from browsing.
So, go ahead And try some of this, all we have to lose is our dependence on chemically produced food transported over huge distances

My gardening and design "qualifications"

2010-08-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

You may have realised that I have no degrees in garden/landscape or permaculture design. This post is to let you know where my learnings come from.
I was raised on a small mixed farm where we raised almost all our own food. The veggies were raised mostly without chemicals. Both sets of grandparents had Large gardens including some ornamental perennials.
Manitoba has LONG winters, and I read voraciously when housebound. I learn very well from reading and rereading information. Books that I've read as if they were a study textbook include the following:
Food not lawns by H.C. Flores
permaculture:principles and pathways beyond sustainability, by david holmgren
Gaias garden By Toby Hemenway
forest gardening by Robert hart
the permaculture way by graham bell
permaculture/a designers manual by Bill Mollison
permaculture/ a practical guide for a sustainable future
The natural way of farming by masanobu Fukuoka
The one straw revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka
Ornamental grasses, the amber wave, by Charlotte Ottesen.. and anything esle about ornamental grass gardening
The english cottage garden, by Jane Taylor and Andrew Lawson
The self sustaining garden, The guide to matrix planting; by Peter Thompson
The Natural Habitat Garden, by Ken Druse with Margaret roach
Anything on canadian Native Plant gardening
Anything on Canadian Shade gardening
Everything from harrowsmith on canadian gardening
Organic gardening magazines, Harrowsmith magazines, and Mother Earth News from 1975 till 1990
Square foot gardening by Mel Bartholemew
Perelandra Garden workbook by Michelle small wright
And many more books and magazines too countless to mention.
Nature is my best teacher. You learn to garden by killing things, and I've contributed to a lot of compost. Bio-mimicry is a great part of my personal garden practice. So is the holism of my spirituality. Life on earth is a closed system, so we need to make our outputs become our inputs.
My garden and design styles are informed by all the above and much more. Please check out earlier posts on here for pictures and information about how I've grown my gardens in winnipeg.
I have designed and maintained ornamental gardens for others for the last 15 years. I specialise in Herb gardens, holistic gardens, edible ornamental gardens, self maintaing[sic] gardens, all season gardening, gardening to suit the site and soil, and am learning how to comfortably and ethically utilise domestic animals as part of a holistic homestead.
So, yes I am a permaculturalist, but with my own slant. I include spirit in my garden design.
I utilise natures pathways throughout the design, letting nature do as much of the labour as possible. I design for minimal ongoing labour, other than thinning/dividing or harvesting. My gardens are planned to evolve and change as things grow or die from old age or crowding.
I think of Gardening as art played through time and space.

looking for new challenges

2010-07-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

The end of summer[ yes, coming soon :D] is time to start thinking of redesigning or designing your farm and garden. I will happily help you design a beautiful, yet functional and abundant farm or garden centered on your likes and tastes. I have designed community gardens, herb gardens, english cottage gardens, permaculture gardens, and more. Useful and edible plants can be amazingly beautiful.
to contact me it's best to phone 250-650-0615
reasonable rates with a sliding scale depending on ability to pay
will also do work trades for items or labour
Also looking for house sitting jobs, and WWOOfing type arrangements for october on

water security

2010-01-21T11:29:00.000-08:00

here on Denman Island' Jesse Lemieux of Pacific permaculture Has been extolling the idea of saving our copious winter and spring Rain water to use during our coming 3 months of drought. We get over a meter of water a year and yet many people have to buy water for drinking or even elsewise. Now, Jesse is trying to get you to take his permaculture design course, but even so the info is valid. Heck so is the course vitally important if you can afford it. The price is even the most reasonable I've ever seen for a pemie course. Check it out at www.pacificpermaculture.ca.
If you can't afford the course here are a few ideas;
1/ bury dead logs under your garden beds and in the bottom of swales run on level, Logs hold an amazing amount of moisture and release it slowly.
2/ use fishscale swales[any good permie book will tell you how], or any other type of "pothole' system to cause the excess water to flow through the soil
3/ dig a clay bottomed[so it doesn't just drain into the soil] pond or dugout near the highest point of your property for gravity fed irrigation
4/ use rainbarrels, cisterns and tanks to catch roof water
5/ use greywater[be careful what soaps you use] to water your yard and garden
6/ slow down ditches- they drain the water too quickly for the soil to absorb it all- sometimes wetlands are very nescessary. Just make certain that the wetland you "reclaim' is on your land.
7/do NOT drain existing wetlands, and Do use them for gravity fed irrigation if possible.
8/ existing large trees hold back copious amounts of water and release it gradually into the soil.. Keep your trees
9/ organic soils full of humus will hang onto lots of water
10/ create hugelkultures- large raised beds with branches and twigs as their base
and I'm certain jesse has more ideas as well as some specific warnings about each of these methods. If you cannot afford his course please research carefully any method you try. Doing the wrong method in the wrong place can bring unhappy results.
Jesse's course will also contain info on so very much more.
I wish him success.
Tim

my skillset and experiences

2009-11-14T15:39:00.000-08:00

I have a wide range of experiences. I was born and raised on a mixed farm in Manitoba. I hand milked cows for 14 years. Picking stones and baling hay were the usual summer holiday fun. I often drove tractors and other farm equipment. We had cattle, pigs, chickens, and sometimes turkeys, geese or ducks. I was the oldest of six children and often babysat, both at home and for neighbours. We had a riding horse and an old workhorse who was "retired'. I was lucky enough to be able to "break" in the riding horse. Actually there were times I was the one who felt much more broken :D We grew most of our own food and I learned to cook, bake bread and can veggies and preserves. We butchered our own meat and I helped in all parts of the process.

I've had various and sundry customer service jobs, from being a waiter to bar tending, to managing a fast food restaurant. I was on the road for 6 years taking children's pictures, and enjoyed it immensely. I worked in the seafood section of Regina's first superstore- when there was still customer contact. Luck also got me jobs cooking in a couple of upscale restaurants.

In my late 20's and early 30's I farmed in the dry area of Saskatchewan for 3 1/2 years organically with some irrigation. I learned how to repair most makes of non-computerised engines, as well as farm equipment. {Thank the gods for Chilton repair manuals}. We raised lambs, goats, chickens and turkeys. I was the butcher, and slaughterer. This is not a joyous experience, but if I'm going to eat meat I need to be responsible about it. I try to do it as respectfully and humanely as possible. I also had a stint working in the Co-op meat department. Farming teaches one independence and self reliance.

When the relationship broke down, I moved back to Winnipeg. There I joined home care as a home support worker[basic cooking and cleaning]. After a year I got my home care attendant [personal care-diapering, toileting, and bathing] certificate, and worked as one for 18 years. Home care workers are termed casual in Manitoba. This means that one week you can be working 50 hours and 3 hours in the next week and for weeks thereafter. Therefor I took other casual and part-time jobs on the side. I worked for community respite with multiply disabled children and adults. I escorted a quadriplegic gentleman to Hawaii. Luther home gave me a job as a health care aide in the nursing home. I designed and maintained gardens organically for others and myself. I also volunteered for a while at the Kali Shiva organisation. We assisted people living with and dying of HIV. It was very rewarding, but because I also worked with many dying clients in my jobs it was emotionally difficult.

After resigning I got to design and mentor community Gardens. I designed and implemented some prairie plantings. Best of all, I mentored many children's garden groups. It was totally soul satisfying to introduce them to great organic foods they'd grown themselves. We introduced them to the spirituality and peace of nature. Children who were overexcited and aggressive would become loving and peaceful after a couple of hours gardening. Most of them were disadvantaged, and came from troubled homes. Some of them were fire starters, or acted out in other ways. The garden seemed to ground and reassure them of their value. The group leaders were also great at giving loving respectful boundaries, and modelling beneficial behaviors.

I also worked as a jack of all trades for some people who couldn't do some of the heavy work in their yards. I hauled stuff to the dumpster, moved rocks, cleared scrub and garbage and much more.

While in North End Winnipeg I volunteered at the local community centre. We had a free skate program, where I got to show newbies how to skate. I was amazed at how little I fell after not skating for over 20 years. It was great fun to play tag and watch children who couldn't skate catch up. I got to be Santa for the Christmas gathering. Working to fix the community gardens was also rewarding in an impoverished and under loved community.
For more on the gardening, permaculture and other aspects check out the rest of the postings in this blog.

here I am on denman Island

2009-11-06T13:49:00.000-08:00

This is going to be cool. rain Forest,s function much faster than prairie gardens. The sheer amount of biomatter created and composted in any given year is mindboggling. WOW.
The variety is also amazing. Birds, trees, vines, shrubs, creepers, groundcovers, perennials, biennials and annuals abound everywhere. Blackberries are a "weed" and tend to exact a toll in blood. I picked raspberries and blackberries today. Nibbled on some hawthorn berries for my heart. yes, my heart is fine... and I want it to stay that way. had apple pie from apples from neighbours trees today. This island is amazingly abundant, but because of that we must be careful to maintain the healthy balance. most islanders seem committed to that.

some of the plants in my winnipeg polyculture

2009-10-13T08:42:00.000-07:00

flat leaf parsley - petroselinum crispum- I got the original seed for this from a neighbour in North End winnipeg. It reliably self seeds here. Sun/ part shade
Large White Poppy - Papaver somniferum- Large White flowers, extra-large seedpods for crafts, white poppy seeds for baking. full sun
Wine red poppy - Papaver somniferum- Deep burgundy single flowers that seem to glow, black edible seeds for baking. Full sun
Double red poppy -Papaver somniferum- peony flowered orange red blooms, edible black seeds, smaller seed pods for crafts. full sun
Lovage - levisticum officinale- 6-7ft tall perennial herb with a VERY stong celery-like flavour and look. Use in soups, salads and stews. Seeds, leaves and stalks are all edible. This plant is diuretic[ removes liquids from the body]. full sun/ part shade
Black valentine Bean - heirloom introduced 1897, bush, 50-55 days for snap[green] beans or let mature for pretty black dry beans for baking. productive. Full sun
Jessy's Family Bean - check out the desciption for this in the heritage harvest seed catalogue online. It's a local Manitoba company that produces organically raised heirloom seeds. This bean is a type of sulphur bean. They cook down to a "gravy" or "dahl". This is a rare heirloom from southern manitoba. 100 days to maturity. seeds are large and kinda yellow/khaki-ish coloured. bush plants. full sun. Very limited Quantity
Red peanut bean - bush plants with pink maturing pods- very pretty. 85 days for dry beans. seeds look like small peanuts
Purple podded capucijners pea - heirloom pre-1800. This is an amazing plant. this year they bloomed till mid august. flowers are purple-pink, pods are purple[rogue offtypes if you're saving your own seed] and edible while still flat, they can be eaten as very sweet green peas, or left to mature for dry soup peas. Very productive. I would grow this plant even if it only had it's ornamental and nitrogen fixing values. 5-6ft vines need support- twiggy branches work fine. full sun
gold ball feverfew - Tanacetum parthenium [chrysanthemum parthenium]- One foot tall ornamental herb with small golden ball shaped flowers[like a daisy without the white petals]. some varieties have the petals and some are doubles- this is the one the herb seed company sold me 2 years ago. self seeding perennial. medicinal for migraines and headaches. Placing 3-5 fresh leaves between sliced bread is supposed to help a migraine. Leaves are bitter. full sun/ part shade
Salad burnett - sanguisorba minor[poterium sanguisorba]- ornamental edible herb to 1ft, pretty leaves are edible in salads when young, and supposedly tastes like cukes-tasteless and tough when older- has an unusual flower head with tiny red flowers on a green ball. perennial[ I suffered some losses last winter- hopefully that means these seedlings will be a bit tougher] full sun/part shade
Sorrell- Rumex acetosa- self seeding perennial for sun or shade, has large edible "sour" or "lemony" leaves used for soups or salads. Contains oxalic acid, so should be eaten in moderation[spinach, rhubarb, oxalis and other edibles also contain this]
Lettuce - This is a self seeding variety that I've had for 3 years growing in semi-shade[ produces leaves poorly there]. It's a looseleaf type with reddish brown speckles. plant full sun for better production. Very Limited Quantity
Elecampane- Inula helenium- 7 ft. tall ornamental perennial herb with large shaggy yellow ray daisies- flowers and 2nd year roots are medicinal for digestive tract, respiratory tract, and as a mood elevator. self seeds but is easy to pull and first year roots have been eaten as a vegetable. be prepared for the bitter taste. You can harvest the second year strap roots without harming the crown which will re-grow
Wild cucmber vine- Not edible- self seeding canadian native annual vine with fluffy small white flowers and spiny cucmber-ish fruit- makes a nice place for the birds to hide when climbing a chainlink fence- due to difficulty in harvesting a volume there are only a dozen seeds in a pkt- Must be seeded in fall or winter in order to germinate- planted my first seeds in spring of 07, got plants from those seeds in spring of 08. seedlings are easy to pull where you don't want them and only seem to germinate for about a month in spring- you don't have to keep weeding for them all summer. http://ontariowildflowers.com/main/species.php?id=1
jerusalem artichoke - native perennial, spreading from the roots, sunflower relative with edible small potatolike roots. The starch in them is inulin, good for diabetics. Some people get bad gas from them.. maybe one needs to slowly introduce them to the diet. Tubers must be planted in fall or spring and do not keep once dug for more than a week.
Cosmos - cosmos bipinnattus- Pretty self seeding annual with, usually, pink, red or white daisies and ferny foliage. What came up in my yard this year were almost all pink ones. I tried to include seed from all 3 colours, but the strain may be breeding towards pinks. These flowers are wonderful insect attractants for all kinds of winged critters. They also are a great late fall seed source for the birds. These will grow in shade but mine there are much smaller plants and flowers. This plant prefers poor soil, and makes Large plants with few flowers in very rich soil.

Sallett.. what is it?

2009-09-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

at the farmers market this year I sold a gentled version of a sallett. Sallett were served in medieval europe and were predecessors to our tasteless iceberg salads.
Almost any veggie thats edible raw was used in salletts. Medieval ideas of veggies were more relaxed than ours. so these salletts included things like lambs quarters, redroot pigweed, dandelion, portulaca[the "weed" not the flower], good king henry, chickweed, lettuce, chard, spinach, mustard greens, nastursiums and leaves, hollyhock flowers, sweet dames rocket leaves and flowers, mints, parsley, sage, savoury, thyme, lemon balm, borage, onion, garlic, leeks, arugula and more.
For myself I create a version of these salletts, and include full handfuls of herbs like parsley, mint, etc. I find that very simple dressings work best.. E V olive oil, sea salt, and a splash of [real organic] lemon juice.
The flavours combine into a beautifully fresh taste with hints of each flavour. I loove thm, and they are chock full of nutrients, as opposed to those things you get prepacked in the plastic bags at safeway.

eating what is produced

2009-09-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

As a culture we have decided that it's ok to transport most of our food tremendous distances, and to demand out of season produce.
This year, in winnipeg, if we ate what was produced[ because of the weather], what we'd be eating would be mostly greens[both salad and cooking].
The fruit vegetables- tomatoes, peppers, cukes, squash, etc.- are just starting to come in. As is the corn.
Many things germinated poorly, or extremely late. The slugs loved the cool and damp, and ate as much as they could.
what came well, was garlic, onions, beets, lettuces, greens, cabbage family, peas[ absolutely amazing this year], snap beans, most herbs except basil and verrry late dill, carrots, salsify, and the small fruits[raspberry, strawberry, currants, etc..]
This diet would still provide an amazing variety of vitamins and minerals. Then, of course, our society has chosen to buy our produce for looks and transportability, as opposed to taste and vitamin content.

yellow daisies, in praise thereof

2009-09-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

I was noticing that my garden has 7 native yellow daisies blooming right now. some people get bored by them, but i find them cheerful, and when you start noticing their differences- very interesting. Many of these plants are large and very floriferous.
since what we have is a lot of yellow daisies, then that must be what the pollinators prefer. If it makes pollinators happy, then I want it in my yard.
This year i have had at least 4 different kinds of bees and 5 different kinds of butterflies.
I must say though, that there have been very few butterflies this year in comparison to the past- especially considering that this older garden should be attracting more butterflies than ever before.
I had 2 different monarchs drop by but so far no catterpillars.

MORE!!! subtitles to follow

2009-08-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

the pink is joe pye weed, the yellow is inula helenium[elecampane is the easier english name :D]
The triangle bed, where the hyssop and the squash are havin it out
the front of my house- the large leaves are rhubarb, I like its ornamental qualities.
anise-hyssop ,agastache foeniculum -as opposed to hyssop, hyssopus officinalis
yes the backyard does look like that
citronella pelargonium with nastursium leaves
These tomatoes were growing in the shade of some huge sunflowers.

the sunflowers were unhappy anyway, so I edited them.

hopefully sunlight won't fry the tomato plants

I think the amaranth is gorgeous

2 of my favorite medicinals- marshmallow and comfrey

a pink daylily[edible flowers]

double red poppy, papaver somniferum. the seeds are used in baking

Inula helenium- the second year roots are chewed dry or fresh,

eaten cooked as a[bitter] vegetable, or dried for tea.

medicinally used for the respiratory tract, the digestive tract and as a mood elevator

The blackeyed susans did come back :D. I hope the bees and butterflies find it.

Ratibida columnifera- tall[ or prairie] coneflower- native, perennial, the butterflies love it

ah yes... all those plans for garden renovation that got washed away in this years rains- ah well, what I have is amazing.

NEW PICS!!!!!!

2009-08-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

This gorgeous purple beastie would be red amaranth ,for edible small grain plus edible leaves.

yes, the flowers are laying sideways in the air. the plant is rudbeckia laciniata[native]
various thymes including at least 3 different lemon thymes

The logs make a great raise bed edger

If you look back at the pic of the amaranth you'll see a remarkable resemblance.

This is redroot pigweed, and readily crosspollinates with the amaranth.

we consider them different species, but I wonder.

The false sunflower was amazing this year, as is the cosmos[once it finally germinated this cool grey summer].

can you spot my mosquito eaters? :D

These bottom 2 shots are me and my "back fourty"

the garden's 'splodin" :D

2009-05-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

All of a sudden the garden has BURST into spring and most of the way through :D. The rhubarb is almost pickable, the sorrell is producing, can't keep up with the dandelions[ thank the gods for a local store and coffeeshop that is willing to buy and cook with my unusual greens- Yayyy Mondragon], there are lots of violet flowers to pick if I get time, the tulips are in bloom[ edible petals sorta taste like peas especially the yellow ones], and almost all the perennials are starting to make themselves known.

There are flowers.. and edibles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-12T15:50:00.001-07:00

The crocus have just finished, the scilla are in full swing. As far as I know neither have any human use besides early spring beauty in a shady spot. YAYYYY The violets are blooming and are both edible[ flowers and leaves] as well as medicinal. The dandelions are just starting to bloom, and get large enough to harvest for greens, roots for meds, and the yellow parts of the blooms for salads. Personally, when using leaves, I only like the seedling dandelion leaves for salads. the rest are better as cooked greens or tea. The daylily greens are getting tough, and now it's time to let them grow and flower[ yayyyy more edible flowers]. The johnny jump ups seem reluctant this year, they are usually my earliest flower. Both leaves and flowers of johnnys are edible. The perennial alliums[onions, chives, etc.] are up enough to harvest, and the chives are just budding up. The buds and flowers are edible[ taste like onions of course]. The sorrell is almost ready to harvest. The lovage is going crazy- gotta remember to start drying it now.

be GREEN for FREEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

Being both frugal, and green, I have come up with some ways to save the environment and money at the same time. Here are a few ideas.
1/ put the plug in the tub when you shower and re-use the water to flush your toilet, and water your plants. Just scoop it into a bucket. The water will also contribute it's waste heat to your home in the winter[ in summer, open the bathroom window to let the heat out.]
2/ sleep outside in a tent when the house becomes too hot, or in the basement. We only have one or 2 nights where it doesn't cool off outside.
3/ use a blanket box to cook your food. Bring food[something cut into small bits contained in a liquid-soup, stew, pasta] to a full boil. boil 5 minutes. then turn off heat, and set pot into a box lined with insulative blankets. leave to cook for at least 2 hours. check food seldom, checking loses heat.
4/ use a solar shower- just hang a black water bag in the sun, and shower with the water when it gets hot. Be careful this can get hot enough to burn. I find that I use about 1 gallon of water for a shower when camping. If you put your solar shower in the right place, it can water your garden as you shower.
5/ cover windows with curtains in the summer. at night, open windows and let in cool air. in the morning, close the windows and cover with curtains to keep out the hot air.
6/ in winter reverse the process. cover windows with heavy curtains or blankets as it cools off
outside in the evening, and, if the window gets enough sun, open the curtains so the sun can come in and heat up the space.
7/ use the rafters in your garage or shed to hang herbs to dry. They usually get hot enough, as long as there is sufficient air circulation.
8/ eat your weeds. Dandelions, plantain, burdock and others are amazingly nutritious, and medicinal.
9/ learn about herbal meds. many are easy to grow[ yes even here] and are more efficient, with less negative side effects than most chemical medicines. Exotic ones are the ones most in the news, but thats because someone can charge you an exorbitant amount just to ship you some plant materials. Many of the natives, and hardy european herbs are highly medicinal. Please check out some good herbals. Take claims of toxicity with a grain of salt[ safety studies are funded by the people who sell the chemicals] but don't ingest any great amount of anything considered unsafe. Be safe and take care of yourself. I personally choose to eat small amounts of comfrey even though the govt.[ for their friends the chemical giants] has deemed it unsafe for consumption.
10/ Grow your own organic food and cutting flowers. You do not want to know what they put on your food and flowers in commercial chemically enhanced operations.
11/ ALWAYS ask yourself if you truly NEED the new purchase. It's amazing how much wear you can get out of a stained t-shirt.
12/ buy second hand
13/ freecycle
more to come

How rivers work, and how WE are creating many of our own floods

2009-05-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered why the rain that falls today doesn't just all flow to the sea immediately, leaving an empty riverbed behind?
The water that flows in the riverbed between rains comes from the groundwater. Groundwater is fed by sloughs and potholes, where water stands after a rain and then slowly flows[yup it still flows] into the ground and to the river. Trees also hold back tremendous amounts of water and slowly release it into the soil, from there to follow the normal route. WE have been allowing clearcutting in provincial parks and forests. less trees= less water retention= more flooding.
we also are allowing our farmers to level all their fields. When I last went home I noticed that the hutterites next door had removed all trees, all hedgerows, all potholes, and had even farmed the ditches and the creek edges. They are asking for soil erosion issues, and when these happen will ask for financial aid from us. They are also helping to create the flooding that exists in the province. I only mention the hutterites because thats who I saw, most other canadian farmers do the same.

how to use the unusual greens your permaculture is providing

2009-05-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

uses for daylily greens- treat like asparagus; steam or stirfry till tendercrisp, then smother in hollandaise[or the vegan equivalent], melt chopped into soups at the last minute[ like pasta e fagioli, minestrone, or make it the flavour for a 'cream of' soup], use in a stirfry[cooks very quickly],
Greens soup-heat broth, drop in firm tofu cubes, salt n peppa to taste, chop in greens-serve
Lovage- this huge celery lookalike has a similar but stronger flavour. can be chopped sparingly into salads, both green and carb salads. would make a flavourful tabbouleh. makes a wonderfully flavoured spring soup- start with broth of choice, add in a chopped fried onion, salt n pepper to taste[ or tamari, or??], finely chop in a handful of lovage leaves; thicken with mashed potato, bread crumbs, rice flour, or what you wish- serve. It is also a broth herb for soups and stews. This herb is a diuretic, and contributes vital minerals and vitamins to your diet. I usually dry some for teas, soups and stews thoughout the winter. Maggikraut, from europe, is a soup and stew seasoning whose main ingredient is lovage.
Violet leaves can be used sparingly in salads, as can strawberry leaves. Dandelions I have raved about before- baby greens for salads, older greens for tea or cooked greens, roots as a coffee sub or chopped sparingly into stews[has a very bitter flavour]. These stronger greens are better in a "palak n paneer" type dish.
'PALAK N PANEER'
One half full pot of greens
one block firm tofu or paneer[or make your own]
1tsp cumin, 1/2tsp cayenne[or less to taste- this is HOT!], 1tsp turmeric, 1tsp favorite curry powder, 3cloves crushed chopped garlic, one onion finely chopped
Ghee, butter, or oil to coat bottom of pot
fry spices at med heat in fat till onion turns translucent ;throw in washed greens; cook till greens "melt'. cube in "paneer" and stir together
serve with rice and your favourite dhal for a vegetarian or vegan meal.

whats up in the garden as of today

2009-04-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

I harvested my first feed of greens from the yarden 2 days ago. MMMMMMMM daylily greens!!!! ..and you thought they were just really tough weedy flowers :D
I also harvested roots from the elecampane [a medicinal for asthma, cheer, and digestion] to remove a few out of place plants. I guess that if I weren't harvesting it, it'd be a "weed". ;D
Many of the perennial herbs are coming back- winter savory, one lonely lavender plant, angelica, sorrell, chives, hyssop, hopefully the thyme and sage.... and more.
I put together 2 cold frames, and seeded them, as well as one bed of greens and roots. Things that are plantable outside now with little risk of damage, include items that are marked " plant as soon as soil can be worked", as well as lettuce, chard, collards, kale, cabbage, broccoli, endive, peas, broad beans, arugula, onion sets, or green onion seeds[do the transplants later when it's warmer], carrots, beets, radishes, turnips, salsify, rutabagas, and most perennial seeds.
I accidentally left the collard green transplants sitting on the front step overnight a few nights ago- they seem to still be happy and healthy, so I know they're tough :D.

Available for garden maintenance this spring and summer

2009-04-14T08:36:00.000-07:00

I will have much more free time this summer- I have left wage slavery for the WRHA as of may 16th.
I will happily clean up your garden this spring and maintain it throughout the summer and fall, in an environmentally sustainable way. I can help you to get your yarden off of "drugs"[i.e. chemicals].
I will use no chemicals during my work. If you choose to use them, then my kind of gardening will not bring about the desired results. Any chemical use breaks the cycles of nature and it takes a long time for them to heal[ according to organic farmers at least 3 years].
The cost of this is 25$ an hour. I do not charge travel time to your place.
This service is available on a first booked basis- if you book it ahead, you get me; if you wait, I may already be booked.

green garden consultation and design

2009-04-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

I have been gardening since I was born. My parents and both sets of their parents grew most of their own veggies, using almost no chemicals[ except for potato bug dust- those things aren't fun to get rid of in an earth friendly manner]. I don't even use the dust.
I have created 4 large landscapes for myself plus gardened in pots and baskets when I've been in apartments. I have also helped design and/or maintian about 10 more gardens. I have been working towards landscapes that maintain themselves with little work or inputs from me. Nature is my model, bearing in mind that the end products need to be useful or edible for humans. Birds, insects and critters of all sorts are welcomed into my gardens. I plan these gardens to retain moisture, require little in the way of "weeding", and create their own fertilizer. I have killed enough plants to make lots of compost and to learn where some things just should not grow. I can design gardens that bloom from snow till snow[late april to late november, depending on mama nature]. I deal with insects and diseases holistically.
Food forests are a recent passion of mine. They produce more useful product per square foot than any vegetable garden or chem-monocultured crop. They also require a lot less work in the long run. Carbon is also kept within the tree trunks, which helps reduce the amount in the atmosphere creating the greenhouse effect. We ALL NEED to plant more trees. They may save our species from the destruction we have caused to the planet. I cannot stress this enough.
When I come to your home to help design your yard, I will get there by bicycle or bus. This takes me a little longer but then I am not morally responsible for any vehicle damages to asthmatics, pedestrian victims or the atmosphere.
You will pay 50$ an hour for the actual consult time. Research is done on my time. If you want a drawing of the design the time for creating the "blueprint" will also be charged at $50 per hour. I am quite willing to do work exchange and barters for this service.
Another service I can provide is identification of existing plantings.
any questions????
email pan_kisst@yahoo.com or phone 942-4653

great plants for a self sufficient garden

2009-03-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

One of my customers asked what plants I would reccommend. Partly of course, it depends on soil, sun and climate. Nevertheless, I do have my favorites for a variety of reasons.
Comfrey, symphtum spp., is a large floppy perrennial with huge leaves and will grow almost anywhere. It is edible[ though there have been a few, very few, reports of its toxicity- so common sense needs to be used.. eat it sparingly], highly medicinal externally, a great nutrient accumulator, and can be used as a cut and come again fertilizing mulch. Up to 4 cuttings can be made yearly, just as it comes into bloom. comfrey tea[ a fertilizer] is made by piling comfrey leaves in a closed container and letting it rot. this happens quickly, then the stinky tea is watered down and spread where wanted. This is also used as animal food. It attracts insects when in bloom.
alfalfa- medicago sativa- is also a perrennial that can be cut as a fertilising mulch about 2-4 times a year as it comes into bloom. Insects love it. It is a legume and accumulates nitrogen. It is usually cattle fodder here, but young tips can be eaten, and it has been used medicinally.
Yarrow- achiilea millefolium, is a short lived self seeding perennial, that is also native. a great insect attractant, it is also very medicinal for both humans and gardens. It is a great compost accelerant. young leaves can be added to salads or greens.
Dandelion, taraxacum officinale- this much maligned weed is an amazing nutricutical, and highly medicinal. It also accumulates nutrients making them available for other plants. Young leaves can be used in salads as can flower petals, older leaves can be cooked with greens, and roots are roasted for a healthy coffee substitute. It is also pretty. We need to be less silly and controlled by the mass marketers when it comes to our foods. Try a feed of wild spring greens this year and be amazed at how well you feel after.
plantain, plantago spp., is also very medicinal, good for insect bites and stings, edible, and very nutricutical. It also accumulates nutrients from the soil for other plants to use.
native plants of all sorts -including grasses and fruiting shrubs and trees- These will attract a variety of beneficial insects, birds and animals to your garden. They are also beautiful, climate hardy, very unfussy, and many are edible or medicinal.
Mint[your favorite type]. Medicinal, tough as nails, grows anywhere, can be used as a salad green[ I put handfulls of it into a mixed summer salad.], makes a gentle herbal tea or iced tea.
Legumes, from clover and alfalfa, to lupines and edible beans and peas. All of these will accumulate nitrogen in the soil for other plants to use[especially if inocculated with the proper innocculant]. Many of them attract beneficial insects, and most of them are almost foolproof to grow.
jerusalem artichoke- native perennial sunflower relative grown for it's roots. They contain inulin instead of the normal starches which make them beneficial to diabetes sufferers. The roots are edible from first frost in fall to the time they start to sprout in spring- just mulch them heavily so you can dig em out in midwinter. These keep extremely poorly except in the ground. Dig em and cook within 3 days.
Perrennial alliums- potato onion, egyptian onion, walking onion, welsh onion, chives , garlic chives, some of these are the same species, some are different, but they all provide fresh oniony greens first thing in spring, with no real effort on the gardeners part except for thinning, which can be regarded as harvesting if one is smart. These plants also help the disease resistance of those plants growing near them.
violets, violas, pansies- annual, selfseeding annuals, biennials, and perennials- these are all related and have similar medicinal properties. The greens and flowers are edible. These are some of the first flowers of spring. Some species of violets are native and will attract wildlife. These are tough plants that will put up with a lot of shade.
Tawny Daylilies- Hemerocallis fulva- these plants are beautiful, super tough, shade tolerant, and edible top to bottom. If the beneficials liked them more they'd be the perfect plant in my opinion.
All parts of the plant are edible. Flowers can be used in salads, dried day old flowers in soup, spring greens as an asparagus substitute[ people loved this dish at last years beltane in the park], and the roots can be eaten raw or cooked like potatoes.
You will note that there are NO primadonnas on this list. In fact many of these plants are considered invasive or weeds. What is wrong with our society that the most productive, tough and medicinal plants are " not good enough" for us? Why do we have to destroy these plants with toxins and then replace them with plants that provide no more food and take tons more physical care and toxin use?

My financial philosophies

2009-02-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

This company is not about getting rich. It is here to share the bounty of seeds and ideas that my garden has given me.
I will try to use resources as frugally as possible to try to keep prices down. This may mean unusual packaging :D. My salves are sold in re-usable or re-used jars.
I believe that the wealthy need to share. To this end I have a poverty discount of %50 off for the poor on seeds and garden consultations and designs. In order to get this discount you must see me. IF you are poor we can exchange hour per hour on garden design and consultation- you put labour into my place, and I return the favour, and we consider the hourly pay to be equal- although research time would be included.
I like to barter and will happily exchnge goods or labour for other goods or labour[ with agreement by all affected parties].
Taxes are part of prices. most seeds will be taxed at 5%gst and those considered ornamental[by the manitoba government] are taxed at 7%pst. Either way your 2$ per pkt covers the tax.

GERMINATION of seeds

2009-02-18T11:49:00.000-08:00

Not all seeds are created equal. they need different things to get them started. There are those that are seeded directly into the garden- most vegetable garden seeds- beans, arugula, dill .
There are those that need some freezing or near freezing temperatures- most native plants and some perennial herbs. You can seed them in a tray and freeze it outdoors for 4-8weeks, then bring it in for germination. You can also just scatter these seeds where you want them to grow, before winter ends. though this may make identification difficult
AND there are those that need to be started early if we want a harvest before frost in the fall- tomatoes, peppers, petunias, nicotiana, most herbs- usually sown about 8 weeks before the last frost date.
Many of the selfseeding annuals and bi-ennials can just be thrown on the snow now in the place you want them to grow. Do this during a snowfall so the birds don't see the seeds and decide you are feeding them. this assumes you know what is under the snow. Most selfseeders need light to germinate. they will get it when the snow disappears. Or you can seed them on top of a seed tray and raise transplants indoors.

The gardener

2009-02-10T18:14:00.000-08:00

This is me!! isn't the bluish colour of the broccoli beautiful beside the old fashioned vining petunias?

how my garden was created

2009-02-10T18:13:00.000-08:00

On the ground in the bottom left corner you can see flattened cardboard as well as bags of autumn leaves. These are the basis for my newish garden.
The lot used to hold a house and garage. after they burnt down they were plowed under and fill was trucked in to make the yard level[meh]. This means no topsoil. So in early spring[preferably] I mowed the green stuff as short as possible to weaken the plants. I then covered the area with 4 to 8 layers of flattened cardboard boxes to exclude all light and make it difficult for the quackgrass to make it up through. This layer was covered with one to 2 feet deep of shredded leaves, sometimes with branches and twigs buried at the bottom for more moisture retention. I also bury old logs and untreated lumber at the bottom of my raised beds to help retain moiture. Rotting wood is like an amazing sponge. I then sprinkled compost over all to help the leaves rot quickly. I put soil on top of the bed areas about 2-6 inches deep, depending on what's being planted. Then plant seeds into it. By fall the leaves were half composted. By the next fall, almost all gone.
The beds are raised and the paths are sunken. This way the beds drain freely and the paths hold excess water for later. This can make for wet paths during a rainy spell. I try to heavily mulch all paths. This allows the rain to collect but your boots aren't muddy, and the "weeds" can't grow well due to sunlight exclusion.

beautiful and edible

2009-02-10T18:10:00.000-08:00

many of the flowers in this picture are edible. A medicinal and food garden can easily be ornamental. The following flowers are all edible: sweet william[petals only]; sweet dames rocket; dianthus species; violets[leaves too]; pansies; violas; bee balm; hollyhock; mallows; daylilies[ petals, buds, dried flowers, young leaves, roots, all edible]; calendula[and leaves]; evening primrose[seeds are medicinal, and first year roots are edible]; tulips[petals]; sunflowers[ seeds, petals, steamed flower buds]; roses[petals and hips]; flowers of all cooking and tea herbs- sage, thyme, lavender, anise-hyssop, chives, garlic chives,and more; flowers of arugula, broccoli, radish and onion taste like their vegetable. Salads can be a colourscape from spring till fall.

summer squash

2009-02-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

As cool autumn approaches

the summer squash creeps over the logs

to sit closer to the firepit

My holistic polycultural permaculture style, natural garden :D

2009-02-10T17:57:00.000-08:00

My pride and joy. a polyculture to celebrate Gaia, this goddess we live on and are a part of.
Polyculture-a mixture of different plants, like in nature. The idea is that different plants enhance growing conditions for other plants. They will also have different heights, fertiliser requirements, light requirements, and root profiles[meaning they take their inputs from different areas of the soil]

Me, with the elecampane and a few of our many yellow wild daisies in the background. We have a great many native large yellow daisies. Please don't avoid them even if they seem "common" and "weedy". They have evolved to attract and feed many of our beneficial insects and native butterflies, and some of our birds[when you leave the seedheads on rather than "tidying" the garden at the end of the season.] Some of these native daisies are also medicinal.

This is a shot of my yarden. The huge plants with yellow flowers are elecampane.

Permaculture is an idea proposed by bill mollison and david holmgren. it means- permanent culture[or agriculture], and is the idea that our systems need to be self contained. Our outputs should be our inputs. Our living and production spaces[i.e. the garden, farm, what have you] should be designed so that they conserve and create their own energy[ in any of it's forms].

what I used to sell from my polycultural permaculture

2009-01-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

I will be selling organically grown seeds of native, and heirloom plants. There are also handmade medicinal salves available as well as sleep pillows. In the future we may sell some herbs and dried flowers. If you wish to see anything else listed here, please just ask.. I may say no, but can't get it if you don't ask.

the following are simply arranged alphabetically, sorta kinda, because many of them are edible, nutrient building, and medicinal as well as ornamental [or some similar combination]
Guerilla Gardening Mix-This packet contains an eclectic mix of seeds for plants that are hardy to at least zone 2b. There are natives, edibles, medicinals, insect attractants, and nutrient boosting annual, biennial and perennial plants. this mix was created to be thrown into "waste spaces"[ back lanes, vacant lots, etc..]. We may as well choose what 'weeds' dot our backlanes.Your large pinch of this mixture might include hollyhock, sweet william, inula helenium, big bluestem, indian grass, stiff goldenrod, canada goldenrod, papaver somniferum, native pentstemons, hyssop, catnip, liatris, ratibida columnifera, arugula, mustard, radish, and many others. Many of these are ornamental as well as being useful in some other way. sun to shade
Allium fistulosum-welsh[meaning foreign] onion-1ft. tall perennial with balls of small white bells at the top of the plant in early to midsummer. plant this for green onions as soon as the snow melts.... or not long thereafter. The whole plant is edible. full sun to part shade
Anise hyssop- Agastache foeniculum- 3-4ft. tall, native perennial tea herb scented like a combination of licorice and mint[ a nice flavour to disguise more bitter medicinals]. Has lilac spikes of tiny flowers in summer and is pretty enough for the flower garden
Arugula- also called rocket- a fast growing cool season[ tho I like the leaves all summer long] spicy flavoured green for salads or cooking. sun to part shade
bean- black valentine- [introduced in 1897] snap bean, bush plant, productive with 6 in. long green pods. seeds are black and can be used as a dry soup bean also. 50-55 days to maturity
bean_pisarecka zlutoluske- a hungarian heirloom bush bean. a very productive wax[ that means yellow] bean. seed is rust speckled with cream. 50 days for wax beans.
Big Bluestem- andropogon gerardii- 4-7 ft tall native perennial clumping grass, flowers [turkey trot shaped flowers-later seedheads] august to september
Catnip- nepeta cataria- perennial herb about 1 ft tall, full sun, cover with a cage if growing in the open[ cats will destroy the plant if they can get at it- they just Loooooove it to death] makes a nice lemony tea which is also good for insomnia
compass plant- silphium perfoliatum- to 5 ft tall native perennial bog plant[ will do fine in ordinary garden soil, but is better used to fill in the low spot that gets too wet for others] with yellow daisies in mid summer to fall. full sun
dill- 1-2ft ferny foliaged self-seeding annual. leaves are used for salads, garnishes and as a flavoring for potatoes and other dishes. seeds can be steeped for a tea[gripe water] to help with indigestion. seed heads are used for dill pickles
edible chrysanthemum- shungiku greens- this pretty annual daisy has edible leaves. grows to 2 ft tall
elecampane[this is the common name :D]- inula helenium ex ex goliath[ these are seedlings of some seedlings of the named cultivar "Goliath"]- to 8feet tall, ornamental and medicinal perennial with long rayed shaggy yellow daisies. full sun. native to europe
false sunflower- helianthus helianthoides- perennial native with yellow daisies in midsummer to early fall. full sun. drought tolerant. attracts butterflies
Hollyhock mixed species- This mix contains alcaea rosaea as well as alcaea filicifolia and probably some hybrids of these and/or other species. Hollyhocks can be annual, bi-ennial, monocarpic or perennial depending on many things including it's species. The parent plants carry white, red or pink, and yellow-infused flowers and range from 3 to 8feet high. they grew in sun and full shade. The flowers and leaves are edible and medicinal. The greens[as well as mallow greens] are my favorite "spinach"- they have that same soft texture that cooked spinach does. can be started indoors[do not cover seed] or throw in garden where you want it to grow. Hummingbirds love my parents hollyhock flowers.
Hyssop- hyssopus officinalis- a perennial herb[ may be annual here] with blue, pink or rarely, white flowers in midsummer. a small very pretty plant- nice enough for a flower garden. This is one of the cleansing herbs from the bible. It has been used as an edible herb in the past, but is quite bitter. it is considered medicinal- a tea or syrup is made from it for coughs and colds. full sun
Indian Grass- sorghastrum nutans- perennial native clumping grass to 5 ft tall in bloom. Grasses bloom, we just think of it as the seed head- that comes later. blooms late summer. great for insects, birds, and for fall and winter interest in the garden. full sun
Joe pye weed- Eupatorium- 3-7 foot tall native perennial wildflower has large fluffy clusters of grey/purple/pink flowers, historically used medicinally
Lovage- a 7ft tall perennial herb/vegetable. like a giant celery in looks and flavour. Called Maggikraut by the germans, it is used in many soups and stews. sow seed where they are to grow, before spring arrives[ the seed needs to be wet and very cold for a short period[a few weeks]. once you get this plant to a large size it is difficult to get rid of, but seedlings are easy to remove. sun or shade[ smaller in shade]
mimulus guttatus- a native perennial[ or self-seeding annual] bogplant for full sun to 8inches tall. has yellow snapdragon type flowers most of the season, especially if cut back after the first flush. leaves are eaten as a lettuce, flowers are also edible.[sold out]
Marshmallow- althaea officinalis- I am not 100% certain of this identification, but all mallows[including hollyhocks] have similar medicinal properties and their leaves and flowers are edible. I am labelling this as marshmallow because one of my herb books assures me that only marshmallow has furry leaves, and this does. perennial to 4 ft tall, and almost as wide with pink mallow type flowers from early summer till frost. full sun
nicandra Physaloides- shoo-fly plant- annual, to 4ft, has flattened purple trumpets all summer, has been used as an insect repellent- start indoors or out, full sun
Nicotiana Sylvestris{only the lonely} -ornamental tobacco- 4-6ft annual- beautiful annual. sun to part shade- Has large leaves with tall spires of long narrow white scented trumpets- scent is strongest in the evening- leaves can be used spiritually for cleansing as a tobacco substitute[NOT FOR smoking] or as a natural insecticide- plants are highly ornamental- a traditional "cottage garden" plant
Parsnips- varietal unknown, long roots[ as opposed to turnip style]- an edible rooted bi-ennial that will self seed once you've let some plants come back after winter to bloom. In bloom these plants are like Giant dill to 7 ft tall. Needs to grow all summer for decent sized roots. roots can be dug fall and winter to early spring as long as you can loosen the soil[ some kind of mulch would help] full sun to part shade.
Old fashioned vining petunia- This cultivar has been around since the 1800's, The plants are sprawling and coverered in floppy trumpets ranging in colour from purple to pink to white- these are highly scented- plants are drought tolerant and almost "idiot-proof".. hey they grow for me :D.. One of the few plants I grow srictly for beauty and scent.. an old-fashioned heirloom ornamental
Poppy, seed[dbl red flowered parent]- papaver somniferum- selfseeding annual with beautiful red double flowers[ at least thats what the parent plant had, these often cross with one another and I had a couple varieties, so you may get anything from double red to single white, or???] 1 to 2 feet tall, edible seeds are used in salad dressings and desserts. The seeds shake out of the head just like using a salt shaker. These plants are the source of opium and it's medicinal [and illegal]offshoots
poppy white seeded[parent has single white flowers and white seeds]- same as above giving you hopefully white poppies
prairie dropseed- sporobolus heterolepsis- native perennial clumping grass to 2 feet tall and wide.blooms august till frost with a hazy halo of delicate flowers
ratibida columnifera- prairie coneflower- 3 ft. native perennial with daisylike flowers in midsummer till fall. flowers have a long narrow central cone with drooping yellow petals. I love to watch these come into bloom- they don't unfold, they just start to appear... first as tiny green daisies, then they colour up as they get larger. drought tolerant.
rudbeckia laciniata- to 7 ft tall native perennial with yellow daisies in late summer till frost. sun or shade
Solidago canadensis- canada goldenrod- perennial native with pyramidal yellow inflorescences. a great native insect attractant. drought tolerant. dries well for crafts. full sun. used as a dye plant
Solidago Rigida- stiff goldenrod- perennial native with stiff yellow inflorescences. 1-2ft. tall. drought tolerant. great beneficial insect attractant.dries well for crafts. full sun. used as a dye plant
Squash- Galeux D'Eysines- cucurbita maxima- heirloom variety from the 1800's, large vines hold 10-15lb creamy tan[heritage harvest seeds calls it pinkish] pumpkins with beige warts,scented orange flesh with mild flavour, keep well, full sun, 100 days to maturity
Squash- white scallop[a.k.a. cymling, patisson panache, custard marrow]-cucurbita pepo-very productive summer squash producing white scallop shaped, white fleshed squash. can also be matured and kept over winter[ letting some mature is supposed to slow down production[have I said they are very productive?]for me these start producing in early august, and mature very quickly. this is an heirloom variety from the 1500's. full sun
Sweet william- dianthus deltoides- biennial old fashioned ornamental heirloom with flattish clusters of "pinked" flowers in singles and bicolours in shades of red pink and white. flowers are edible. has been used medicinally. selfseeds. sun to part shade
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The following roots can be picked up at my house- I don't have the wherewithal to mail these:
Jerusalem artichoke-Unnamed variety- large tan roots with inulin as the starch[ therefore good for diabetics, as it doesn't convert to sugar in the body]. The plants are up to 7 feet tall and have small yellow sunflowers in early fall. They are perennial, and are almost impossible to get rid of once you have them- situate with care. These are native plants, and are harvestable from late fall through early spring. Roots keep best in the ground. so dig them as needed. they keep very poorly once dug. full sun to part shade. $2 per root
Red Raspberries- unnamed everbearing varietal- I got these from my parents who got them from a neighbour in Glenella Manitoba around 40 years ago- they are very productive and make amazing juice :D[thanks mom]- raspberries are treated as self-perpetuating biennials. the first year they grow the stalk, the next year they grow fruit, and then they are removed in late fall, to make room for the new canes to grow. full sun to part shade[ less productive of fruit in shade.] $2 per root
Horseradish- This is the HOT white sauce that is served with roast beef- This is a perennial that grows to 2 ft with large serrated basal leaves. The new leaves are edible in early spring or late fall as greens[ they get verrrrry hot as the season heats up]. the roots are harvested in months with an r in them[ fall, winter, early spring]. This plant is also medicinal. $2 per root
comfrey- symphtum spp.-a perennial foliage and flowering plant that is an amazing soil fertiliser. it makes nutrients available that other plants would otherwise have difficulty getting at. The leaves and roots are also medicinal. this plant has been used as livestock food, as well as for a medicinal human food. It is now considered too poisonous by the " establishment" for internal consumption. Plant it where you want it, It's impossible to remove. $2 per root
Rhubarb- Rheum - perennial "fruit" plant with edible leaf stems used as a fruit. The leaves are poisonous. This is one of the first "sweets" to grow in summer. I consider these very ornamental foliage plants with their huge ruffled leaves. Plants are 1-2ft tall and about 4 ft wide. $2 per root

salves are made with herbs grown in the organic polyculture, extra virgin olive oil and unfiltered beeswax. Unfiltered beeswax contains propolis and royal jelly as well as pollens and bee bits. Our bodies readily absorb nutrients and medicine through our skins. All of your cosmetics should be made from food grade products. Jars are re-useable glass with wirebails
salves available are-
comfrey salve- comfrey is a fast healer of small abrasions, cuts, nicks and scrapes. DO NOT put on wounds that are septic or contain foreign objects or dirt. The area must be clean first, because comfrey can heal a problem inside.
calendula salve- also known as scotch marigold, this edible ornamental is a gentle healer of minor skin issues
heat and heal salve- an organic version of deep heating rubs, much more gentle, but still can get very hot on mucous membranes, and around eyes and nose. deep heals bruises and muscle aches- use as a massage lubricant
gardeners hand balm- My favorite. a mixture of herbs including comfrey and calendula as well as other healing and soothing herbs. great for all minor skin ailments. works well for psoriasis, cracked skin, chafing, windburn, sunburn... has a quick but gentle action.. you don't notice it working till the problem is gone
I also have one solar infused oil-
St John's wort oil- 5$ for an approx. 2oz. bottle- great for deep aches and bruises as a massage oil
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Hops sleep pillows- these are small cloth envelopes filled with hops, which you place under your regular pillow for a good nights sleep. I have plain, organic lavender added, or organic rose petals added. All 3 kinds should give you sweet dreams- especially after a nice nightcap of chamomile, catnip, or st. john's wort tea.

where my seeds come from

2008-12-31T08:33:00.000-08:00

All of my seeds are grown in a Permaculture/food forest in my yard in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada[currently rated as zone 2b by agriculture canada]. I grow a mixture of native plants, medicinals, and edibles including many unusual herbs and edible flowers. Plants are grown in polycultures which create all their own fertilizer. Inputs[mostly water] are kept to a minimum. My garden plants are encouraged to be as self sufficient as possible. This means that their seedlings will also be able to handle adverse conditions.
I grow native perennial flowers and clumping grasses because the native beneficial insects and animals require them for their sustenance. The ornamentals in my garden are either edible, medicinal, they accumulate nutrients, or attract beneficial insects,or do all the above at the same time. Beauty alone is seldom a reason for me to grow a plant. On the other hand, beauty is one of the criteria I look for. Many of the medicinal plants seem to have a beneficial effect on the surrounding plants growing in the garden. Plants constantly grow and lose rootlets and leaves, just as we constantly grow and lose skin and other cells. Plants exchange nutrients and other items through this process with the other plants that are growing around them. I believe that plants growing in a polyculture are much healthier, and that therefore their seeds will be too.
This particular selection of seed is what grew well and I found time to harvest the seed of this year. There are no tomatoes because mine all got blackspot or something like. The plants produced but I won't knowingly sell seed from sick plants. What I produce next year may be entirely different.
My plants are all open pollinated. Most of them were separated from something that could cross pollinate by at least 1/4 mile. Also, Many of them fertilise themselves, even when grown near other of the same species. Almost all of the medicinals and natives are not going to be changed through crosspollination. It is only the heirloom veggies that there may be a slight chance of crosspollination. I grew 4 different species of squash to avoid crosspollination, and I did not see any squash plants within a 1/4 mile radius.
I am a witch and these plants are also grown with spiritual intent. If you have seen the experiments with emotional energy and ice crystals, you understand that our emotions and the energy we send at things[at least those containing water, as do plants] affect how those things are put together. I constantly send my plants happy healthy energy. Gardening is NOT a chore for me but a joy. I hope that that energy is contained within the seeds I have grown.
Goddess bless