A Great Blog

Why We Plant Fruit Trees (one reason)

2013-06-10T09:03:00.000-07:00

Today, I paid $1.96 for one organic pear. This was at the local food coop where things are supposed to sell for less.

Fireflies

2013-06-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

The first fireflies of the season are starting to strut their stuff in our garden. Blue Ghost fireflies are lighting up the forest floor in Dupont State Park, and the Synchronise fireflies are entertaining folks in The Great Smokey Mountain National Park. This is one of the many reasons why we live in Western North Carolina.

Peruvian Mint - Self-Reliance and Sustainability Blog - MOTHER EARTH NEWS

2013-06-02T07:07:00.001-07:00

Peruvian Mint - Self-Reliance and Sustainability Blog - MOTHER EARTH NEWS At some point in the mid 1980s, we’d acquired a vining succulent plant which we’d never seen before. The seller at the flea market told us the plant was called Peruvian Mint. We planted it in the yard and it spread and spread. I especially liked where I planted it along paths, and when I walked there, the crushed leaves would perfume the air with…..Continue reading…..Peruvian Mint

Great Fruit Trees for the Deep South, Part. III: The Mulberry - Grow It! - MOTHER EARTH NEWS

2013-05-20T18:41:00.001-07:00

I remember the first time I saw a mulberry tree. Growing up in South Florida, we were used to oranges, grapefruit, mangos and avocadoes. But… a blackberry that grew on a tree? Wild! I was 10 years old. My little brother Brian and I were visiting our friends Rachel and Miles…..
Read the full article

Facts About Comfrey

2013-04-22T15:14:00.000-07:00

I use comfrey in every forest garden design I do. Here's why.

It is a dynamic accumulator, a nutrient pump that produces versatile, valuable leaves year after year. These leaves can be used as mulch to protect the soil and provide valuable nutrients as it breaks down.
It is 22% - 33% protein compared to Alfalfa at 12% - 19%
It's finished compost as soon as the leaves are cut and turned under
It increases crop yields by 30% - 100%
It continually reproduces itself and can last forever

As an herb:

It soothes ulcers, gout, burns, bruises, wounds, and even the common cold
It is reputed to aid in the healing of broken bones, and is sometimes referred to as "knitbone".
It makes a great compost tea
It makes egg yolks yellower when cut early and fed to chickens

I believe it is one of the most valuable plants to use in forest garden for all that it provides.

Deadnettle - A Weed For The Bees

2013-04-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

Purple and Red Deadnettle appears in Western North Carolina in March, and is one of the first flowering plants available to honeybees. It's also an edible plant for humans.

While it can be invasive, it's easy to pull up, and because of its benefit to honeybees, is worth leaving until the flowers die off. I simply remove it from the areas I don't want it and leave all the other patches of it.

I personally love being able to provide an early meal for the honeybees.

New Study Shows Pesticides Cause Brain Damage in Bees

2013-03-30T10:35:00.000-07:00

Two studies released Wednesday support the findings of the European Food Safety Authority that neonicotinoid insecticides pose an unacceptable risk to bees. The pair of British studies indicate that neonicotinoids and miticides cause brain damage, compromising bee survival. Read more....

At The Bird Feeder These Days

2013-03-23T14:59:00.000-07:00

Tufted Titmouse

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Cardinal

Black Capped Chickadee

Great Deals on Hobby Greenhouses

2013-03-23T10:39:00.001-07:00

Redesigning Civilization with Toby Hemenway

2013-03-20T04:54:00.002-07:00

A Spiral Pattern in Nature

2013-03-09T06:05:00.001-08:00

The best patterns come from nature. The design on this snail shell is a good example. It's the same pattern I would use for the design of a spiral herb garden. The spiral starts at the top and winds its way down to the bottom in a left to right direction.

Plants that need the least water go on the top, like Rosemary, and plants that need the most water go on the bottom of the spiral, like mints. Plants needing more sun go on the south side, plants needing less go on the north side.

It's an efficient design for growing herbs and vegetables, provided to us by nature.

First Eastern Bluebird Of The Season

2013-03-08T08:40:00.000-08:00

I saw my first Eastern Bluebird of the season this morning in Asheville. It was flittering from tree to tree along the Swannanoa River. What a beauty. I have also recently seen dozens of Robins along the side of the road feeding as the weather is slowly warming up.

Time To Plant Peas in Asheville

2013-02-27T09:13:00.001-08:00

Crocus

When Crocus and Daffodils bloom, it's time to plant peas, and in Asheville, NC, these plants are blooming. Another phenological sign to plant peas is when the Yellow Forsythia bush starts to bloom. This is happening now also.

For more phenological planting signs, go to this page: http://earthandspiritdesign.com/phenology.html

Protecting Our Gardens from the Bad Bugs

2013-02-15T10:57:00.000-08:00

Garden pests are one of the biggest problems we have here in the southeast. The warm climate and abundance of food makes the southeast a prime living area for bugs, good and bad. A client sent me this message: "Last year we ran into issues with pests. We used DE and other organic sprays like crazy, but it didn't turn out too well".

So, as organic gardeners, what can we do to protect our food that we've worked so hard to produce, from these opportunistic bugs? We need to build a fortress, complete with guards, around our plants. How do we do this? We plant a collection of plants that attract beneficial insects & deter non-beneficial insects. Our guards are the beneficial insects. Our fortress plants include, garlic, garlic chives, borage, calendula, marigolds, dill, nasturtiums, radishes,onions, and basil for a start. These plants will attract the guards, or beneficial insects, including hover flies, lady bugs and wasps. The beneficial insects feed on the "bad guys", including cucumber beetles, squash beetles, aphids, and other unwanted bugs. Once this fortress of companion plants is built, then we plant our vegetable and herb plants in the fortress. We're not going to mono-crop, or plant a bunch of the same varieties close to each other. We want to make it hard for the bad bugs to find our plants, and if they find one, maybe they won't find them all amongst our plant fortress.

If this is done properly, our garden beds will look more wild, than orderly. The benefit is, of course, that we provide more food for ourselves, and less for the bugs.

For more information on companion planting for beneficial insects, go here: http://earthandspiritdesign.com/companionplanting.html

The Future of Cities?

2013-02-08T09:38:00.000-08:00

Source: sustainablecitiescollective.com via Sustainable Cities Collective on Pinterest

February 3, 2013

2013-02-03T11:11:00.000-08:00

It's cold, it's windy and it's February 3. The Elderberries have leaf buds, and the Valerian is showing new signs of growth starting. The Shasta daisies are also showing new leaves. Seems a bit early, especially with the recent freezing cold weather we're having. Let's hope they get through this cold spell.

Rain, Lovely Rain

2012-12-17T05:28:00.001-08:00

After a long drought, we finally got a nice rainfall on this 16th day of December. While others were complaining, I was rejoicing. Now, what to do with that Elderberry that is starting to leaf out!

It's Blooming Winter!

2012-12-03T18:58:00.001-08:00

It's December 3, 2012, and the following plants are putting out buds, and in some cases, new flowers. My Forsythia plants out front are flowering, an Elderberry bush planted last spring is showing new buds, and, at the neighbors house, Rhododendrons are starting to flower. Are we going into winter, or spring?

Homeowners Cited for Illegal Gardening: Orlando Couple Fight for the Right to Grow Food

2012-11-18T19:09:00.001-08:00

How disgusting! A food garden in your front yard. What is this world coming too. Or better yet, what is Orlando, Florida coming too.

Homeowners Cited for Illegal Gardening: Orlando Couple Fight for the Right to Grow Food: "Reluctant revolutionaries, Jason and Jennifer Helvenston face code enforcement over 'illegal garden.'"

Mother Earth News Organic Gardening

Jerusalem Artichokes Aplenty!

2012-11-16T04:55:00.001-08:00

Well, the Jerusalem artichokes did finally flower, in September, and ultimately produced a fine crop of roots for harvesting. We of course left many in the ground for next years crop. What will we do with them. For now, they'll go into salads. They're good for controlling blood sugar.
Recipes:http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blv71.htm

Jerusalem Artichokes, But No Flowers

2012-08-23T17:28:00.003-07:00

My Jerulsalem Artichokes plants are now about 12 feet high and have yet to flower. What's up with that? My only thought is that because we have had such a rainy season, they don't feel the need to create offspring, and are putting all of their energy into the root,which is good, because this is what we harvest.

Soon, when they start to die back, I will dig them up to see if this is true.

Spilanthes, The Toothache Plant

2012-08-23T13:11:00.002-07:00

I never figured the Spilanthes plant, native to the tropics of Brazil would reseed itself, to reappear year after year in a place like Western North Carolina, but it does.

This little plant to the left showed up this summer all on its own as a surprise growing under an also self seeded magenta lambs quarters plant. The three of them, two lambs quarters and one Spilanthes, are growing together in a hole, dug in the gravel driveway at our house, by our beloved Australian Shepard dog, Star. The lambs quarters is seven feet tall and still going. Both are hardy as can be with no input from us.

Spilanthes, is an herb that causes numbness when applied to the gums or lips for that matter. It's a soothing treatment for mouth sours as well as toothaches. Since I haven't had a toothache for eons, I use mine more for the canker sores I occasionally get.

Thanks Star for providing a nice growing spot for two useful plants.

Nature by Numbers

2012-08-12T17:30:00.001-07:00

My Love Hate Relationship with My Lawn

2012-07-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

As a permaculturist, you would think, that I would hate my lawn. But I don't. I love it. Why? Because it provides me with nitrogen rich green mulch to use around all of my plantings. Not only does it suppress any weeds, but it also slow feeds nitrogen to my plants.

Mind you, I don't really really relish the idea of dragging out the lawn mower on a hot day, filling it with a petroleum product, and then pushing it around the yard, polluting all the way. That is what I do, but it's not all bad. It's a technology that provides a benefit to the garden in the way of free mulch and fertilizer. Well, not totally free, because there is the cost of gas and lawn mower repairs (occasionally). But still, I feel it is worthwhile. Besides; there is something meditative about mowing a lawn. You get into the zone and the thoughts of the day just disappear while your mowing.

I don't recommend creating a large lawn just for the benefit of the mulch and fertilizer, but if you already have one, use it to your advantage. Capture the grass clippings and use them to help your other plantings. Reduce your weeding by applying a layer of clippings around your plants. It's senseless to pay for nitrogen fertilizers when its already there, in your grass clippings.

If You Must Mow.....

2012-07-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

If you must mow a lawn as part of your gardening regimen, try this. Instead of mowing the whole thing,just mow the areas that you use, for passage, playing, etc. Forget mowing the whole darn thing. Our yard is mostly white clover, a literal feast of pollen for the bees. If I mow it all, I cut all the flower heads off, leaving nothing for the bees. I now leave islands of clover for the bees, and not only is this good for them, but it means less mowing for me. And by the way, what do you do with your grass clippings? I collect most of mine in a grass catcher and use it for mulch around my shrubs and flower plantings. This provides a natural source of nitrogen while also keeping the weeds at bay. A lawn is a useful component of a garden when it is used resourcefully. Mow it, bag it, and use it, while leaving a few clippings on the lawn for fertilizer.