student of nature

I am absolutely a student of nature right now. And a student of my children for that matter. I continue to be amazed at the ability of nature to be a bridge to my children. We are really enjoying our time in the garden on different levels. Elise's level is capricious and impatient. But loving and experimental. Will's level contains intuition and hard work. But also wonder. And mine contains all of the reward.

"Study nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you."
-Frank Lloyd Wright




Nasturtium

Basil/Sage/Thyme/Tarragon

Elise's baby lima bean and Will's baby pea with thyme

carpet of lettuce

picked over radishes

beets

downy carrot tops

ah, the strawberries

peas climbing Will's trellis with beans catching up

baby radish greens

purple beans

zucchini

common sense or not

Common sense: to have sound judgment, be reasonable. Well, let’s just say I haven’t always been prudent in my decision making. Fun in my 20’s isn’t the same at this age (a lady never tells!).

College was my first, big stumbling block when it came time to incorporating sage advice into my life and balancing immediate temptations with long term goals. I ended up at a community college (called the thirteenth grade in our area) because I didn’t want to hear any advice. Seeing all the kids who also had a bit more fun in high school than necessary, seemed a bit of a joke to me, especially when all over the country, college campuses were teeming with fun. The joke was on me. I left after 2 and a half non- consecutive semesters.

During this time, I did learn some very important lessons. Being ashamed of my failure, lead me to try and avoid questions about “where are you going to school?” like the plague. Sometimes I would quip about going to the “school of life”. I really wasn’t far off; bartending is its own brand of education. Usually, if I was speaking to a grown-up, they would press the point and I would have to confess. Learning there was a time for humor and a time to be forthright. Balancing the two can sometimes be tricky. Just think of a time when you thought something was a light-hearted joke but a friend didn’t.

Another moment of ego- filled ineptness came with the birth of my first child. I had read all the books. Thought I knew everything, much to my own chagrin, I didn’t! And if any one offered guidance, I took it as a slight against my abilities. Thankfully, I needed help more than I needed to be right. A very important lesson, indeed.

Now as a lady with some road behind me, I soak in as much guidance, information and humor as possible. I stumble all the time; in parenting, with friends or family and especially, in the garden. Even though I am purportedly a balance sign (if you follow that kind of stuff), my equilibrium is often shaky. But just like a plant rooted in the wrong spot grows towards the light, I also try to right my wrongs. Take last year’s tomato plants, for example. They grew out of control. Big, beautiful and jungle-like but hardly any harvest. Needless to say, I am devouring any information I can get my hands on to take better care of my small, promising plants. And our lettuce this year is way too close together. But my merry helpers scattered the seeds, and I went along for the ride instead of needing to be right. And my cilantro has taken over the joint, not sure at all what to do about this territorial creeper.

Now instead of being ashamed of my mistakes, I am embracing them and doing my best to find the message. We shall see how I do.

So far, phase 1 of the growing season has worked out nicely. Now to get on the ball for this next weekend. Mother's day is officially a day to safely plant all the rest of your garden bounty! One of the gifts to myself will be a trip to the garden center for lots of edibles! Happy Mom's day to you!


Lettuce

More Lettuce

Lots of lettuce

Peas sprouting up

rhubarb

strawberries

carrots

cilantro gone wild

Rainbow swiss chard

Hope

I am in an especially reflective mood this morning. I woke up to news about Bin Laden. Now I am sure just hearing his name brings about a visceral reaction in you, it does for me. My sweet first born was just under a month old snuggling in my arms as I watched a plane hit the second tower on that blue-skied, fateful day. My astonishment was followed by helplessness. How, in a world gone crazy, was I going to keep my precious baby safe?

William will be 10 years old in august. There have been scrapes and bruises, tears and turmoil. But the blessings abound and as another hatch mark records inches grown, I exhale just a little bit. He is safe, in this moment. So we, as a family, have learned to enjoy our moments. They are not like the moments of ’01, desperate, sad and frightened. These are more luxurious and hopeful, much like planting and tending a garden.

Gardening and life have so many overlapping lessons, reminding me of the important stuff requiring my attention. Beyond the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter reside the juicy bits of life. I would like to say I have always known what is really important. But I have been off track in my life more times than I care to rehash. And the juicy bits of my youth were immediate, self satisfying and surface fun. In this moment of my life though, I am really sinking my teeth into my own experiences and wringing every last drop of out of it. Not that I don’t enjoy a selfish occasion now and again.

Starting a garden has helped me on this path; Watching which vegetables are thriving, how to make use of every part of the plant and the joy on my children’s faces as they snap peas right off the vine for a snack. I have had setbacks and serendipitous successes, some with my green-ish thumb, others from neglect. All of this informing me along the way and reminding me about resilience in all living things. Much like tracking Will and Elise as they move through the world; did they eat enough, sleep enough? After a particularly bad meltdown…what can I do better next time? Or the pure joy of witnessing them master a new skill. Elise is a mad woman on her bike right now, no fear! And William has logged a ton of hours on a 70’s style skateboard learning to lean into a turn.

Being a parent and a gardener are helping me become more resilient. I am still pretty sensitive but surviving each challenge better equips me to carry on. Both my children and garden show me how a bit of time and energy reap tremendous rewards. Watching a seed sprout up through the soil and become a carrot or lettuce, has made me more hopeful. As does dreaming about what life has in store for my two amazing children.

All of these thoughts and emotions are with me today. Hope seems to rise above it all; A hope for peace and safety in the wake of this confusing news.

I gotta tell ya when life can be so crazy; I love the refuge I find in my little garden plot. Nursing stiff muscles and cleaning the dirt out from under my nails is so worth a couple hours puttering around in the sun. It’s like a vitamin D shot and therapy all wrapped up in 4 x 8 plot. Add the kids and the laughter abounds.

Since I am still a newbie to this gardening gig, I make mistakes constantly. But the wonderful surprises are always worth the flubs. Like the chives and scallions popping up, who knew when I left them for dead that they would reappear. Recently I read that the only months of rest for a gardener in our area is January and February, huh? Seems a bit extreme to me but a goal I now have put on the list. I believe it was noted in the same publication that St Patty’s day is the traditional pea planting day. I’d like to say I was drinking green beer instead, but I am sure my slacker, smidgeon o’ Irish self was huddled indoors away from the frigid wind.

My peas are in now. That counts for something, right? They are in earlier this year than last and I have to be up for bonus points; Will planted them. Actually both kids were involved with getting our garden started this year.

A break in the weather had all three of us out in the sun digging weeds and some overzealous cilantro (I had no idea how far it would spread). Once we got all the enemies out; chives, scallions, a smaller bit of cilantro, rhubarb, lemon balm and a lone strawberry plant awaited some new companions.

Amending the soil had to be Elise’s favorite part. As I sprinkled on an organic fertilizer, she kept trying to catch it. Then we added more organic soil on top (not sure if more went into the garden or Elise’s shoes) and raked the two together; and not a moment too soon.

Both kids were chomping at the bit to plant something! Will earned the right to plant the peas for all his hard work re-stringing the trellis. The look on his face was a wonderful mix of surprise (Mom is really going to let me?) and accomplishment. The trellis looks perfect and we are all looking forward to snapping peas off the vines at the end of May.

In the end, we planted two kinds of beets, white and red radishes, multi colored swiss chard, two kinds of carrots, mesclun greens, lettuce and of course, Will’s peas. The three of us were filthy, in desperate need of bathing but very happy gardeners!

a breath of fresh air

I love this time of year. The chives & scallions I planted last summer are popping up vigorously in my raised bed. When I spied these clumps of green in an otherwise dreary garden plot, it felt like a gift.

Mother Nature may be a bit wacked out lately but she never fails to deliver the promise of spring in a delightful way, year after year.

I couldn’t help myself; I went camera in hand to capture what could be considered a mirage after all this crazy weather. Now I have proof, spring is indeed upon us. All promise of warmer weather. Yeah!

Now if I could just brave this snappy weather to get my peas, beets, carrots and radishes in the ground.

Earth day is right around the corner. I'd love to hear what you all are doing. I think my kids & I are headed to Crows Woods, our local adventure land. With a community garden and lots of trails through the woods, we always enjoy our time exploring, as did our dogs when they were puppies. So Earth day is our chance to give back to this plot of land that has given us so much over the years. I am sure we will be picking up trash, always a bunch of trash. But hopefully we will be able to find some other efforts going on to add our muscle.

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Headed to the big city this weekend and that means Union Square Market. I am downright giddy at the prospect of leisurely perusing all manners of produce, plants (yes, there is a pop-up greenhouse filled with many colorful, potted choices) and vendors galore selling meats, cheeses, eggs, honey & lots more. Don't even get me started on the bread. Oh, the bread! I am truly thankful for the opportunity to be in one of my all time favorite places, cold weather be darned. I am even packing a cooler to stash all my great finds to share with those I love back at the homestead.
Last year, I was able to pick up some great information about composting. A list of do's & don’ts that has been a great kitchen reference for my family. It was a bit funny to be in such a metropolis & find out about such a dirty process. Well, on second thought, maybe not. Lots of dirty things happen in the city, right? Wink, wink.
My budget for a hotel is usually very low. Just a place to hang my hat, as I am out & about most of the time. This time I got lucky. A while ago, my husband & I attended a great benefit for some amazing people and won two nights in NYC. Yeah!
So this time around it’s high style & a sleep concierge for me. While obsessively checking out the hotel website, I found some green good news as well. The Benjamin is one of five certified Ecotel hotels in the US. Apparently, they have been environmentally aware & responsible long before it became "fashionable".
The subway has mocked me for years on most of my previous visits. But I was lucky enough to get a hand-holding lesson from a good friend the last go round. I don't know if it was my fear of getting on the wrong train or the images from all the movies I have watched but I wasn't able to get over this obstacle in all my years of crisscrossing “the big apple”. But now I am armed with a metro card, so watch out Manhattan.
To wrap up…local food in an open air market (cold air is good for you right?), a selection of pillows in an eco friendly hotel, walking & subway riding instead of cabs...I think I have myself a downright green getaway! Now if I could just get over my fear of buses (another story for another time!)...

Mucking about

The best part of going green is the learning process. Really, it is for me anyway. Sometimes the trial & error can be downright demoralizing but most often the rewards are rich with the knowledge of muddling through by myself.
I have experienced this in so many ways since embarking on my green adventure. From starting seeds indoors (I had no idea root vegetables couldn’t be transplanted!) to learning more about food labels (“natural” is a marketing tool & not to be confused with organic). And it seems like every day I glean a new piece of advice or information to layer on my basic building blocks. They are small but hard won blocks, people!
Take this morning, for example. I now receive an email from Organic Gardening once a week. I LOVE this. Not only does it save paper, but I don’t have to page through numerous advertisements just to procure the tip about cold weather composting I am interested in. So, with a couple clicks I learned to NOT run out back & turn my compost pile. I was itching to do just that as I started to read about the fact that my compost heap should be warm inside, despite the cold. Thankfully my ADD (self diagnosed, of course) didn’t hit high gear & I was able to stay put & read all the way to the end. If I had run out there & started mucking about, I would have messed with the balance of my precious blend of kitchen scraps & shredded newspaper disturbing the microorganisms working hard to turn it into “gardener’s gold”. Crisis averted. I am still totally intrigued to see if I did this whole thing right. But I guess I will have to wait for warmer weather to see the proof in the pudding.

Here's the link to learn more about composting.

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/cold-weather-compost?cm_mmc=OGNews-_-2011_02_16-_-learnandgrow-_-cold_weather_compost

luxury or necessity?

I start my day with a cup of coffee. And I have been known as a coffee snob, here & again. But for me it’s not just the jolt I look forward to, it’s about the ritual, the anticipation. From the first few beans hitting the grinder to wrapping my hands around my favorite mug, warmed almost too hot to be comforting (it is though). And that is just my stay at home coffee.

My absolute favorite way to enjoy a cup of joe is surrounded by lively conversation. And I am lucky enough to be able to do just that about three, sometimes four mornings a week. I get ribbed by the walkers, joggers & commuters idling in their cars, who spy me behind the wall of windows in my local coffee shop. But mixing in with the coffee crowd has become part of my ritual. I always learn something new & laugh, a lot. In short, it fills me up & wakes me up much like my favorite drink.

After braving the ice this morning & arriving to many smiles, I grabbed a cup o’ cuppa & dove right in. A conversation about Obama’s state of the union address got going & we were soon off to the races; talking about the problems with the food supply chain, local grassroots movements & the dreaded reliance America has on oil. One comment has stuck with me all day; just “turning off the tap”. Wow, wouldn’t that be great?

As the discussion rambled on & each new facet of the issue came to light, it is hard to agree on where or how to start. Especially when our nation’s unemployment rates are so high & social programs are being cut left, right & center. My one friend gave me a look with raised eyebrow & reminded me of these and other issues which make my organic loving, green- blogging, recycling, garden growing, haughty-taughty self seem really out of touch. And I do love that she gives me a swift kick in the pants now & again, but I am still left wondering when we, as a nation, will start making better decisions for ourselves & the land that nourishes us.

I would like to say I am coming up with a plan now as I sit under a pendant light fixture with a corkscrew light bulb in the Haddonfield library reading Organic Gardening. I did, however, come across an article in the back of this beauty of a magazine about ways to avoid petroleum based products in the garden. It’s a start, right?

Its seeds vs. cats.
As you can see from the photos, we have two very cute kitties. But please don’t be fooled by the sleepy pose they happen to be captured in. They are juvenile delinquents. I mean it. No piece of furniture is too tall to be considered a climbing post. And when they chase each other through the house, it sounds like a herd of elephants (baby elephants but still) romping across our hard wood floors. I cannot even talk about my dining room chairs & little kitten claws, ugh. So you get the cat part of the face off.
Now onto the seeds. As I delve deeper into gardening, I have truly enjoyed all the experiments. One such trial I was planning for this winter was grow lights to coax my baby seeds out of the soil a bit earlier & perhaps, be a bit more robust than last spring’s attempts. I even had a whole plan of attack mapped out & a supply list compiled.
Then it dawned on me. Surely, a tray of wet soil & curious, climbing cats was not going to work in my favor. I have envisioned different scenarios from my first….all had the same ending. A tray of wet, dirty hard work crashing down onto the floor.
As of now, I am working on plan B. I’ll keep you posted. I don’t think it’s going to be the beautiful greenhouse I saw in the back of Fine Gardening. A girl can dream though.

"dirt" under the snow

Reluctantly I trucked out my back door, through the snow, to check on my neglected compost. I have to be honest; I only pulled on my boots because of Treehugger.com & Sun Chips (yup, the snack). But we need to go back about seven months to this past spring & all the excitement of my new found green pursuits to get a grip on why I needed a peek under the lid.
My kids love sweets & treats. So you can imagine, I avoid taking them to the grocery store at all costs. This time, however, could not be avoided. We spilled out of the car & into the store for what I hoped would be a quick hit. Then the requests, demands & general surliness started. “No” was the answer aisle by aisle, until we came upon a “field” of green. There stood a big tower of SunChips in a new green bag, which proclaimed to the world…100%compostable. Ok, fun, coveted snack for the kids & science experiment of the eco-nature for me. Win-win. Throw ‘em in the cart, junior!
Fast forward to the middle of winter, no can do. The bag in our composter is 100% intact. It seems Consumer Reports (December 2010 issue) did a bit of investigation into the claim & had about the same results I did. In the meantime, SunChips have pulled the products with the groundbreaking packaging under a veil of consumer complaints due to the excessive loud crinkling the bag made. Kinda makes sense, can’t be a couch potato with a bag of crinkly chips disturbing your reality show. It may, however, be consumer complaints of non compost-ability (I suspect, anyway)! We shall never know.
But one thing is for certain. If at first you don’t succeed, etc, etc. I do hope companies like SunChips & others keep working on innovative packaging & practices to help minimize the enormous amount of trash we throw away every day. Because let’s face it, chips aren’t going anywhere, so the packaging needs to.

almost famous

I'm going to admit it right off the bat here. It feels pretty good to have your name up in lights. A local website reporting on all things haddonfield posted a story about me & my little blog. Very cool. Just saying.

http://haddonfield.patch.com/articles/new-years-resolution-2-more-green-t

sustain...to support, hold up, endure without yielding, provide food, drink or other necessities of life, provide funds or aid or approval. Such a powerful word with so many meanings. And if you caught the New York Times week in review today, they worked 'em all in. Covering topics you would normally think of in relation to the eco-movement, like turning our diets away from the 99 cent burger to Asian Carp or kudzu (both invasive pests). They also spoke of eating invasive weeds...look out micro greens. Or the two year consumption cycle of virtually all our electronics, mostly phones but also cameras & GPS units. The reporters also covered cash & budgets, as well as happy marriages. And I have vacillated all day between being charmed to annoyed. I always enjoy a chance to learn something new about this path I am wandering down. The annoyed part could be my aversion to talk about budgets or diets. But I think in a way I was looking forward to really delving into one of my favorite topics & felt the sustainability headline a bit misleading.

In the end, I will leave it up to you. Charmed or annoyed?

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/weekinreview/index.html

happy new year

We did it! No, we did not stay up til 12 o'clock to ring 2011. All were fast asleep over here snug in our beds. But, the kids had a blast re-trimming our tree earlier in the day. A few short strands of cheerios even made it together by small hands. There was a lot of laughing & snacking though, especially by the little pipsqueak among us. And as with all family projects, you can guess who was still at the counter toiling away peanut by peanut.
A great rush of excitement came, however, when it was time for the actual trimming. On with boots & hats & out the door they went. And as the sun was setting on an old year, my loves danced around in the snow jockeying for the perfect spot to put another circle of cranberries for our feathered friends on our old dried out tree.

Wishing you all a lovely, fuitful 2011!