For those of you who don't know me very well, I'm not all about politics. I think about and do other things, one of which is gardening. We are lucky enough to have a small house on a large lot, which leaves lots of room for growing.
I have always been keen on growing things. I'm one of those people who picked flowers from yards. Of course I only went after the ones peeking thorough the fence, or the lilac bushes laden with blossoms, that no one seemed to want. In season Boulder's air is scented with lilacs, and the alley ways are great places to pick.
However that gathering is all in the past. I now have my own lilac bushes, and flower beds. I can pick flower to my heart content from early spring until the snows start. I can also grow vegetables. I love the vegetables from my garden. The greens are so good, the lettuce far superior to the organic heads in the stores.
Of course I never use chemicals on the beds, only organic compost and manure. My husband supplies the worms - red wigglers - whose presence improve the bed's fertility. The worms breed in our compost bin. My husband, who is in charge of this, is very found of his worms as are the robins. The birds that touch down in our yard seem to be happy with what is available. All the local visitors like what is supplied, the deer the tulip blossoms, the squirrels whatever they can dig up, and the foxes and the hawks, whatever they can catch.
Growing plants takes effort. I am busy either cultivating, planting, weeding or harvesting from the beginning of March to the end of September. I am amazed by the amount of biomass that grows in the summer, dries over the winter and needs to be removed by me in the early spring. I do this work as the reward is good organic vegetables, culinary and medicinal herbs.
I must say at time I do get testy about picking and cleaning the vegetables. I especially get annoyed in tomato canning season. It is always hot, and the kitchen ends up with tomato skins and juice everywhere. I find making pickle much easier and neater. Canning string beans is also easy, as is roasting and freezing chilies. When harvest is over, I am grateful to store large bags of potatoes, smaller bags of onions and garlic, bottles of tomatoes and beans, and an excess of dried herbs.
I continue to garden for lots of reasons. I like to get close to the ground and see what is happening there, to see the first shoot of almost incandescent green emerging from the ground. I like to work outside. I like to eat healthy good tasting food, I like the idea of being able to supply myself and my family and gift some neighbors with food.
I like the fact that the food I eat is not transported long distances thereby saving scarce resources. I like the fact that I know what I am eating and need not worry that my food is genetically modified. I like the fact that if there is a collapse either in food production or transportation, I am prepared at least for awhile. Any step that I can make that frees me from dependence on corporate food is good for me, my community, and the planet. I will continue to grow food and flowers as long as I can.
I have always been keen on growing things. I'm one of those people who picked flowers from yards. Of course I only went after the ones peeking thorough the fence, or the lilac bushes laden with blossoms, that no one seemed to want. In season Boulder's air is scented with lilacs, and the alley ways are great places to pick.
However that gathering is all in the past. I now have my own lilac bushes, and flower beds. I can pick flower to my heart content from early spring until the snows start. I can also grow vegetables. I love the vegetables from my garden. The greens are so good, the lettuce far superior to the organic heads in the stores.
Of course I never use chemicals on the beds, only organic compost and manure. My husband supplies the worms - red wigglers - whose presence improve the bed's fertility. The worms breed in our compost bin. My husband, who is in charge of this, is very found of his worms as are the robins. The birds that touch down in our yard seem to be happy with what is available. All the local visitors like what is supplied, the deer the tulip blossoms, the squirrels whatever they can dig up, and the foxes and the hawks, whatever they can catch.
Growing plants takes effort. I am busy either cultivating, planting, weeding or harvesting from the beginning of March to the end of September. I am amazed by the amount of biomass that grows in the summer, dries over the winter and needs to be removed by me in the early spring. I do this work as the reward is good organic vegetables, culinary and medicinal herbs.
I must say at time I do get testy about picking and cleaning the vegetables. I especially get annoyed in tomato canning season. It is always hot, and the kitchen ends up with tomato skins and juice everywhere. I find making pickle much easier and neater. Canning string beans is also easy, as is roasting and freezing chilies. When harvest is over, I am grateful to store large bags of potatoes, smaller bags of onions and garlic, bottles of tomatoes and beans, and an excess of dried herbs.
I continue to garden for lots of reasons. I like to get close to the ground and see what is happening there, to see the first shoot of almost incandescent green emerging from the ground. I like to work outside. I like to eat healthy good tasting food, I like the idea of being able to supply myself and my family and gift some neighbors with food.
I like the fact that the food I eat is not transported long distances thereby saving scarce resources. I like the fact that I know what I am eating and need not worry that my food is genetically modified. I like the fact that if there is a collapse either in food production or transportation, I am prepared at least for awhile. Any step that I can make that frees me from dependence on corporate food is good for me, my community, and the planet. I will continue to grow food and flowers as long as I can.
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