Seattle's Indian Summer is delightful. We're setting a record for consecutive days without rain. We've have gorgeous, blue, clear skies every day. After last summer's slugstravaganza, I'll never take weather like this for grantid. Now that my "big kid" is back at school, when my little one is napping, the backyard is mine to meander. I've plucked the lavender, trimmed the roses, rotated the squash and chatted with the chickens. Pinecone grenades fall from above my garden while I fluff the pumpkin leaves and furrow my brows at some underperforming tomatoes. Most of my summer projects ended with a flourish while others fizzled out mid July. I even had a great surprise when I reached into my potato condo and found... potatoes!! How about a summer recap? Just a reminder, my posts are organized by topic, so it's easier to follow a project from beginning to end, as opposed to chronologically and bounce around between my many, varying, sometimes fleeting interests. To find my most updated content, click a subject below and scroll to the bottom.
Someday soon, I'll come in from the garden and head back to my overflowing desk of "indoor projects" (sewing?!) for the winter, but not yet!
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California will be voting soon, as to whether foods with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) will be labeled for consumers. The movie Genetic Roulette shows the correlation between GMO foods and almost every recent health problem Americans have suffered from, since GMOs were introduced by Monsanto in the mid 1990's. American's have had an epidemic increase in cancer, obesity, allergies, autism, diabetes, asthma, intestinal disorders, infertility and birth defects. Genetic Roulette features interviews with physicians, scientists, farmers, dieticians, chefs and educators all discussing the problems with genetically engineered foods. The bad news, our grandchildren could be sterile. The good news, popcorn is still safe. (Whew! I dodged a bullet there.) Grab a cup of non-GMO tea and watch the film. My new resolutions:
Resource: non-GMO Shopping Guide It should be noted that dog foods have genetically modified corn and soy as well, so if you have a pet that is allergic to its food, keep this in mind. The rule of thumb is, if it's not labeled "organic" or "non-GMO," beware. Now, it's time to clean out the pantry... As I learn more about gardening, I keep tripping over articles, posts and films about the practices of Monsanto. A post by my one of my favorite Facebook pages TheCrunchyChicken led me to the following Natural News article; Shocking findings in new GMO study: Rats fed lifetime of GM corn grow horrifying tumors, 70% of females die early. I read the article. Then I went to the Monsanto Wiki page, which may have been written by Monsanto itself. I read the entire page, including all the lawsuits filed by and against Monsanto. I learned about Terminator Seeds. "Genetic use restriction technology, colloquially known as "terminator technology", produces plants that have sterile seeds. If put into use, it would prevent the spread of those seeds into the wild. It also would prevent farmers from planting seeds they harvest, requiring them to repurchase seed for every planting, although they also need to do this for hybrid seeds, because second-generation seeds are inferior, and in cases of patented transgenic seeds, where patent-holders like Monsanto enter into contracts with farmers who agree not to plant harvested seeds as a condition of purchase." (-Genetic use restriction technology Wiki page) The World According to Monsanto, a 2008 documentary film directed by Marie-Monique Robin seemed like an interesting place to continue my Monsanto research. The film received thought-provoking reviews on Amazon, but the film is out of stock. Reviewers recommended Food Inc., which I haven't yet watched because I like food. Same goes for Forks Over Knives, which preaches a vegan diet. I guess I can only bury my head in the sand for so long.
What really got my attention about Monsanto this time, is that they make Round-Up weed killer, which I used recently in my yard. I'm worried about my kids. Monsanto's genetically modified corn is everywhere, even in canola oil and aspirin. Right now, I'm eating Dannon Oikos Greek Nonfat yoghurt. Modified corn starch is the fifth ingredient. I'm not an alarmist and I don't bring up dinner-table taboo subjects, like... ever. But, it doesn't look like the government will be able to regulate Monsanto anytime soon. If I can keep GMOs out of my kid's cereal (corn) and make a few important changes, maybe my kids will live. Resolutions: No plastic bags No plastic water bottles Non-GMO foods Grow more veggies at home Eat organic meats Learn more and pay attention That reminds me, what's that crap that lines soup cans? BPA “It’s not a matter of if, but when the next one will happen.” -Brian Atwater, geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and University of Washington, to the Associated Press. “The amount of devastation is going to be unbelievable… people aren’t going to be ready for this.” -Rob Witter, coastal geologist with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries. "There is no question that centuries of pent-up stress in the Cascadia Subduction Zone will eventually cause the plates to slip in a cataclysmic way, but there is no way of telling if that will be in our lifetimes or centuries from now. It could happen tomorrow morning, or it could happen in another 100 years." Quotes taken from Truth or Hype: Is Seattle Really at Risk for a Devastating Earthquake? If you are a born-and-raised Seattleite like me, you've heard warnings about "The Big One" your whole life. In elementary school, we did earthquake drills, we brought our Emergency Pack with a couple granola bars to school on the first day and that's about it. To me, "The Big One" is right up there with aliens landing on earth. It's a distinct possibility, but nothing has ever officially happened and how do you prepare for something like that anyway? It has always been logical to prepare for an earthquake, but I've never taken it seriously until now. NOW I'm a parent and thus responsible for making sure that my kids are safe and fed, regardless of the situation. Now that I've decided to prepare, to what extreme should I go? Should I keep a couple cans of extra tuna in the pantry, or should I dig a bunker in the back yard? I looked at three distinct groups of people to determine the best Earthquake Prep steps for me and my family. 1) Californians- they've been dodging earthquakes forever and they have their act together when it comes to preparation beforehand and an immediate plan of action during and after. 2) Mormons/ Latter Day Saints- The LDS community had always been taught to be self-reliant in times of "adversity." Adversity is a nice, generic term, which in this case, will apply to earthquakes. 3) Doomsday Preppers- This TV show on National Geographic explores the lives of otherwise ordinary Americans who are preparing for the end of the world as we know it. Unique in their beliefs, motivations, and strategies, preppers will go to whatever lengths they can to make sure they are prepared for any of life’s uncertainties. Before I executed my earthquake preparation plan, I had to address my lingering questions, do some research and make an educated guess at the answers to my own Q and A. FAQs (Asked by me, then Answered by me, my research and the Internets.) Q. How big will the quake be? A. Freakin' BIG. It will be one of the highest ever recorded, as the "Cascadia Fault (or Cascadia subduction zone, to use the more precise term) runs just off the coast from the northernmost tip of Vancouver Island past Seattle and Portland down to northern California. Scientists believe this tectonic fault is capable of creating extremely large earthquakes, topping 9.0 on the Richter scale, and that there is about a 40% chance of such a mega-quake happening in the next 50 years." (Sourced from "Is Seattle Ready for a Major Earthquake?") A quake of this magnitude may last around five minutes. Q. Will the house fall down? A. Probably not. My house was built in 1998. The real question is, will food stored indoors be accessible? Will I be able to collect my clothing, boots and contact lenses? If you live in a brick house, move, cause it's coming down. Or just go outside when The Big One hits. Q. What if we're not home when it happens? A. Start walking. Some Californians have their 72-hour kit (more on this below) in their car, along with a compact bicycle to ride home. The likelihood of you being somewhere that can accomodate you for three days until help comes is foolishly optimistic. If you can't walk home, make a plan now, to make a plan for a disaster. Q. What about the kids? A. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. Keep a 72-hour kit in your car, one per person. Q. How long will we be stranded? A. Supposedly, federal aid should come in at least 72 hours. Local aid, by police and the fire department may take a couple days, as communication and well, everything will be in utter chaos. People will need to rely on each other and I'd rather have people relying on me, than the other way around. Best and Most Applicable Practices Californians:
LDS:
Now, I wouldn't presume to call anyone else crazy (Noah's Ark anyone?), but, well... Doomsday Preppers on Natoinal Geographic is all I have to say. These preppers are HARDCORE. They have "bug-out" plans where they stash their spam and guns into their van and hide out in the mountains. They remain anonymous on the show so we can't all go to their bomb shelter and steal their stuff. Hopefully, there wont be looting and rogue packs of desperate zombie-humans, but let's not dwell on it. (More thoughts on "Doomsday Preppers" from blog, Notes From The Outside. "Carry your survival cache in your head, and you're truly free.") Doomsday Preppers:
Just imagine if you were a Californian, Mormon, Prepper!! Safe. And. Sound. But I digress... My Seattle Earthquake Paranoia Plan of Action! What I chose and why I chose it. My "Off-site Earthquake Kit" is going into my garden shed in case the house falls down. I'm keeping water (Rule of thumb is 1 gallon per person, per day), some high-protein foods with a year+ shelf-life (clif bars, peanut butter, beef jerkey, almonds...), a PreparePack full of who-knows-what (First Aid stuff and a water purification system?), one outfit, eye glasses and a pair of old shoes... okay, I admit it, I also packed toothbrushes and a little toofpaste... and some baby shampoo. Inside my house, I'll keep more shelf-stable food than usual in the pantry. In my car, I have another PreparePack full of who-knows-what, two gallons of water and and Go-Bag. Go-Bag (from 72Hours.org) A component of your 72-hour Kit (below) is your Go-bag. Put the following items together in a backpack or another easy to carry container in case you must evacuate quickly. Prepare one Go-bag for each family member and make sure each has an I.D. tag. You may not be at home when an emergency strikes so keep some additional supplies in your car and at work, considering what you would need for your immediate safety.
72-hour Kit (from 72Hours.org) After a major disaster the usual services we take for granted, such as running water, refrigeration, and telephones, may be unavailable. Experts recommend that you should be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least three days. Store your household disaster kit in an easily accessible location. Put contents in a large, watertight container (e.g. a large plastic garbage can with a lid and wheels) that you can move easily. Your basic emergency kit should include:
That seems all pretty simple considering how much time I've wasted freaking out about being prepared. Another good suggestion from our LDS friends is to have a list, like, on actual paper (Paper! I know, right?) of important phone numbers and an out-of-state contact. I can't think of a place within 5 miles of my home, that might have a payphone. So, those numbers might not do me much good. I checked Amazon for an emergency radio and the reviews were so frightening that I didn't want to pay for anything that wouldn't work. During this supposed earthquake, I'll have to rely on rumors and fear-mongers for information. Also, please remember, dear readers, that I live inland. I'm not prepping for a tsunami. I'm worried about having potable water, food and shelter for my family and since my husband scoffs at my request for Earthquake insurance, I'm readying my family for life without water, heat, natural gas, electricity... and plumbing. If you live in Seattle, PLEASE read: 72Hours.org It's an awesome, simple Earthquake Prep site. Now that I'm prepared as much as I care to be, I can put Earthquake Preparedness to rest and get back to my life. I know I've done as much as I can to ready myself, and it's time to move on. Although I was a little embarrassed to write this post, thus revealing my Seattle earthquake paranoia, I decided to go ahead with it, with the hope that other, well-adjusted people will take the time, money and energy to prepare a disaster kit or plan for their family. Worst case, just have some water, beef jerky and a first aid kit out in the garage and in your trunk. If you need another kick in the pants to get started on your own disaster kit, know this: You need to get your act together and prepare for yourself because it's your job to be responsible for you and your family. The government will not be able to help for at least a couple days and you (presumably) don't want to be "that guy" breaking into a neighbor's house for food, because when people feel threatened, things turn nasty quickly. Here's more about My Seattle Earthquake Paranoia on Pinterest. That's all. xoxox Guerilla gardeners concoct "Moss Milkshakes," out of moss spores and buttermilk, which they then use to paint on concrete surfaces in lieu of spray paint. I'm using the same concept in my garden. I recently put a new flagstone path down and I'd like to fill in the space between the rocks quickly. I'll use some Walkable grasses that are in the established path, as well as transplanted moss from elsewhere in my yard. I'll also be adding "Walkables" from the nursery, like Creeping Thyme, Corsician Mint and Blue Star Creeper. Moss Milkshake Ingredients:
Toss all the ingredients into a bucket and use a hand mixer to blend them. Carefully pour the Moss Milkshake in place *** Later the Same Day *** I ended up taking cuttings from so many walkables in my yard, that I didn't need to use a Moss Milkshake between my flagstone. I went ahead with the Moss Milkshake experiment anyway, to see if it worked. I'll post follow-up photos once the results are in. As far as adding green to the flagstone path, I used this handy tool and plopped cuttings from my yard in-between the rocks. I think it will take three years for them to all grow in. I think the Baby's Tears will take over and the transplanted moss will die quickly. It's hard to be patient to find out, but I guess patience is another thing gardening teaches me.
With a nice pile of flagstone winking at me for the last two years, I finally went ahead and put them down, to make a path in the garden. It's only a matter of time until a few walkables fill in the empty spaces between each flagstone. I think I'll add walkable "creeping thyme" and a few clippings of the soft, walkable moss that is so prevalent elsewhere in my yard. (If it ain't broke...) I'll line the left side of the path with flowers, but the right side has to be accessible, so I can drive over it with Can't Buy Me Love. It's gratifying to see the flagstone go down and look nice. It's wobbly in places, but I'll work the stones into the ground and make it all look like an accident.
Now that my herbs are a little more sturdy, I'm re-thinking the arrangement of the garden itself. I'm having trouble with weeds (horsetails), slugs and rabbits. An omelet made with eggs from my own organic-fed chickens, topped with a garnish of chives and slug slime? Mmm. I've been "pinning" raised herb gardens and came across the one below, made with bricks. Since I use salvaged bricks all over my garden and it's pretty much the only material I have lying around, I might give it a try. I have to figure out how to keep the mint out of the ground, hide the hideous septic lid, which is in the center of my garden space and keep the bricks on. Seems tricky. *** The Next Day *** Yesterday, I removed all my pots and decorations from my old herb garden (a.k.a. the "yard sale") and scraped the weeds up with my trusty hoe. I leveled the ground and then kinda just went for it. I brought 6 bricks at a time over, from my pile elsewhere in the yard, and made my swirly design until it fit the space and my needs. I included two levels for planting, in addition to the ground level, so I ended up planting at three different levels. It's a very interesting garden design idea and certainly captures the attention. I added lavender to give it an evergreen and of course there's the artichoke on the far right. I also transplanted my rosemary from its moldy, wood planter and gave it a new home on the far left. This type of garden bed can also be used for vegetables. When transplanting my homegrown plants, I was surprised at how extensive some of the root systems were, even for the smallest of herbs. Hopefully, they have enough room to expand and my herb garden will be rockin' in three years or so. My concerns for my garden were slugs, rabbits and weeds. I can easily add slug bait inside the swirly, brick planters. The rabbits will still have access to my herbs, but so far, that hasn't been a problem this year. They stick to munching on the delicious weeds in my grass. As for weeds, I put a single layer of newspaper between the ground level and my fresh compost. I also hoe'd the weeds and added a thick layer of cedar mulch which will deter weeds and look nice around the garden. The mulch will break down, so I'll certainly keep an eye on the evil horsetails. I also have weed killer and I'm only a little afraid to use it around my edible herbs. The unsightly septic lid is a necessary evil, bit hopefully the potted mint and chives mask the green lid. I definitely recommend creating a brick planter to anyone who is considering it. If you have the materials (preferably free, or recycled) it's a great project because it's so fluid. You can change your mind about a specific space and make the bed higher, or larger... and it gives you a chance to be creative.
I'm excited to see my little herb garden mature even more, as the seedlings I grew under lights last winter thrive in this new garden bed. It's finally pumpkin planting time! Last May, I put my pumpkin seeds and starts in a raised garden bed that, as I later learned, didn't get enough sun and was stop #1 on the Slug Highway. Also, we had an even wetter than normal summer which cost me almost my whole crop. I was a sad pumpkin-gardener last October. This year, I tilled up a south-facing, former flower bed and I'm slug baiting that sucker on a weekly basis. No slugs shall pass! Tonight, I'm getting to work with my hoe (I love my hoe) and then I'll dump some bagged compost and in my most friendly voice, ask the weeds to go away and never come back. I started the seeds in a wet paper towel (just like in kindergarten) and after they've popped out, I'll put them in potting soil and stick them under my grow lights. This weekend, I'm going to the Woodinville Garden Club's annual plant sale, to buy some pumpkin "starts". I like to diversify my "starts" hoping it gives me a better chance at success. Success this year means having more than five, oddly shaped, possibly pest-ridden and thus moldy pumpkins to show for all my foolish optimism and giddy, giggling garden digging. (Say that 10 times quickly.) Do you want to plant pumpkins? PumpkinNook.com will get you going. *** A Week Later - May 18, 2012*** Just as I was patting myself on the back for not killing the herbs I grew from seed, my pumpkin plan went belly up. What's that saying? Nature vs. nurture? Well, if it's applied to gardening, nature wins every time. For the last week, I've apparently just been watering heaps of compost while the birds ate all my pumpkin seeds!!! The CulpritsI suppose I won't be able to swim in pumpkins this fall, as originally hoped, however I did put seeds in three different beds. My seed placement diversification demonstrates my complete lack of self-confidence in being able to grow this gloriously orange, round squash. I'm still optimistic that I'll have something to show for my work. Another back-up plan included planting "starts" purchased from a plant sale. These transplants seem to be doing quite well and if they don't die (there's my pessimism again) I'll be convinced that the only way to grow pumpkins successfully (if you can't stand out in the yard 24/7 to scare the birds off) is to start the seeds in a greenhouse, in March. June 1, 2012 May was a month of ups and downs in the pumpkin garden. Weather, crappy dirt, birds, slugs, self-sabotage you name it, it happened in the pumpkin garden. How I didn't die of shock that some of the one million seeds I planted, actually sprouted, I'll never know. I did however, squeal with delight and drag my husband to the window to verify that not just one, but 7... then 10, seeds had sent up leaves. Immediately, I placed wine glasses over them, thinking that the birds might try to return to finish the job and leave me alone with my bitter tears. A week later, the sprouts were busting out of their mini terrariums. I diligently showered the edges of my aspiring pumpkin patch with more slug bait. I also bought 10 pumpkin starts from the grocery store. Each container has three plants, so there's another 30 plants to give me that edge. You ask, "How many pumpkins do you want, Alyssa? Are you friggin' crazy?" My answer is "more" and "YES!" Next up, I wait for more vines, their yellow flowers and then the little green, baby pumpkins. Grow, baby, grow! Mature Pumpkin Garden- SeptemberIt's September now, and I'm proud to say that my pumpkin patch turned out well. I just harvested the first eight pumpkins. One was rotton, so it went to live with the chickens. The rest are "curing" inside my house and on October 1st I'll put them out on the front porch. I've still got some green pumpkins on the vine and even more baby pumpkins popping up. How to tell if your pumpkins are ready for harvest. Over a month ago in March, I posted about potato boxes here. I finally made my own potato box using some great-smelling, left-over cedar I had in the garage. I used a handsaw to cut the pieces down. I collect old, wooden boxes, so I used one as a model and simply copied the design. Then, I made a wood frame to place over my wooden box base. When my potatoes grow, I'll just toss the frame on and add some more soil, or straw, depending on if I can find straw somewhere. You can't imagine how giddy I feel when I look at my little wooden potato box. Somehow, it's given me confidence to build other things... watch out world. I have a hand saw and I'm not afraid to use it. ** A few days later. This weekend, I went to buy my seed potatoes and found none at Home Depot. I'm all bummed out because I guess this means that I missed the "window". If I can, I'll buy some online. June 1, 2012 I love being wrong. It's my favorite. I realized that I didn't miss the "potato window" when I stumbled across some seed potatoes at a farm store a couple weeks ago. I bought five Yukon Golds, tossed them in and covered them with dirt. They're growing! Mid June Mid August At that point in the potato experiment, the vines grew taller and I tossed some dried leaves over them. My hose didn't reach to the planter, so they didn't get much water. Then we had a very un-Seattle stretch of no rain and I flat-out ignored the little buggers. Around late July, the vines died back and I was feeling pretty bad about myself. I pouted for a couple weeks until I thought, "what the hell? I may as well reach into the dirt box and see what's left of my seed potatoes." Late August
And there they were, just waiting for me!! Beautiful, firm Yukon Golds. From the 4 seed potatoes (the fifth turned into mush), I think I got about 15-20 potatoes! The kicker, was how amazing they tasted! This is the perfect thing to grow. You chuck some seeds into a box, pour some dirt over it, ignore it and then BOOM! Food on the dinner table. Next year I'm going all out. I'm going to direct sow possibly and maybe try some different varieties. Depending on your experience with Wisteria, you love it, or you hate it. Either way, you have to admit that it's a powerful plant. A single Wisteria in my grandfather's yard grew vines from his deck through his potting shed, ripping out the wood siding, propping the windows and doors open and wreaking havoc. As a kid, it was an important lesson to learn that nature is powerful and just because things don't happen quickly, it doesn't mean there wont be major repercussions. As an adult, I imagine that my green-thumbed grandpa knew what was going on in the potting shed. He sat out on his deck year 'round and enjoyed tending to his little veggie garden and grape vines. I understand now why he was so proud of those "yucky" onions and radishes. I'd like to think my grandpa made a decision to let the wisteria take over his shed, just to see what would happen. This weekend, through a frustrating set of circumstances spanning two months, I have decided to prune my wisteria. It hasn't been clipped off the side of our house in a year, and although that may sound romantic, like an english garden... with the beautiful, purple flowers canvassing the side of a large brick home... it's not. The vines creep under our roofing tiles, through our window screens and into our house vents, then they harden into wood branches and their diameter thickens. If it's not trimmed up each year, it can wreak havoc and cause a lot of damage.
I watched this "How to Prune Your Wisteria" video and learned how to get more blooms out of my wisteria. Tomorrow, I'll drag the ladder out of the garage and risk my life on the rooftop to clip back the wisteria. This summer, I'm sure you'll see lots of photos of the purple flowers, cascading from above. |
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