Garden Update May 14

This is the garden at 4:24PM mid May. The funny extra photo is the future tomato and basil bed.

I planted out the leek seedlings and crammed in more radishes and onions. We are harvesting greens, chives, radishes, cilantro and parsley. And using fresh herbs. There are still 4 beds to fill with beans and cucumbers. And pole beans along the side fence. Then big spots in the main garden bed.

I still need to plant: pole beans, runner beans, sunflowers, chamomile (if it is not too late) and green onion this month. Oh and my straggler potatoes...

In June I will plant 2 types of cucumbers, lacinato kale (for the fall winter), some more green onions and see if I can squeeze in a few piumpkins, acorn, and butternut squash!?! And then a huge bed of tomato and basil seedlings.

It was suggested I consider a clear roof for the tomatoes, but not close them in. They will need fresh air.

In July we will think about fall/ winter harvest but maybe not plant till August.

The grass is taking over. I am trying to keep it down. I can't wait to invest in pea gravel next year!!

Other jobs to do:
-mulch strawberry plants with straw
-weed and mulch raspberries etc with compost to suppress weeds
-feed with fish fertilizer
-watch for signs of mildew
-protect from codling moth
-tie raspberry canes to bamboo poles
-keep tomato seedlings in pots till they flower

How Does My Garden Grow

This is the garden at 340pm on May 7. Peas are definitely in the shade at this time. Sun still quite far south.

If you look closely at the photos you will see some evidence of activity underground: a swoosh of asparagus at the back a swoosh of swiss chard to the right; a line of spinach beside the greens, a sprinkling of 2 types of kale, and beneficial flowers popping their heads up. In the raised beds we have walla wallas (looking grand), 2 rows of radishes (want more), and 1.5 beds of storage onions. Lots more room to fill!

Do you ever think about how much you need/ will produce? Here are some #s (source forgotten):

• brussel sprouts- 2 lb per plant (1-2 seedlings right now)
• spinach- 2.5-5 lb for 5 foot row (1 row so far- will continue to sow every few weeks)
• chard- 3.5 lb for 5 foot row (1 row so far- will continue to sow every few weeks)
• cucumber- 10 per plant or 2 or more per week (8 plants planned in 2 beds)
• tomato- 4-8 pounds per plant (10-12 plants planned)
• corn- 1-2 ears per plant (will plant some for fun)
• runner beans- 2 lb per plant (should have at least 10 vines)
• leeks- 10 lb for 10 feet (should have 12 feet)
• shallots- 7 lb for 10 feet (should have 6 feet)
• garlic- 20 heads in 10 feet (need 22 feet)
• peas- 10 lb in 10 feet (have 12 feet)
• squash- 1 per plant for winter squash (won't get many of these in our garden)
• potatoes- 3 pounds per plant

Waste Confidential Update- What's Improved

Below is a list from April 5. And beside it are what changes I have made in the past month:

1) diapers- We are using our prefolds, bamboo inserts and existing covers 50% of the time (not at nights and not with the nanny). We purchased 1 simple organic cotton insert to try out. And we have researched to purchase additions. I would like to get wool soakers and some more inserts. Apparently I should have 2! I just don't feel right purchasing plastic covers. 
2) wipes- We are using cotton baby cloths soaked in water and a little castille soap 50% of the time (see above).
3) tetra packs for milk- We have almost completely cut out tetra packs and increased our bottled milk to 4 bottles a week. 
4) soda cans- aiyee! We are making mint, crushed strawberry, and lime waters... but are tempted to put it in soda water!
5) bread bags and ties- We are making bread at home each week (3 loaves, and 1 pizza night). But still purchase 1-2 loaves a week.
6) tortilla bags- We still purchase tortillas, but hope to find time to make batches.
7) wine bottles- I usually choose tetra pack wine, but Kevin doesn't like to red wine option. We are keeping corks to reuse.
8) mum mum and granola bar wrappers- We haven't made homemade granola bars yet. But baby Noah is heading out with cheese and dried fruit (bulk source) more often. We are less reliant on mum mums, but they are still a crutch.
6) cheese plastic- No change, but recycling and looking forward to other options!
7) meat and deli wrap- No change, need to get gutsy and bring jars.
8) disposable coffee mugs- Much better! Got caught once where I asked for water and it ended up in a plastic cold coffee mug. But nanny has a bit of a frappuchino habit. Must buy her a reuseable one as a gift.
9) yoghurt containers- Still get some in containers- will fill with freezer berries and reuse. Also getting some in reuseable jars we return to the distributer.
10) Noah and Caia food waste- Trying to give them only small amounts they will eat. But nanny and daddy aren't so cautious. 
11) general food waste- Still some abandoned food. We need 1 day a week before shopping day to do a hodge podge soup or salad. We need to be better at planning.
12) garden waste- soil bags, seedling plastic- Trying to grow more from seed, keeping seedling plastic for starts next year, and buying soil and compost in bulk.
13) chocolate bar waste- Found some bulk chocolate! But my habit is so bad I still get my fancy dark chocolate bars.

Who Pays for Fast Fashion?

image sourced from ethicalfashionforum.com

The garment factory fire and building collapse in Bangladesh the other week was brutal and shocking. In some ways it feels like worlds away, in a country many of us Westerners know little about. But the reality is that our day to day lives are closely connected to this tragedy. We can see this connection more clearly because the factories in this building quite literally provide the shirts on our backs.

We have more clothes than ever and yet clothing represents a much smaller proportion of our monthly budget than it did 50 years ago. Somewhere along the line someone is paying the price for that savings. Have you noticed an increase in “Made in Bangladesh” labels in your clothes from popular brands? That’s because Bangladesh produces garments cheaper than China can nowadays. Cheaper than most other countries in the world.

So what is the solution? Do we refuse to buy anything “Made in Bangladesh”? And where do we draw the line? This would be a simple solution but not the best solution. In fact many “sweatshop” factory workers would choose their jobs over the alternatives. Tom Murphy for Humanosphere provides a good overview of the situation here.

Sweatshop clothes are also called  “Fast Fashion” a reference to the disposable nature of clothing nowadays. We buy cheap clothes, lots of cheap clothes. They don’t last long both style and quality wise. And when we tire of them we dump them. Often we give them to a charity and feel pleased that our garbage is “helping” someone else.

So what can we do? Here are some tips to help, from the simple to the more demanding:

1) Respect your wardrobe. Take good care of the clothes you have and try to keep them in good shape for as long as possible.
2) Buy quality items. Buy the best you can afford and stop seeing your clothing as disposable.
3) Admit that every time you donate your used clothing, the reality is you aren’t really helping anyone but yourself. Is this better than the garbage? Yes. Is your old tank top going to help someone in need? Not really.
4) Buy used clothing (ahem... vintage clothing) in your home town and prevent it from being shipped overseas.
5) Choose clothing that is “sweatshop free.” These items are often more expensive, but they are better quality and last longer.
6) Shop in locally run stores that pay attention to where the clothing they sell is made. Ask the shopkeepers if their clothing is “sweatshop free.”
7) Research what brands are “sweatshop free” and share this information with your friends.
8) Encourage big brands to be accountable to their workers. Get involved in a campaign.

Food Source Case Study

Do you ever think of where your food has come from? And make plans for future improvements?

When Kevin and I started planning our move to the Sunshine Coast, the first thing I envisioned was more time at home to make bread, make yoghurt, make almond milk. Lucky us, we found a local milk source that also provides yoghurt in completely reuseable containers (they even take the milk lids back). And we no longer need almond milk, because the local milk source does not give us eczema! So that leaves the bread making. Generally easy, but we still rely on store bought bread and store bought tortillas 50% of the time.

When I look at this breakfast I see the french toast made of homemade bread and local milk and eggs, organic butter from a Delta dairy, and coffee beans roasted on the coast. I am patiently (impatiently) waiting for a biodynamic organic maple syrup source (owner lives near hear, but the maple trees are back east). And I want home canned fruit to replace the imported fruit next year. I have a weakness for organic pineapples. And the frozen blueberries have run out! As for the flour etc, well some day I do dream of owning a very fancy, quite expensive flour grinder. In the meantime we purchase organic flour (spelt, unbleached, and whole wheat) in bulk. The whole grain flour lives in a cool place.

Packaging is also very important to us. We are trying to drastically cut down on it- so every bit helps! Homemade bread goes into a linen bag. Bulk flour, sugar, yeast etc comes in simple paper bags that can be shreaded and composted or recycled, plastic bags that can be reused then recycled, or ideally in our own personal reusable bags we can refill. Dairy products come in reuseable containers. This coffee comes in a compostable bag because it is locally roasted. Our future home canned fruits will be in almost completely reuseable containers (time to start investing in wecks!).

Garden at 7am

These photos let me know where the sun hits at 7am in early May. Almost hitting the future tomato raised bed tucked in the shelter beside the porch.

It makes me think of what plants want early sun, later day sun, what ones want it all day. And how the path of the sun will shift north till the fence lined with peas gets sun all the time.

May Garden Plans

This is a photo of the garden at 10:30. It doesn't look like much is going on but if you look closely the baby peas are coming up. And the sweet peas around the teepee (I had given up hope they would work out!!). And I am paying attention to how much sun the SW fence gets. That's where the peas are.

Our garden is so new. We take what we can get. So a few of the fruit trees are blossoming. And a few are just tall sticks in the earth. The greens are starting to sprout. A few asparagus are up (we will ignore them for 1-2 years to help them establish themselves). We need to pinch the blueberry flowers to help their roots establish. And we won't espalier the trees just yet (for the same reason). I pulled up a baby radish just out of curiosity. Cute but needs another week or so.

It is a lovely sunny day. And we will finally plan the pole beans (soon), spinach, swiss chard, some more flower seeds, the potatoes, more onions...

I still need to make a mini greenhouse out of a 4x12 foot tomato and basil raised bed. They want to be protected and warm (a consistent warm temperature).

I am also trying to be patient about our weed grass. It is brutal! We are not big fans of grass and all the water it consumes and the nutrients it takes from our beds. But we have spent our budget for the year. Next year there will be lots of pea gravel and we will remove a lot of sod! Most of it?!?

I am researching the use of tree service wood chips. These are a combination of green and brown chips (leaves, branches, everything!). Apparently you should lay them on top only and thinly so they act as a mulch and don't over heat. There is talk of whether you need to add nitrogen and whether hardwood is bad. But if you don't mix it into the soil most trees are fine (except walnut),

I am chatting with a few friends, planning Summer visits that will coincide with canning, harvesting, and making freezer jam. Strawberries should be ready in June for making into jam. After that comes raspberries. One friend will bring fruit such as peaches and apricots from the Okanagan in late July/ early August. Then we will visit another friend in early September for pears and apples. Gotta ask her about the figs! When we get opportunities we will freeze tons of blueberries for our winter breakfasts. And masses of blackberries that of course grow wild around here.

The raw milk has been a big hit in our home. We now consume 3-5 litres a week, 1 litre of buttermilk, and 500 ml of raw yoghurt. I soak oats in the milk overnight to make oatmeal pancakes. And we use the buttermilk to make spelt pancakes. Kevin isn't too impressed with all the pancakes but it is easy for baby Noah to eat as finger food.

In the Garden April

Isn't this seed packet lovely? These are Blue Lake pole beans and I also got Musica pole beans when I made a purchase at Redecor in Sechelt. They are all the more special because they were saved by the owner from her planting over the years.

According to my West Coast Seeds chart these should not go in the ground until May! But my neighbours are planting them. What should I do? Plant now like my neighbours or wait a little longer?

I think I might have to prioritize...

So far this month we have planted arugula, a stir fry green mix, mesclun mix, 2 types of kale, 2 rounds of radish,and currant bushes. And I still need to plant:
- shallots, scallions, potatoes, storage onions, leeks, spinach, sunflowers, collards, 2 types of Swiss chard, asters, Phacelia

I need to buy and plant:
-fennel

What am I ignoring this year:
-carrots- because we just planted over what was grass I don't want them to get worms
-carrots, parsnips, beets- because we just started raised beds over what was grass we need to give the ground a few years to break down so we can grow root plants

What else do I need to think of:
-weeding and a mulch for the new garden (lots of exposed soil right now)
-a large tunnel to greenhouse the upcoming tomato and basil raised bed that is 12x4
-pinching flowers off of the blueberries to encourage the roots to grow this year

Waste Update Confessional

In this post I am going to acknowledge my waste demons and then plan ways to tackle this waste in future posts. What are your waste demons? This includes recyclables.

1) diapers
2) wipes
3) tetra packs for milk
4) soda cans
5) bread bags and ties
6) tortilla bags
7) wine bottles
8) mum mum and granola bar wrappers
6) cheese plastic
7) meat and deli wrap
8) disposable coffee mugs
9) yoghurt containers
10) Noah and Caia food waste
11) general food waste
12) garden waste- soil bags, seedling plastic
13) chocolate bar waste

Spring is here!

The family got hit hard with a stomach virus. But thanks to a low key schedule we bounced back fairly quickly. Caia only has 1 scheduled activity- ballet on Tuesdays. So we don't spend our time rushing around.

Here's what we accomplished in March:

1) Noah turned one. He is so close to walking. And we are grateful for gifts from a few friends and family members of sandbox diggers, a swing, a pulling toy
and hard books.
2) We celebrated Easter. Caia is being read her first chapter book. Mommy blew out a dozen eggs over the course of a few weeks and Daddy made natural dye from purple cabbage and spices. Our nature table and art hanging is revamped for Spring. And the Easter Bunny delivered eggs.
3) Daddy made a sandbox and after researching the safety of sand we loaded it with 500 lbs of sand. And he hung swings in the porch.
4) We set out a new bee home with mason bee cocoons.
5) I finished a total of 100 heavy saturated wheelbarrows full of manure and soil. Made a flower teepee, planted peas, walla walla onions, radishes, sunflowers and tulips etc (with a friend's help). And baby ever bearing strawberries. Kevin planted arugula and 2 types of mescluns.
6) Kevin removed a patch of front lawn.

We are set to plant more and tackle weeds! Bring on Spring!

Easter Activities with Children

I am reading a great resource for Waldorf inspired celebrations- Celebrating Festivals with Children by Freya Jaffke. It's a great little book that reminds us to celebrate the major festivals of the year by focusing on their history, symbolism and connection to nature.

She has some great ideas for Spring and Easter I will post over the next week. In the meantime here are some classic verses inspired by her book.

1) Verse:
Slowly, slowly, very slowly
Creeps the garden snail.
Slowly, slowly, very slowly
Up the garden rail.
Quickly, quickly, very quickly
Runs the garden mouse.
Quickly, quickly, very quickly
Round about the house.

This is a variation on what we do with fast and slow walking in baby Noah's Waldorf parent and child class. And is a fun way to practice his new steps. As well, a fun chant when we spot a snail outdoors.

2) This verse is by memory from Noah's class. Tie a piece of play silk to produce 2 big ears:
I saw a little bunny go hop hop hop.
I saw his ears go flop flop flop.
I saw his little nose go wink wink wink.
I saw his big brown eyes go blink blink blink.
I said little rabbit won't you stay.
But he looked at me and he hopped away.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Shoveling Sh*t

What a satisfying day. Kevin and I took turns in the rain/ under grey skies getting the raised beds ready. I loaded and unloaded around 25 or so wheelbarrow loads of very saturated manure. Filled in the front yard and brought round to the back. A fierce workout with luckily with the heavy loads going downhill!

Kevin installed and leveled our tomato plant bed which currently resides in what will be the hot spot beside the back porch. I hope someday to replace it with a greenhouse. He also happily dug out grass in the front yard and planted his new and long sought after Japanese maple.

Cutting Back on Garbage and Recycling

Here are some recent changes we have made. I plan to chronicle more.

1) Discovered the Soap Dispensary. Purchased bulk shampoo and conditioner. Also purchased glass spray bottles and made spray kitchen cleaner w Dr. Bronners, water and vinegar.

2) Now purchasing raw milk, yoghurt and local eggs in reusable containers!

3) Buying bulk flour, sugar, pasta, yeast etc when in Vancouver. Some in our reusable bags. Some in plastic or paper bags we can reuse or recycle.

4) Started seedlings in old toilet rolls.

5) Received bulk compost and soil delivery. Purchased 3 bare root fruit trees.

Garden Update

The sun has been out and we have all decided Spring has arrived. Peas, sweet peas, arugula and a few wild flower seed mixes will go into the ground soon. In the meantime I am posting photos of our garden prep.

Moving Forward with the Garden

It often isn't sexy but fencing is crucial in our neck of the woods. Deer regularly pass through. So a very expensive first step has been to fence our back yard.

The back part of the fence has turned out surprisingly sexy. It is our modern take on a country fence. But really the work was all thanks to the vision of Shannon Lightfoot- a jack of all trades.

We chose an open fence to maintain the view of the ocean and marina downhill. It sits on top of a 4 foot tall rock wall. And we are relying on the fact that deer haven't learned how to slither under or through things.

Our wonderful permaculture garden expert Mark Wilkes celebrated by planting raspberry canes transplanted from his yard.

February Garden Goals

This list is taken from a variety of resources:
1) Have garden tools sharpened. And oil the wood with 1 part linseed and 1 part turpentine. Prepare a bucket of clean sand and horticultural oil. Dip dirty tools in this mixture every time you use them to keep them clean. Put the clean tools away.
2) Prune dogwoods and willows. Cut back dead growth left from last fall (for insects to overwinter in).
3) Test and amend your soil (here we look for high acidity).
4) Clean cold frames, pots, and greenhouse.
5) Prepare seedling soil.
6) Mid February- indoor sowing of lettuces (cold, but bright)
7) Late February- same for onions and leeks, and all but heat lovers.
8) Prepare raised beds for March sowing. Once ground is warm, greens can be sown directly (kale etc).
9) Remember that large seeds generally like darkness to germinate (under newspaper usually fine).
10) Remember that Umbel (carrots, parsnips, dill, parsley) and Alliums (onions and leeks) seeds only last 1 year!
11) Liquid fertilizer is needed once seedlings have sprouted and every 2 weeks.

How To Choose What to Grow

I snagged a few books from my mother's house recently. It's amazing and not so surprising how trends often come full circle. I am currently reading A Taste of the Country by Pamela Westland published in 1974 (the year I was born). Back then my mom knitted, crafted, sewed, made her own bread, and had a kitchen garden.

I was only 4 when we moved but I remember cucumbers, raspberry canes, pumpkins growing near the sandbox...

Pamela Westland has a very smart approach to choosing what goes into your garden. She says it should be what you enjoy eating, what is easy to grow, and what tastes better super fresh (mind you most things do). She says not to waste your time on something that is very finicky. I think this is especially true of busy and inexperienced gardeners.

Here I will go through a simple exercise of charting what we like to eat, a few unusual plants to introduce, and then eliminate inexpensive locals or challenging locals.

What we like to eat:

GREENS
-kale
-mixed greens
-cilantro
-parsley
-spinach
-basil
-swiss chard (some)

HERBS
-oregano
-sage
-rosemary
-thyme

GENERAL VEGETABLES
-runner beans
-pole beans
-shelling peas
-carrots
-beets
-corn
-celery
-broccoli
-cauliflower

SQUASH
-butternut
-pumpkin

ALLIUMS
-onions
-green onions
-chives
-garlic

FRUIT
-apples
-avocados
-raspberries
-blueberries
-strawberries
-black currants
-gooseberries
-blackberries
-pears
-quince (okay I want to try)
-figs

FLOWERS ETC
-calendula

Covered Deck Plans

We have a large covered deck at ground level out back. This is because our property slopes down a hill towards the marina (we have stunning views). So the children's area opens to 1 half. And a suite opens to the other half.

We will keep the suite in tact in case we ever want to rent it for extra income. But while the kids are stompy I am reluctant to share the space. So until then it is ours and will be used as a summer kitchen/ children's kitchen (on childcare days).

Plans for the covered patio...

Children's Area:

1. 2 swings (1 for little ones) hanging from the beam
2. A sandbox on the deck
3. Horizontal slats for privacy and to hang some kid's activities/ games
4. An outdoor kids kitchen
5. A play table with a bucket water bin
6. Possible edging to keep tricycles from tumbling over the edge
7. A hammock or 2...

Mommy's Area:

1. A potter's table/ cabinet with room under it for a garbage pail of compost and a garbage pail of potting soil. 
2. A place to hang my gardening implements.
3. a cold frame at the south edge.
4. A laundry hanging system.
5. a boot scrub and place to hang boots.
6. A confortable outdoor chair or swing chair.

Garden Plans

The one virtue I have been focusing on this past year is patience. As a working mother with 2 small children (one born at the end of last March and consequently around the time of my last blog post), I have started to recognize that life moves forward and time will come when I can once again... sleep through the night, have a few hours to myself, have time to garden...

Next week we are hopefully going to get a bit of help to kickstart our garden with a visit from a local permaculture expert that is particularly interested in mushroom cultivation. The suburban sized garden is a blank slate. There is little growing here and the soil is poor. However, nature abounds in this sea of new builds. The empty lots, older lots, foot paths and nearby woods all provide a stunning ecosystem for insects, butterflies, birds, snakes, small animals, deer, coyote and sometimes wolves and bears. Bear poop just at the top of our driveway confirms nature and town are somewhat blurred here.

Since moving here I naturally moved towards the permaculture approach to gardens. As I watch my neighbours struggle to keep their gardens tidy and controlled, and the real estate companies cut down the grass on the unsold lots, I saw the beauty in the ways that nature fights back. And it seems much better sense to work with nature than against it.

I want to see a productive garden with food, herbs, and native plants. It should encourage a balanced ecosystem of visitors as long as they don't destroy the entire garden (yes I am talking about you deer!). I want to harnass rain water (abundant here) and take advantage of our sloped land. And I want to think long term even if I can't have everything I want right now (yes I am talking about you my beloved future hens.... sigh).

Goals for 2013:

1. Fencing to keep out deer, and maybe some live fencing to encourage them to graze on past. The fencing at the end of the property should not block the ocean view.
2. If possible homes for birds, bats and bees.
3. Grey water harvesting from downspouts. Ones near the back yard to ideally be piped to raised beds. Ones near the front to be collected in barrels.
4. Additional composter installed.
5. Bin for manure compost.
6. Bin for dry compost.
7. Cover for future woodpile.
8. 3-4 fruit trees.
9. Strawberry and Raspberries.
10. Gooseberries and black currant bushes.
11. Various vegetables and herbs.
12. Cold frame.
13. Lettuces etc on upper deck.
14. Mushroom cultivation.

Future Goals:

1. Small pond where spout comes out of raised part of the backyard.
2. Chicken coup.
3. Greenhouse.
4. Bees.

Oops, there are way more in the to do list for 2013. I guess I need to keep working on this patience thing...