Seed Gathering Time By day it is still super-hot in Denver, but the nights are cooler and the days are shorter. This triggers plants, especially annuals (those that live only one season) to begin to set seeds. When we are enjoying the beauty of flowers or the harvest of fruits and vegetables, we may get … Read more
“Obtain a yield” is a basic tenet of the sustainable design system permaculture. Many moons ago I took a permaculture design course and incorporate some of those concepts into my backyard sanctuary. One idea is to design for ease of care. This includes focusing on plants that are perennial, disease resistant, and do well naturally … Read more
Flax to Fiber Experiment As some of you know, I became intrigued by the whole process of turning flax into fiber after reading The Golden Thread. Of course, I had to try it myself. This is an update on the project that began in January. In the spring, I put in a new 8 foot by … Read more
Tiny Solstice Garden Tour My garden is lush and overflowing today but not anywhere near its peak, so it is hard to envision winter. And yet, we’ve reached the tipping point of light and darkness at summer solstice. The daylight hours will begin to fade now until yule. It will be almost imperceptible at … Read more
It would be odd if we had to explain why it’s not a good idea to plant a garden on top of a toxic dump. It is a commonsense sort of thing. Toxic chemicals in the soil may prevent anything from growing. The plants that do germinate will be stressed and susceptible to disease … Read more
Viral Overload I don’t know about you, but I am weary of seeing the super magnified coronavirus molecule everywhere I turn. Certainly, we want to be informed citizens, but we are awash in scary images and language, sometimes without any real content. Rather than feeling informed, the overload can invoke a lot of fear … Read more
One weekend a month, from March to October, I lead mindfulness walks at Bluff Lake Nature Center. But the walks have been temporarily suspended because of the pandemic. The nature center is open so that people can exercise, but social distancing makes it hard to lead a mindfulness walk. Shouting instructions across 6 feet … Read more
It is snowing here in Denver, but eggplant bushes are producing fruit in many places in the world. I know this of course because eggplant originated in climates much warmer than Colorado. And I also know this because my Houston daughter’s garden is magnificently producing eggplant right now. I can only dream. In … Read more
I walked this morning in Denver with the sweet smell of new rain in the air. It was a great reminder that spring is here. New growth is bursting up and out everywhere, helped along by the rain. Walking in the early morning with so few people out, it is easy to pretend that … Read more
As the world moves into surreal disaster movie mode with COVID-19, mindfulness practice is needed more than ever. It may require increased dedication. Here are four key points to consider as we move through the next few weeks. First – Breathe No seriously – taking slow deep breaths activates the parasympathetic nervous system. That’s the … Read more
