CLOSER THAN YOU THINK...For weeks and weeks I've felt powerful longing to retreat to the mountains and soak in the soothing immensity of the forest. But most of the Provincial Parks have, wisely, remained closed. They recently opened and my favourite Park (of those I've thus far explored) had a line up of 700 to get inside. I believe that was a number expressed in vehicles. Yikes. Where to go to find the deeply needed solace of nature? The answer came after several friends noted they'd visited VanDusen Gardens with their young children (both in the same age category as our child) and had immense success. Ready for something different and armed with the imagination lent to us by Beatrix Potter, we set out to search for Jeremy Fisher's house, and maybe spot Nutkin the impertinent squirrel. And what we found was heavenly. A really deep sense of peace restored, and endless curiosity for our surroundings... have a look! Apple Seed and Sweet Potato Propagation I know what you're thinking... what happened to those apple seeds she put in the refrigerator? Glad you asked, my friend, glad you asked. Well, I opened the bag yesterday and it smelled very much like a fine, but certainly aged, French cheese. Hm, that's unexpected. Upon investigation, most of them have grown some lil' nubs, and four were mired in mold. Hence, the Frenchtastic smell. Oh la vache! Well, at least six out of ten didn't take a trip to Europe, and I planted them straight away in some fresh potting soil and watered generously. They sit basking in sun for as much of the day as they can. Thus far, there are three working their way up to the surface, like real seedlings do. Will I be able to say that I had the beginnings of an orchard on the tenth story of a building? I would certainly like to phrase it that way. But, in truth, eventually they will need to be in the Earth to really become trees. I know Louis XIV had his Orangerie with the trees potted in massive, moveable planters, but I don't live that Versailles life, as much as these apples were trying desperately to be francophiles. Their nascent time will be spent on the tenth floor, and I'll do my best to help them become the orchard I know is waiting inside their seed coats. As for the sweet potatoes, the results of those slips has been long awaited by my good friend Merry. As the last week became exceptionally busy, I failed to reply to her comment containing a question about those slips and apply my knowledge to her own little slips awaiting their turn to be planted. Sorry, Merry! Sorry, slips! Here is what I have seen mine do: I have one that has "matured", that is it has broader leaves, a very long, nicely curved root that just keeps getting longer and is certainly ready to be planted. The other still has it's leaves shut, but there appears to be a root on that one too. Here's what I'd do to plant them: pluck them off their potato hunk mom and put them into well spaced beds. These puppies need lots and lots of leg room. One itty bitty slip vine will turn into a Little Shop of Taters creature by the end of the season. Keep them happy with even watering, and if the leaves start to show any deficiencies (although yellowing at the end of the season in fall means they're ready to be dug up) feed with compost or your preferred organic soil food. I can't in good conscience say that you out to put something icky on your soil. I won't name names... And that's it. The sweetest thing about sweet potatoes is how easy, and entertaining, they are! They will astound you with their ability to cover large portions of ground, making more leaves than ever thought possible. When harvesting, which will be in a while yet, you can cut off the vines first to make room for digging. A good tip given to me by another gardener is to make sure you are careful with sharp tools while harvesting to ensure the skins of the potatoes aren't cut into. This is to prevent bacteria from entering the potato. Now, if you've going to cure them, this may be less of a problem. And of course we all cook our sweet potatoes before we cook them. But it was a wise tip, and I found that getting in there like a crazed dog digging wildly in the sand at the beach is a really good method of getting the taters out of the ground. You're in you're garden, you grew it, might as well have a good time. I have research to do yet on curing, and truthfully, my slips may never make it into the ground because I am running out of... wait... nope. OUT OF ROOM! My husband, my sweetheart and generous man, went to the flowershop, at my behest, and I asked for something for the table. I said chamomile or hydrangea would make a nice bouquet- simple, mono-floral arrangement, and I meant cut flowers. Well, he came home with a potted, green cusping into ballerina pink hydrangea and I was having a "squee" session for about 20 minutes. I named it "Felicity", because it is a wish fulfilled to have thus perennial, and it brought and will continue to bring so much happiness. Felicity will move in as soon as I can get some more soil. And that emptied out Nellie's Natural detergent bucket I just downsized into smaller containers a few weeks back is looking like the right home. The corporate orange bucket (bonus points if you can guess where it's from) will have the cukes. Almost time to plant those too. And with that I AM truly our of room. But, it's 100% occupied with green, pink, soon to be more pink and, when the corn and sunflowers come of age... golden yellows... It's going to be a dreamy summer on the tenth floor.... "Hackle" Recipe- for that Good Earth'esque flavour without realizing you forgot to buy it at the grocery store
3 bags peppermint tea one whole orange, sliced 3-5 cinnamon sticks maple syrup or honey to taste ( this really gets that sweetness that's part of the Good Earth flavour in there) Mix all in hot water, stir and let sit. Chill and enjoy. Good Earth was a tea that seemed to endlessly be in our refrigerator as iced tea in the summertime, and having discovered this recipe on a whim to do some tea mixology one afternoon, I am delighted to say it will be in our fridge all summer too.
1 Comment
6/6/2020 07:55:43 pm
I hope you had a lovely Full Moon. We celebrated by planting the first sweet potato slips, adding a bit of sand to the mix, and some Jack o'Lantern pumpkin seeds. I once worked for a few weeks on a sweet potato ranch, walking behind a dusty tractor in exchange for a treadle sewing machine. In Ethiopia, the greens have always been used as cattle feed until now. But they're delicious you say! Yes they are. And pumpkins have failed miserably for me, year after year. The vine is lush and sprawling, but the pumpkin has never been larger than a golf ball. I carve them anyway. Thank you for the wonderful photos. Really enjoying the blog. Cheers !
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NinaNoot- Christina (Nina) Wonglong time illustrator of whimsical things and a woman with a green thumb. Compassion and a desire to do something helpful compels me to write and share about gardening in hopes it may bring healing and delight to the souls of others as it has to mine. Check in every week on Tuesday for the unfolding story of my own garden alongside small growing project ideas, my successes and failures, and a sincere dose of hope in this moment of covid-19. Archives
August 2020
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