Tales from My Garden Wrap-up 2012

Today my thoughts have turned away from my own garden and towards the busy season of Autumn before us.  Tomorrow I'm going to this with my lovely friend Sarah and our littles.  We'll have a ritual to celebrate the Equinox and enjoy the gorgeous scenery of these gardens.  I've been looking through recipe books to find a perfect fall cake to bring and soon another trip to pick apples will be scheduled.

As our calender fills up the garden is quietly beginning its decline.  The re-roofing project on our townhouse pulled me away from the garden earlier than ever this summer.  I was happy with the bountiful lemon balm which is still on the list for the dehydrator, as is the applemint.  The bee balm was eaten alive by something but I'm hopeful that it will come back next year.  I've dried raspberry leaves for tea and hope next year to get a harvest of berries from the plant.  As for the back patio plants the tomatoes continue to ripen over at my neighbour's place since our deck is a construction zone.  The cucumber didn't produce well and the parsley was not as prolific this year as last. 

I've taken away several lessons from this year's experiments.  The summer's abundance or lack thereof has given me lots to ponder.  With each lovely tomato that we've eaten (there haven't been that many so we've savored each one) I've become more decided that my tomato growing days are over for this period of my life.  I have tried for 3 years now and though each year has proven more successful than the last I think overall I can find a much better use for my time elsewhere.  Because of the heat on our deck the tomatoes require more attention than normal.  I'd rather be sewing than doting on tomatoes.  Especially when I have such wonderful options from the farmer's market in terms of heritage varieties and the like.

Our peas were great this year although no english shelling peas next year.  Just the snap ones will do for our summer snacks.  I'd need double to triple the production I did this year with the shelling peas to make it worthy of my time. 

The rhubarb was very abundant this year and I got many harvests from the one plant.  Next year I plan to get some manure for it in spring just to give it that extra boost it may need.  And otherwise I plan on getting more flowers for the patio next year so that my eyes and the bees and butterflies can enjoy them.  Growing food is a wonderful pursuit and I think it may take more of a central role in our family in the future.  For the next few years though I'm going to put my efforts into other areas and take advantage of the myriad of organic/biodynamic options that are all around the city.

There is still lots of work left in terms of putting all the plants to sleep and cleaning up pots for overwintering.  Last fall I got lazy and left it all out in the rain for the winter...something that I regretted this spring since carrying drenched pots of old potting soil is not fun.  I will plan out some fall days to clean up the remaining pots and also plan to cover the front bed with leaves for extra mulch and to add to the Halloween display that is in my mind's eye.  As always I'm grateful for the lessons that growing and working with the soil impart.  I hope your garden has blessed you with lessons and abundance this year. 

food instead of sun

I had some goals for this summer.  One of them was to be at the beach a lot.  The weather decided that as of the end of July I would only have been to the beach twice and no swimming has taken place.  Making the best of things I have been cooking and baking and putting up food for the winter months. 

There has been fresh raspberry chocolate chip muffins, banana pecan bread, parsley pesto, farmer's market lemon tarts with whipped cream and fresh blueberries, basil popcorn, chocolate chip cookies, radish dip, and homemade (still in perfecting mode) creamsicles.  I am rather obsessed with all things lemon right now whether it's lemonade, yogurt or the said tarts.  So whether the sun is shining or not the eating around here has been good.  Despite the lack of beach whether my garden is growing along nicely and I'll be back soon with an update on it.  Here's to a weekend of good food no matter what the weather. 

Carnelian for the Home

Semi-precious stones call to me. I seem to crave a colour and then a type of stone will present itself. This summer at my local Farmer's Market I purchased a simple pair of Carnelian earrings. The red/brown was just the feeling I was having. Deep, earthy and strong. I tend to research things after they have called to me and I have found them, just to make sense of them in terms of my path. Carnelian promotes tranquility, courage and love. It stabilizes the energy of the home.
My other piece is a family broach with the national flower of Scotland: the thistle. I don't wear broaches but I love this one. This is not a flashy stone but I'm not a flashy person so that works for me. Here are some other interesting points about Carnelian:

Birth stone of July
Astrological signs of: Taurus, Cancer & Leo
Healing properties: Purifies the blood, relieves menstrual cramps and back pain,
beneficial in treatment of infertility.
Can increase personal power, creativity & compassion
Useful for working with the 1, 2, 3, & 4th chakras
Awakens ones inherent talents
Stimulates analytical capabilities and precision
A stone of protection
Can encourage love between parents and children

Buy Local, the blessed days of Summer

One of the best parts of Summer for me is the local produce. Here in Burnaby we have a Farmer's Market every Saturday from May through September. Burnaby was one of the last cities in the Lower Mainland to get their own market but this year they made it work. It is our luck that we just moved here this year. The first weekend seemed a bit sparse, but last week I returned and I'm really glad I did. The produce there was local and beautiful. While only some was Certified Organic (we eat as much organic as possible) most was pesticide free and way nicer than anything trucked in from somewhere else. Raspberries are in season right now. My favorite berry by far. This week I also picked up a few cherries. The other wonderful part of buying local is you are reaching the farmers directly. There is a connection there, I feel that growing up on a farm gave me a connection to my food that many city people do not have. I think of where things have come from when I buy them in a store. Sadly many people who have never seen a cow in person, can't really connect to where this milk in the carton is from. So when you ask: "Where does milk come from?" They say: "The store!" Not quite. So despite the fact that I live in the city and I'm raising a family here, I want my kids to feel the "roots" of their food. My son will benefit from visiting his Grandparents on the farm, but he will also frequent the Farmer's Market with me, visit Pick your Own farms, and really understand that when he buys it, or puts it in his mouth, someone grew this food from our sacred earth.