The Pagan Activist

The Garden Gate:

We would like to introduce to you our regular columist for 'The Garden Gate' - HerbalPagan!

The Pagan Activist

Disclaimer: The Pagan Activist is not responsible for the content and accuracy of these articles. The content is the sole opinion and full responsibility of the author.

About HerbalPagan:

I have been gardening since I was a teenager, but really got into organic gardening when I had small children to feed. I am a Master Gardener and at one time was a Certified Organic Market Gardener selling at Farmer's Markets and craft shows. I specialize in small fruits and herbs. I also am a crafter and a homesteader, living in western Massachusetts on top of a mountain with my husband and 2 Scotties. Our 5 children and two (and a half) grandchildren visit when they can make it up the long bumpy road to our new home.

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2009:

July

June / May / April / March / February / January ~ Author on Hiatus

2008:

December / November / October / September / August / July / June / May

July:

It is with great sadness that I write my last article for the Pagan Activist. I will be blogging my articles monthly on my google blog, linked below (greensurviving).

What many of you may not know, is that I am what is called a "homesteader", a "prepper" and somewhat of a survivalist. (No, I do not live in a bunker and have a zillion rounds of ammo, wear cammo or eat Spam! Those are the questions that I get when I say the "survivalist" word.)

Being a "homesteader" means (to me) that I live a rural life, growing much of my own food, cook from scratch and try to live in harmony with nature. I keep a full pantry because I live 40 minutes from the grocery store. Being a "prepper" means that I am prepared in case there is an emergency. I addition to keeping a full pantry, I also have a generator, wood stove, some lanterns and lots of candles and matches. I am on top of a mountain in a very rural area and this winter, I was stuck in my home, alone for two weeks without electric or phone. I needed to count on myself, and because I was prepared for emergencies, I was quite comfortable. Being a "survivalist" means that I do the same thing as a Homesteader and a prepper. I just go a bit farther and understand that the economy and environment is unpredictable, so I have a nice store of tools that run by hand, and am trying to go "off grid" as far as electric goes. If bad weather happens, I want to survive, if my husband looses his job, I want to survive the hardship, if the electric grid goes down, I want to be able to survive. So, that's simple.

What does that have to do with a garden column? Well, to my way of thinking, the garden is the ultimate in insurance against all sorts of things....lack of food, lack of comforts, economic disasters such as loosing a job. I firmly believe that everyone should garden to some degree. As pagans, we are nature people. There is nothing like gardening to get you in touch with nature. As humans, we are prone to stress. Dirt is well known as a mild anti depressant. Working in the dirt calms you, helps you focus, and gives you pride in accomplishment. As ordinary folks, we have come so far from eating properly, that it isn't funny anymore! Most people are so busy, they don't cook right, eat right or exercise right. As a result, many of us are over weight, have conditions like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and gastric issues. Gardening can help with all these issues, partly through the relaxation of working in the dirt, partially due to the excessive of gardening and mostly by eating better. Any person should consider the benefits of following the "100 Mile Diet". this diet subscribes to the theory that we are much better off eating foods that are grown in that 100 mile radius. Native people from all areas consider this a must. (this includes medicine as well, but I'm not a doctor so I won't say that here.).

Eating product that is grown within 100 miles, usually eliminates highly processed foods, food that has been treated with chemicals, and foods that are not fresh or have been treated with gas to make it "look right" when you buy it. Growing your own garden can help with this. Starting a garden can be expensive or time consuming the first year, but the first time you eat your own vine ripened tomato, it's all worth it. As you get more familiar with gardening and improve your soil, the cost goes down. One thing that never changes is that farm fresh food is expensive to buy, but you know you can grow it yourself and not have to spend that money on food!

Here on top of the mountain in New England, we are struggling through the "summer without summer", as we are calling it. Not much sun, an overabundance of damp days and rain storms. This means that my peppers have not done so well, the tomatoes are sitting there waiting patiently for sunshine, but my broccoli and Brussels sprouts, and my leafy greens (mostly spinach) are growing like, well, weeds! Gardening takes patience some years, and this is one of those years here. Instead of "watching the pot" (or tomato, so to speak) I am focusing on getting my herbs situated in their new home bed (tires). I chose to use tires for some of my plants for several reasons. First, a tire can contain a lot of dirt, making it ideal for certain plants. Secondly, herbs have a bit of a habit of growing crazy and spreading their roots into things you don't want them to get into, and a tire keeps them nicely contained. Lastly, a tire takes 500 years to partially decompose in a landfill. By using a few tires, I can prevent that. The bonus is that I don't have to spend money on a mini bed for a plant as a tire costs $5 over here to send to the landfill. My husband hates the look of tires, but I tucked mine away in a corner and the herbs are already growing over the sides and they just don't look like tires any more. The tires that I plan to use in a more open area can be concealed by a low fence or even painted to blend in.

Use your ingenuity when it comes to your gardens, reuse and recycle, grow your own free fertilizer with compost, consider a daily sit in the garden working the dirt as cheaper and safer than anti depressants and a gym membership. Finally, consider the many health and financial benefits of that vine ripe tomato that you grew yourself!

As always, I am only an email away if you have any questions, need garden help or want to chat and touch base with a fellow Pagan Activist. We are all "activists" in some way or another at various times in our lives, so lets be active in keeping in touch, working with nature and perhaps, growing an abundance of our own food, Much good luck and best wishes go out to Edain in her future endeavors!

http://greensurviving.blogspot.com/

Herbalpagan@gmail.com

June:

It's garden time! No matter where you live, it's time for gardening. I still have tons of things to do before my garden gets in, but that's part of gardening. The beds have become weedy while the spring rain came down and the temps fluctuated. When weeding the bed, make sure you get the whole root out or the weed will just come back. When you are working with your hands in the garden, you are getting to know your soil, the land, the plants. They become friends and companions. Sounds nutty? Maybe a bit, but your garden is something you need to get to know. While it's growing, you will then be able to tell when a problem is around the corner. You might notice that the leaves on one plant aren't as perky as the rest...perhaps it needs a bit more water or with careful inspection you notice that there are eggs on the underside. If you didn't know your garden, you might have lost the plant.

Speaking of pests, one of the delays in getting my garden in is the black flies. I swear they tried to carry me away the other day! It's hard to work outside when you are being chewed to pieces. I've taken to wearing a net over my head. You can find them in the fishing section of most department stores. I also wear long sleeved shirts and rub myself with penny royal or mint of another type. Those little beasties don't seem to like that much. I'm going to try a smudge pot also, as I been told that helps as well.

I know I'm pagan. and supposed to love nature, but I'm sorry, some bugs just ick me right out! I do try to find ways that are natural to deal with them though. In some places, slugs are a sure sign that it's garden time and the little buggers come out and chew away at your plants during the night. You come out in the morning and find nothing but slime trails and gnawed on plants. My children always thought it was funny to see me out in the garden with a salt shaker and a flashlight! Yes, salt will stop the slugs, but too much can kill the plants, so try getting them drunk instead! A pan of beer set in the garden will attract the slugs and they will fall in and drown. Dispose of the remains the next day. Another way is to lay down a board in the garden, during the day, the slugs will hide out under it and you can turn the board over and remove the slugs that way. This time of year, flea beetles will also show up. I'm assuming that these are very small, but I've never actually seen them. I have seen their damage. You go out and find all these tiny little holes in the leaves of your young plants. I was told not to freak out over this and to just wait it out, a healthy plant will make it through. Which brings me to a point I want to make; healthy plants have deep roots, healthy green leaves and enough strength to get through most perils. You needn't worry over each little invasion. Calmly examine the other plants and see if they have the same issue.

Spring will also bring other pests to the garden...like bunnies and deer. Both of those animals don't like a product you can make that I call "Blood and Bones". Mix equal parts of bone meal and blood meal and sprinkle around your plants. I met a man who did this around the perimeter of his garden then he sat me down to watch at dusk. The bunnies came out to eat and sure enough, they all stopped at the line he had made! Now, "blood and bones" has another purpose. It's a valuable organic fertilizer and will fertilize your plants while it repels the animal pests. Unfortunately, it won't work on meat eating pests (my dogs love it!). Urinating around the perimeter will keep many pest animals away, as they neither like the ammonia, it reeks to them of humans and scares them away. On landscape plants, net bags of human hair and soap chunks will help keep the deer away. For larger pests, a trip to a hunting store might help. You can pick up urine from predators, like bob cats, and use that to deter them. Some times you can make a deal with a zoo or a wild life park and collect some of the large cat (lion & tiger) dung. This will also scare most predators away. As an added bonus, it is good fertilizer also (just don't add it straight on veggies).

I've been bothered by a particularly pesky bear this spring, so I haven't been able to compost. He's after food of any sort, so I must wait to turn my compost pile and spread it for a while. He's been coming around less and less, but until I'm sure he's found another ready food source, I'm keeping my scraps inside. If this is a problem where you live, you will need to literally hide everything that can be construed as food. A garbage can isn't enough! My little guy happily knocked over my cans and even ripped open empty cans of energy drink and beer that my daughter had left in the trash! Skunks and raccoons can be just as determined, so put the trash inside the garage or locked in a bin. As we encroach more on nature, they adapt and become scroungers. Feeding the deer, the bunnies, the raccoons and squirrels is not a good idea!

One "animal" that I do encourage is ducks. I have a small pond and this year a few ducks took up residence on it. I made sure to try and keep the dogs from trying to chase them away. Why? Because they aren't going to venture into my garden, but they do love all the mosquitoes and black flies! The birds are encouraged as well, as they too, eat tons of bugs. I always plant a few bright sweet smelling flowers, even with the veggies. It encourages the bees and the butterflies. These help pollinate my plants and thus the cycle completes. Nature is a wonderful thing and you can easily learn to work with it, instead of fighting it!

As always, I'm only an email away if you have any questions. Happy Gardening!

Black Gold!

Black Gold is one of the terms used for garden compost. Most gardeners believe that the term is very accurate. Compost is, quite simply, rotted vegetation. In particular, it is a way to make free fertilizer for your garden. Every plant contains the nutrients that it has taken up from the soil, those nutrients are still in the plant when it is done producing what you grew it for. You then pull up the plant, but what do you do with it? If if throw it over the bank or in the rubbish bin, it will eventually break down and return to the soil. BUT, if you chop up the plant and put it in a special pile, along with other plant based material, it will break down into a rich, organic matter that closely resembles soil. It will contain all the nutrients your plants need to grow and flourish.

To make a compost pile, the basics are; a space to pile materials, materials and time for the materials to decompose. The experts say that a proper pile should be about 4'x4'x4'. Most people prefer their piles to be contained in a box, a bin or some sort of framed area. I compost in both a benign way and in an accelerated way. The benign pile is a bin that hubby made me that has two sections. Both sections are 4'x4' and we put chicken wire around the frame on three sides. I simply put all of my garden refuse and kitchen scraps in the pile and let it sit. Eventually it breaks down and I have very good compost that looks like dark, rich, fluffy soil. The accelerated compost is put into a fancy drum that my husband bought me. He didn't want a smelly old pile sitting around in the yard. This fancy drum sits on a frame, is closed on both ends and has a trap door in the center that opens so I can add or remove material. Once somewhat full, I then spin the drum daily, making sure that the materials are nicely mixed. The close space of the drum ensures that the material heats up quickly and decomposes more rapidly.

I should mention that my "big old stinky pile of rotting vegetation" (as my husband put it) has no odor, and has reduced it's size by half over the winter. The beautiful drum that he got me is sitting there decomposing at on a slightly faster rate and smells to all get out!
When it comes to compost, I guess it only matters what is right for your location and situation.

Many people think that compost will attract animals, but since I have two dogs and a local bear that thinks of my yard as his second home, I can attest to the fact that I have never had an animal in my compost here. In previous piles, I got the occasional squirrel or chipmunk, but nothing serious. As mentioned, the piles do not smell, as the material is piled up and decomposes rapidly. It isn't messy, as it is contained. Composting is also the environmentally smart thing to do with your waste from the kitchen also. I found some wonderful "plastic bags" from Gardener's Supply (on line) and they are made of some kind of corn based product and they decompose along with my kitchen scraps. I keep one of these bags open in the kitchen and simply put all of my kitchen wastes in them (except meat). Then I take out the scraps and poke a hole in the compost pile and put the bag in and then cover it up.

If you have ever cut your lawn and raked up the grass clippings, then when you picked up those clippings and they felt warm, you have seen compost in the making. The fresh vegetation heats up as it decomposes and the heating accelerates the decomposition of the material, until there is nothing left but a pile of dirt (basically). So, now what? Once your pile has be broken down to resemble dirt, you will use it in a variety of ways that will help your plants grow better, faster and healthier, in an organic way.

You can add your compost to trees and shrubs, like a top dressing. You can add it to your soil as you would any fertilizer and mix it in. You can also make a liquid fertilizer with it. This is called "compost tea". Take a couple of gallons of water and add a couple of cups of compost to the water. Let it sit for a couple of days, strain and feed the water to your plants. Some people mix this up in big barrels, some put the compost in a cheese cloth bag, like a "tea bag" and all who do it, enjoy the benefits of a wonderful fertilizer that is free and natural.

There are many who claim that to get the best compost, you should layer the material...green and fresh material, followed by dryer brown materials, followed by a scoop of compost or dirt. Continue building layers until the bin is full. Dampen the pile and wait a few days. Check to see if it is heating up. Then mix the materials and dampen again. Mix again and repeat.. I never have the time to do this, hence my "benign pile" and my drum compost-er. Both work equally well for me. In the days when I kept chickens, I had three piles going. One for using that year, another that was cooking for the next year and the last that I added the fresh chicken manure to and let it sit for a minimum of a year. That was my choice, and it worked for me, but I could have mixed the manure in at any point during the cooking and it would have been fine. Just don't use manure fresh on the garden, or warm compost. The heat will hurt the plants rather than hurt them. How do you know if the compost is "hot" or "warm"? It quite literally is warm to the touch!

What can you put into the compost pile? This is a personal choice for you. Some only put garden waste in the pile, but I think this is a shame, because we make so much more waste that can be used. The trick with most items in the compost is to make them as small as possible. Putting a huge corn stalk in is certainly OK, but it could take years to decompose. However, if you chop up that same corn stalk into lots of small pieces, it will be able to be used as compost the next season (sooner in warmer climates).

I like using Kitchen scraps and the only rule I have found that I stick to is: no meat and no fats and no manure from meat eating animals (like dogs)

Non-garden materials for the compost:
egg shells
coffee grounds
tea bags (without the staple for the tag; but the tag and string are fine)
vegetable peelings and scraps
potato water
cereal
dry dog food (this can actually accelerate the decomposing)
coffee filters
dryer lint
shredded paper
leaves and grass clippings
urine (yes-urine can be quite helpful in adding certain nutrients, though admittedly it's not a pleasant material to handle!)
wood chips
fruit and fruit peels

There are many other items you can add, get creative! The point is to go out and make your own "Black Gold". FREE fertilizer that helps the environment and is the best thing you can add to your garden soil. Many people get fanatic about their composting and will search their neighborhood looking for materials to add. It is fun, takes little time and the results are amazing! I'm more relaxed, add stuff as I have it and don't both turning. Again, it's fun, takes little time and the results are amazing. Do your composting which ever way works best for you, the important thing is just to DO IT!

Enjoy the new gardening season, and as always, if you have a question, I'm only an email away!

April:

Victory Gardens Again! In case no one noticed, the world is pretty much in a recession, if not a depression in some areas. The Victory Garden came about at the end of the last depression and World War 2. People grew gardens to have an adequate supply of food as money was still tight from the depression and the war effort had taken much of the available food. Apparently, this idea has caught on again, and people are going nuts over gardening!

I have gardened for most of my life and written columns for years. The number of people who are asking for garden advise has more than tripled this year as has the request for columns like mine. I am excited to see this for many reasons. As a gardener, I think it's a wonderful hobby, a great benefit to a healthy lifestyle, a wonderful way to learn about nature and it's a means of being self reliant. Native Americans believed that in order to be healthy, none of your food or medicine should come from any farther away than you could walk in a day. Today, that idea is being revisited all over the world with what is called "The 100 mile Diet". While this is an almost impossible feat now a days, it is possible to make a start at it and think about where your food comes to. Your garden is the best place to start!

So, what does the upsurge in gardening mean to you? It means that garden supplies and seeds are going to disappear from the shelves in record time. It also means that more places than ever will be offering those supplies. It means that if you are just getting started in gardening, more people will be just starting their gardens and you will have plenty of company while you learn the ins and outs of gardening! It means that more and more communities will be setting up community gardens for people who live in apartments or other wise have no garden space. You can find out if your city or town has a community garden by calling your city hall or mayor's office. In most community garden's, the way it works is that there is a plot of land that is broken up into sections. Each section is given or rented to a gardener who applies. Then you have that size plot to garden in. It is most always enough for a family of four to have enough food for the summer and perhaps a bit more. I believe that some adjust the size of the plot to the size of the family. You can grow almost any thing (within reason) and many grow flowers in addition to the veggies. Another alternative to the community garden is a shared garden. This is where a friend or family member has extra space and you can get space there. It's a good method, since you have the company of friends or family to learn with and to share equipment with.

How much money can you actually save by growing your own veggies? I get this question a lot, but as with most questions like this, the unfortunate answer is "it depends". Seriously, you have to consider ALL the benefits and not just the cost of food benefit. Eating healthier has a long term benefit that is certainly worth the garden alone. The healthy exercise and interaction with nature is worth the garden alone. But if you are a total dollar and cents person (or pounds and pence), a garden well done will give you all the veggies you need for a year. How much that is, is up to your family's personal use. A 4' by 8' bed can produce all the salad needs for the summer, if you buy salad goods each week at the market, that would probably amount to a total savings of about $120-$150. If you grow all your vegetables for canning or freezing and plan for 7 servings of veg a week, at a low cost of $7 a week, that would be a savings of about $350. Those are very low estimates, but very attainable with a normal garden for the family. That doesn't include growing things like strawberries. I always wonder why strawberries are so expensive in the market, when with very little space and effort a person can grow enough for the year at home!

If you are worried about all the time and effort a garden will mean, then "work smarter, not harder"! Take a few weeks now to research all the time and labor savings methods available. Many people grow in nice neat straight rows, but that it a space eating and labor intensive way of gardening and no longer popular. Growing in containers and small chunks of space is the way to go to save time and labor. Worried about all the water it will take to keep your garden growing? Jump on the "green" bandwagon and get a few water barrels and learn about all the water saving methods a gardener can implement, such as drip irrigation. Drip irrigation comes with a special hose that you can buy at most local hardware stores and you hook it into your faucet like a normal hose. Then you lay it out in your garden bed and cover it with mulch. Turn on the hose and it will "drip" water constantly into the ground around your plants, using much less water and in fact, watering much more effectively. You can put it on a timer so that it only waters at certain times, and you can even get fancy times that will only water when it isn't raining. I often sink large tin cans into the ground in my beds. I get them from school kitchens and clean them, punch holes all over the bottom half of the can and then sink the can into the ground. I add a handful of compost to the can and fill it with water. I usually only need to do this once a week, as the water leeches out slowly; feeding the plants and watering at the same time.

Gardening has become the number one hobby across this country, and as such, there are many columns like this that will give you advice. Take advantage of them! Join a Yahoo or Google group on gardening, grab a book on gardening from a used bookstore. Have fun with your garden! One thing to BEWARE: do not fall into the trap that older and wiser gardeners always do...that is called "the lure of the gadget". It eats up your garden budget and that eats up your profit. After a couple of years of gardening, you will know what tools are needed, and once you know that gardening is something you will always be doing, you can send out the word to family and friends that garden gifts would be appreciated.

Buying or starting your plants is another frequent question I get. If this is your first year, by all means buy your plants at a local garden center, but consider getting a few peat pots or a bag of potting soil and trying starting a few in a sunny window. I promise that you will feel more pride from the few you started yourself! I bought for several years before I came up with a method to start all my plants. Consider that a small 6 pack of plants usually goes for at least $1.50. With starting it yourself, a packet of seeds that will produce 50 plants costs about the same. Why not go in on seed starting with a friend? If you have the space and light for it, maybe you could trade the supplies with friends and start their plants for them? What is so great about starting your own seeds, other than the price? Variety! You can pick varieties that you will never find at garden centers. This year my seed "find" is a hot pepper that no one sells plants for, it's a natural hybrid called "chilipino". Last year I bought three kinds of hot pepper plants for my husband to see what he liked and to make salsa with. He liked each one and wanted to try a different one this year, so for less than the three six packs cost last year, I have started 18 plants of a new pepper blend! If you must buy, then shop around. Ask experienced gardeners where they recommend. Talk to the farmers at the Farmer's Market, many of them will sell plants too.

Enjoy your garden experience, and as always, I am only an email away if you have any questions.

March:

This time of year a garden is mostly wishes and dreams! It's sad, but true, especially in New England. I have months to go before I can actually plant things in the ground.

I ordered my seeds and seed starting supplies and they all got here. This week, I will be planting, and will continue to do so weekly, even after some of the plants are in the garden. I do this so that I have plants in rotation. As the first broccolli is getting ready to harvest, the new brocolli will be planted in between the older plants and by the time the old ones are being pulled up, the new ones will be needing the space.

This is a great time to make a detailed "map" of your garden space. I'm really a bit of an organizational freak, so I love this part. Even if you aren't into organization, it's a great way to make your gardening more productive! So, draw a rough map of your garden space and in pencil, mark out what was in it last year and roughly where. I garden in raised beds, so that's not so hard for me, and if you haven't gardened it won't be possible. You will want your seed packs near by so you can checkthem for planting times and space requirements too.

Now, you have your garden all drawn, what you will do is start "planting". A simple rule for garden rotation, is don't plant the same plant in the same place as you did last year. This will help keep diseases from getting a hold in your garden and will also help the soil not get depleted of nutrients. Consider how you are gardening too. Most gardeners still garden in simple rows. If you garden in wide rows and mounds of soil, you will be able to eliminate the space needs for in between the rows. This makes your garden much more productive and much less work! Once the plants are up, they are close enough to shade out many of the common weeds. In pencil, plot out where each plant will be, taking into account how much space they need. I usually use circles for single plants like tomatoes and cucumbers and straigt lines for rows of smaller veggies like beans. When planning your plantings, take into account also, that some plants polinate better when grown in "blocks"; square rows as wide as they are long. Corn and peppers are amoung these plants.

Draw out your garden, make space for walking and running a wheel barrow through. With this plan, you can actually visualize your garden already growing! Of course, with a plan in your hands, you can change this around easy and literally get if perfect for your needs. You can get as complicated and fancy as you want. I tuck this into my garden journal and keep them, then I can go back and see the changes. Speaking of "garden journals", consider keeping one for your garden. You can track your garden from the plan to purchasing seeds, when plants emerge and when they are harvested. I also include notes about pests, fertilizer, and end results. Keep that journal from year to year and it will be a lot of fun to go back through and reread them over the years. This is a great way to get some gardening done before you actually can! Enjoy the experience. I promise you will enjoy your garden much more.

February:

It's time! Time to get those seeds and potting/seed starting supplies and get your garden started.

I happily ordered my seeds last week, along with some seed starting supplies. I got most of the seeds from FEDCO SEEDS, a co-op in Maine that specializes in non GMO (genetically altered)and organic seeds. The prices are fantastic and the service is good. Note, that I said "seeds" and not plants or fruit bushes and trees...those will come later.

I decided not to grow my own potatoes this year, as I found a local grower that will supply my needs for not much more than I paid in seed and supplies. I have another project this summer that will better use the space the potatoes would take. It's ok to do that sometimes, give yourself permission to not have to do everything, but if you enjoy it, then go for growing what ever your heart desires.

Starting your seeds at home is fun, educational and very cost efficient. Check your seed packets and see what the recommendation is for starting inside. Some say "start X number of weeks before the first frost free date". If you don't know yours, you can check with your local Extension Office, or even the local weather station. Most dates can be found on the web at gardening sites. Always, I try to push this date a bit...I grow things a wee bit earlier than I probably should, betting on a warm spring or on some plant protection scheme I come up with. This year, I am also going to grow on more of a staggered system, meaning that I will stagger my seedlings at two week intervals. Sometimes it works out so that all your peppers and tomatoes don't arrive all at the same time, sometimes, Mother Nature doesn't care and they come all at once anyways. There are benefits of growing staggered and "all at once", but I am not as quick as I used to be and my kitchen is smaller, so I'd rather not have a bushel of peppers sitting waiting for the 4 bushels of tomatoes that are coming the next week.

When starting seeds, use containers that have drainage holes so plants don't get too wet. I also recommend that you use a sterile seed starting mix, found in most garden centers (organic if you can find it). I've been also using what is called "peat pellets" for the first planting. These are amazing little hard disks of peat (some in netting, some plain) that you soak in water and they expand and sit in a tray, ready for planting. This year, all the seed companies are offering a coconut fiber mix that is supposed to have good moisture retaining properties. So, now you have a pot or pellet, a tray to put it in and seeds, remember to make the soil mix really damp. Plant your seeds, don't worry about planting them too deep, as it's not really needed. Put the planted pot in the tray, take a spray bottle of water and mist the top and put a sheet of saran wrap over the tray (if it didn't come with a plastic dome). This method creates the perfect conditions for seed sprouting. Next, find a warm and dark place for your planted pots; I use the a table top now, but I used to use the top of my refrigerator and some use the top of their water heater - don't bother them except to check whether they have sprouted, no water needed. In a few days to a week, you should have baby plants! Now the work begins...

You will need to find a place in your home where your seedlings can gather together and get light. I use a grow light system that we built for very little money. Your "babies" should be getting 12 hours of light a day. Placement under fluorescent lighting is fine, but they need to be close to the little sprouts. If the light is too far away, they will get spindly, trying to reach the light. For the first week or two, I water with the spray bottle and keep the plastic on, but not sealed tight. This makes a mini greenhouse environment for the plants, the misting instead of watering makes sure that the tiny seedlings aren't disturbed until their roots are strong, and also helps in preventing a disease called "dampening off", where the little guys seem to just rot at the stem where it meets the soil or fall over wilted. If you are using a window, then make sure that your plants are rotated so they don't have to bend over to reach the light. Water as needed, if you aren't sure whether they need watering, then stick a pencil in the soil and if it comes out damp or with soil attached, then they are fine and you can check the next day. Do not let the soil dry out to a crust (a common thing) as the soil will never reconstitute like it should, as it is mostly peat. I like to water from the bottom, in the tray and then mist lightly the seedlings. This makes the roots grow down and work for the water, making them much stronger.

Starting seeds for all the plants you want to set out, can take a lot of room, but it's so much fun and so worth the effort! Now, go get those hands dirty!

I'm available for any of you who might have questions, so feel free to email me.

December:

OK- so it's ONLY December and many of you are feeling like you just put the garden to bed, but really; it's time to start over!

Now is the time to haul out those old catalogs and to get online and start bookmarking new ones. It's also time for all of us to do some reading. I like to take this time to learn more on what is new, what the details are for the new items I'd like to try and grow, and in general improve my gardening skills. Becoming more environmentally conscious, I decided that I did not need a zillion glossy catalogs delivered to my door….so I do all of my shopping on line. While I do miss not having a catty to curl up with and drool over, or to read in the car while waiting for hubby to get out of work, it's much more of a plus to do it all on line. To help, I've included a few of my favorite sites so you can browse.

When you are planning your garden for next year, grab a pad of paper and sit down at the computer…browse a few catalogs to see if there is a new item or two out there. Then make a list of what you KNOW you will use and add on what you want to try this year. Then add on the supplies you will need to get started. I have to triple what I got for seed starting supplies as the stores sold out very quickly last year. If you took notes, go back over them and see what happened in your garden, maybe you want to try a new variety. Go back to the sites that you liked and see if they have what you want and need. It's fine to order from several sites. If you are unsure about if a variety is what you want, then "Google it" and do your research. The people who write the blurbs should be getting awards for how well they write. Note that I said how well, not how true!

So, make your list, check it twice and ORDER EARLY! With the economy in the tank, more and more people will be starting gardens this year. Last year the seed places sold out of many things early, and I think that trend will continue for a long time to come. Once you have your first order out, make your garden plan. We have a rule at our house…there has to be a new variety or type of veg and a garden experiment done each year. It keeps us on our toes, and we find that we learn a lot from it.

Next month, I will talk about starting seeds at home and all the different ways of doing so. Below are some of my favorite links. Enjoy!

http://www.fedcoseeds.com/index.htmhttp://www.fedcoseeds.com/index.htm (an organically oriented seed catalog with lots of info to share)
http://gurneys.com/default.asp   (very reasonably prices items, shipments are prompt and they have a great guarantee that they really honor)
http://www.raintreenursery.com/ (these folks have fair prices and some unusual items)
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/ (a good standard catalog)
http://www.seedsofchange.com/default.asp (for those of you who want heirloom stuff)
http://www.gardenweb.com/    (a good place to get more info and links)
http://www.gardensalive.com/ (environmentally good products for the garden and specifically for fighting garden pests)
http://www.gardeners.com/   (Gardener's Supply Company)

November:

This is supposed to be down time for gardeners. A time of rest and a time for doing nothing, but if you are like me, you will find that there is plenty to do!

I find that this is a great time to experiment with your garden. You can build a box and use an old window a a top and make a cold frame and try to plant some hardy veggies. You can also plant some bulbs during this time. I was told that you can put your garlic and onion bulbs in now so they get an early start! One of my garden groups also recommends that you put in some of your potatoes now. I am personally planting spinach and have put in a few Heather plants. I also have heavily mulched my rhubarb. Garden clean up continues as always, I took the time now, to till up new beds for next year. Winter is a great fertilizer for new beds, and the moving of the soil as it freezes and thaws will help work the soil for you and make it easier for you to work in the spring.

I take a digital picture of my garden to, since I plant so many things each year that I can't remember where I planted it! I also keep a garden journal. Now is the time to finish up your notes in it, your thought on your garden year and what you want to do differently next year. I make myself a Yule present of getting a new journal for the year ahead. Sit and re-read your last journal and look at the goals you first wrote out. I find that I always wanted to do more!

Speaking of Yule, you can enjoy the Goddess's bounty for Yule by "nature crafting". I go out and gather interesting stalks and dead flower heads as well as cut greens from pine and cedar this month. I can decorate and make it personal, all from the garden and surrounding area. Many people plan their decorating needs into their garden plan too; think of growing some things that dry well, some corn and pumpkin just for decorating next year!

I like to begin my preliminary plans for next year at this time too. I find that it's good to talk to other gardeners s well. Why not join a gardening forum or local club? You will meet people who share your interests and learn a lot as well! I take the time to educate myself about gardening during this "down time" too. Your county Extension Agency (USA) offers classes for regular gardeners and for gardeners who are interested in becoming Master Gardeners, but check with local garden centers as well, since in some places, thy offer classes too.

Next month I will publish a list of web sites, groups and seed catalogs that I have come across, but in the meantime; Happy Garden thoughts!

October:

October brings the definite ending of the growing season for most of us. With the end, comes "the gleaning and the cleaning". Gleaning is an old fashioned term for picking the last things left in the garden. It can lead to some wonderful contributions in the kitchen, like "End of Garden Pickles", where all kinds of things from cukes to cauliflower is tossed into the pot. You can also make a mixed bag of veggies to tuck into the freezer. Many times we are tired by the end of the season, but don't forgo all the goodies you can find!

Cleaning is a necessary thing for the garden, and it's a great time to really build up that compost pile! To start, I pull up all the things left in the garden and put them in the pile so they can be turned into rich, super soil for next year. The few veggies that get tossed in don't make me feel too bad, as they are good for the small critters as well as for the future compost. (Yes, I know I said that you should use up the last of the veg in pickles or a casserole, but there is always something that is missed!). I make sure that all weeds are gone...I don't want to start spring with pulling weeds! I put mature weeds in a long term compost pile.

Next, I add organic amendments to the soil...organics take longer to work usual, so put on the dried amendments at this time (on bare soil, if you have perennials, en do it in the spring). I take pictures of the garden space at this time, so that I know clearly what it looks like and can make garden plans better in the winter. I also take pictures of my perennials, so I don't pull them up in the spring. If your weather will not turn to frost soon, then you could also divide your perennials now too. I will be getting more and more frosts, so I cut down many of my perennials, checking my books to make sure this is what is best for them at this time (some you cut back in spring and some you don't cut at all). Next month, I will be putting mulch over the more tender plants, so the have a bit of protection from the harshest weather.

The next thing that I like to do, is to clean up all my pots/planters at this time. It will help if you get a big tub of water for this! I tap out all the soil and debris, then rinse them. Then I do a good scrubbing with either a vinegar and water mix or a bleach and water mix. I prefer to use the bleach, even though it is not as good organically, as it will remove molds and fungus as well. I let the pots dry in the sun, and then stack them away for the winter. I do this to all my tools and buckets and garden stuff, so that it is in the best shape for storing. This is also a good time for you to examine all items or any wear or damage and make repairs. Lastly, I plunge my tools into a bucket of sand that I have added oil to, several times. The sand helps to sharpen the tools, and the oil helps keep them from rusting during a time of no use and damp weather. Don't forget to attend to your hoses and watering system at this time too. Turn off the faucets so there won't be a pipe burst in the winter! I empty and roll all my hoses now too, and put them away for the season.

It only takes a weekend, d by doing these things, you have a neat space, and one that you can get right into in the spring and start the circle all over again!

I know this sounds like the end of the gardening season for us, but really; there is so much fun to be had in the winter! In a short while, all those yummy gardening catalogs will bne available to drool over! I now get my catalogs on the internet, as it wastes less paper, but either in print or on line, there is so much to see! I'll be talking next motnh about winter projects for the garden and planning next year's garden.

Happy Gardening!

September:

Your garden is a treasure trove ! It has all kinds of wonderful gifts for you and it hasn't stopped giving yet. There is still another month of gardening time, if not more for most of us. The tomatoes are starting to turn from green to red, the peppers are growing and the squash and cucumbers are birthing new babies seemingly daily. I've discovered that a Food Saver, vacuum sealer makes "boil-in bags" and makes preserving the abundance of squash very easy. I find that I am running out of fresh dill with all the produce that is being pickled, but you can pick and pick again with Dill, not to mention green beans, squash, cucumber and many other veggies. If you are careful, you can certainly extend your harvest for a month longer than you might expect.

Early this spring, I purchased a couple of "garden blankets" that are poly fiber things I can reuse time and time again. They came to late to be of use this spring, but I plan to try them in the fall, when a light frost can sneak in and steal your garden from you before you are ready. Back in the "old days", I kept a variety of sheets and blankets out in the garden so I could throw them over the plants to keep them growing. If you try this, just make sure that you take them off during the heat of the day. It's been shown that you can snuggle your plants in for the night and have them keep growing even after a temperature drop to 30 deg..

In our house, we are making Dill Bean Pickles, Carrot Pickles, Cucumber Pickles (several kinds), and trying for the first time Pickled Hot Peppers. Of course, we have been able to keep up with the tomato harvest by eating them (fresh tomato sandwiches-YUM), but soon, thoughts will turn to preserving them for sauces and additions to soups for the winter. The blackberries are almost ready, so we will make jam, but I long for the amount of fruit that will let me make Fruit Leathers. I have heard that I can make Tomato Leather to snip and use in salads, soups, dips and many other things, so I think that will be on the list of things to do.

Don't forget that now is a great time to think of the holidays; many people would love to receive a jar of homemade pickles or jam as a gift. We also should never forget our neighbors and coworkers who don't have gardens and would gratefully take any of your veggies that you can't handle. I have also heard that food shelves would love to get your extras, so many of their recipients rely only on canned goods, that when there is fresh veggies donated, they are very welcome!

I had my first harvest from my garden just days before the First Harvest celebration, and I am looking forward to seeing if my last harvest lines up as well. I'm hosting an event for some friends that we are calling "The Harvest Gathering" and one of things we will be doing is making a "Stone Soup"...everyone brings some kind of produce to put in the pot, and it will be a wonderful example of just how easy it is to make a wonderful and nourishing meal from the "dregs" of your garden. Any veg will do, just pop it in the pot and cook it up; use either water or beef/chicken stock as the starting point. A delicious example of how to celebrate with friends, without it costing you a lot.

Since garden season is at it's winding down period, now is the time to start your preparations for next year. I know it sounds like more work, but it actually will result in less work. Keep removing those weeds, as you don't want them to set seeds and lay in your soil over winter. Start gathering leaves and lawn clipping for mulching, and compost the garden refuse and leftovers, so that you can add this to the garden in the spring. I will start working my soil as soon as I am done with a veg. The broccoli is done for me, so I have added some organic amendments and cleaned out any weeds. Instead of letting it sit, I will start dividing my herbs and put the babies in there to over winter. I will put the strawberry babies into the bean bed, and will save on bed for late season veggies, like spinach and lettuce. Next year, I will be planting more of the late season varieties, but this year, I make do with what I have. I'll take the time to weed between the beds and lay down a layer of wood chip mulch to keep the area neat. If you are a person who loves mulch, you can even compost under your mulch! Simply pull back the mulch and add your composting scraps, then return the mulch to the top...it will all decompose under the ,ulch over winter and amend your garden for the spring.

Until next month: keep your hands dirty!

Please note: I welcome any questions or correspondence. I'd love to hear how your garden has grown this year, and if there is anything you would like me to talk about in the column!

August:

It's the "Dog Days of Summer"...which in garden terms means harvesting and nurturing your plants through the hottest time of the year, as well as starting to preserve some of your harvest. This months column will focus on preserving what you harvest. By carefully preserving what you grow, you can still savor the taste of summer into the winter, relishing the fruits of your labor.

I use all methods of preserving; jams, pickling, freezing, canning and drying. When it comes to my herbs, I prefer to dry the herbs because of the space saving it offers. Many of the herbs I have are used for teas and fragrance, so drying is also practical. I like to use my food dehydrator for this, as I can do a lot in a short time. Food dehydrators are available at most Wal-Mart type stores and only cost about $25. A good investment for such a small price. If you don't have one, nor do you plan to get one, then hanging is a good option. To hang your herbs, gather a small bunch of the herb and use an elastic to secure them. Hang from a hook of a towel bar in a dry dark place (closet, attic etc). If your weather is too humid, you might find it takes longer to dry, the herbs may even get moldy in the middle, so keep checking. Many people like to put a paper bag over the bunch to catch leaves or seeds. This method also helps with finding a dark space! So far, our dehydrator has produced dried catnip, chamomile, mint, basil, and spinach.

The spinach will be used for making dips, and for adding to soups in the winter.

One thing I like to do with my cucumbers is to make refrigerator pickles. I simply take my cucumbers and onions and slice them up. I put them in a bowl of white vinegar in the fridge and add a sprig of dill. You can serve these right away, and keep adding cucumbers as time goes on. The vinegar and the cold takes care of any preserving issues, but I recomend changing the whole dish out every three or four weeks.

Got a bumper crop of berries and don't want to make jam? Berries are simple to freeze; just spread them out on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer until the next day. Then you can bag them in a freezer bag and scoop out your own fresh frozen berries all winter (no sugar needed!). I again put my food dehydrator to use with extra fruit by making my own fruit roll up, also known as fruit "leather". Take your extra berries and puree them in the blender or food processor, these you can leave as is, or strain to reduce the amount of seeds. Put a sheet of plastic wrap on the tray of your dehydrator and pour on the pureed fruit. Turn on the heat and let it dry to a leather like consistency. This can also be done in the over with wax paper using low heat (250 deg). Have fun with this and go on to make dried apples for snacking, dried cranberries or blueberries for muffins or granola.

This year, try making your own dried tomatoes for pesto or pasta dishes. Simply slice and dry in either the oven over low heat or in the dehydrator. Store in freezer bags or jars with a bit of oil and freeze for safety. Many of your local "pick your own" places are up and going now, and you can go pick your own produce if you don't grow enough on your own.

One last thought: it's NOT too late to throw in some seeds and plant a few things. Many gardeners rotate some crops during the year. I have finished with my spinach and will replant in September where I had my broccoli, but for now, I am sticking in some more beans where I had the spinach planted. There is plenty of time to keep growing!

Until next month,

Herbalpagan

July:

Solstice has come and gone, the days are at their longest and gardens a blooming. It's time to add a bit of fertilizer to the plants to sustain them through the summer. I take a little bit of Kelp meal and work it into the soil around the plants. It's easy to do while you are weeding. Weeding, another chore for the garden that everyone dreads, but if you have used a hand cultivator and worked your soil well, then any weeds that wander in will be easy to pull. Weeding is time for you to spend in your garden, getting to know your plants and soil, don't think of it as a hard chore!

This is the time when gardens are usually getting dryer due to the heat and the sun. Don't over water your garden, as it encourages your plants to have shallow roots. When the weather is hot and dry and you absolutely must water, do it first thing in the morning only. Watering in the heat of the day can scorch your plants, and as much of the water you put on evaporates, it's a terrible waste of water! If you water in the evening, it sits on the plants and can create mildew and encourage diseases. I have recycled large tin cans that I got from a school cafeteria to help with watering...take the large cans (#10, I believe) and punch holes in the bottom and up the side about an inch or two. Sink the can into the soil near your plants and fill with compost, then fill to the top with water. This will both feed the plants and water them slowly! Another trick to water that works well, especially for container plants, is to recycle a 2 liter soda bottle. Fill the bottle with and then put it in the soil with the opening down, the water will drip out as the soil needs it!

This hot weather will also have your lettuce and spinach bolting, also known as going to seed. This will make the leaves tougher and more bitter, so pull up any that are bolting and work the soil and plant something else in the spot. I will replant the spinach again in September. The lettuce, I will plant in a shadier spot and keep growing it a little at a time to keep us in salad through the summer.

Enjoy the fruits of your labor at this time, relax in a chair, meditate amongst the flowers and swing in a hammock while the butterflies visit!

June:

Many may already have their garden started, but it's never to late to start if you don't!

I was talking with a friend who wanted to garden, but didn't have the space and he asked what he could do...well, the obvious answer was to grow in pots! You can get planters in all different sizes at most garden centers. I get many of mine on sale at Michaels Craft stores. However, don't limit yourself to just pots! I had an old caned seat chair that had the webbing broken. I removed the rest of the caned stuff, and stapled a piece of window screening (the cloth kind) in the seat and put a fibre pot in it...filled it with soil and planted in it. It lasted for years and was quite the conversation piece! I have also planted in old boots, and recycled items. For a fun touch, plant oregano in a cut open large can used for olive oil or a giant can that held tomatoes. Remember to punch holes in the bottom for drainage and you can plant in practically anything!

With Summer Solstice coming up, a traditional meal would be your fresh garden peas and a salad you grew yourself...both these items are quick growers and can be planted in pots. But with peas, everyone thinks that you need to erect a big fence. I used sticks that were laced together casually and they worked fine, other times, I just let them grow without fencing, and had equally good results. I had an accident when I was planting my salad veg this year. I accidentally left my seed packets in a bucket and it rained. When I picked them up, all the seeds fell out into the bottom of the bucket together. I was very upset, but decided to make a "mystery salad" bed. I made a wide row, smoothed the soil and broadcast all the seeds together over the top and then sprinkled soil over the top. It will be a most interesting section of the garden, but it will be useful! Cutting spinach and lettuce together, while dodging the radishes and carrots will be fun.

Wide rows are another space saving measure...a plant can grow without the "row" spacing; just use the spacing between plants that has been recommended. Your wide row can be any width...mine are 4'. An added bonus is that once the plants are up, they tend to shade out any weeds, so they make gardening much less work. If you are going to plant in pots, the principle is the same, just scatter the seeds the recommended distance apart and let them grow!

Pots can also be moved about, and if you do a ritual for the sabbats that are "fair weather", then you can bring them to your alter and add that earth element in style! Another trick with pots is that they can be arranged into shapes...if you've always wanted an herbal pentacle, then you can do it with pots!

To keep your potted plants watered well, I recycle soda pop bottles. Simply fill with water, and turn them upside down and insert into the soil. You can get fancy inserts for the bottles, or just let it drip naturally.

Be creative and have fun, but most of all - GARDEN!

May:

It's SPRING! The time that all gardeners have waited for (some, not so patiently). This will be the first garden going in at our new place, but the procedure is still the same.

Since this is the first column, I'll start at the beginning and state that there is one thing that all gardeners do, and that is to grow organically! I didn't know the difference when I started growing gardens 25 years ago, so when I picked up a book by Robert Rodale, I was very surprised! Mr. Rodale asked a simple question: If you are going to take the time to grow food for your family so that they can be healthy, then why would you want to poison them in the process? It turns out that along with soil nutrients the plant takes in, they also take in any poisons and chemicals that you use on your garden and pass them on to you in the food you are eating. Well, didn't I feel foolish! I've never used chemicals on my gardens since. There really is no need to either. Healthy gardens are not prone to diseases or insect invasions in general. There are tons of natural means of feeding your plants and treating any random insect with out having to haul in the heavy chemicals. I'll address those more in future articles.

So, it's spring, but it's not planting out time yet for most. For me, here in the frozen tundra, there is still nasty white stuff on the ground. However, I have a nice garden already in the works. I started many of my plants in garden starts and have them under a light shelf that my husband made for me. You don't need a fancy lighting system, but you little plants will need light for a good share of the day and daily turning to make sure they grow straight and healthy. Seed starters are available from any home and garden store and the ones I use have a tray, individual peat disks and a clear cover over the tray. I add warm water to the tray with the discs and wait to watch them plump up. The next step is planting. Then we wait until the "babies" pop up and we take care of them till planting time. Starting your own seeds is much more economical than going to a greenhouse to pick up the plants. Plus you get to choose the varieties you want.

The best part of winter is the gardening catalogs. Most garden catalogs are now available on line, so you need never have a ton of paper delivered to you that you will then need to recycle. Go online to find a seed catalog that suits you. I try to also take a look at the latest issues of my favorite organic gardening magazines before ordering, to get the news on the latest and greatest of varieties. In some places, there are some great seed co-ops that you can take advantage of as well. One thing I have noticed is that more and more companies are listing their organic and non GMO seeds. GMO, is a term for seeds that are genetically altered (genetically mutated organism). Yes, there are genetically altered seeds out there! The idea originally was to help farmers by finding ways to make plants more resistant to diseases and that will grow bigger and produce more. But, honestly, I don't feel the need to have fish genes spliced into my tomatoes. It isn't natural nor is it necessary. So, when it comes to choosing your seeds, take the time to look at the sites available and make your lists. Most gardeners find that they choose way too much and have to cut their list way down. If you do this, congratulations! It's a time honored tradition.

One other thing that I have found helpful when getting ready for the garden season is to make a garden plan. A piece of paper with an outline of your garden plot and where you are going to put things is very helpful. Garden plots should get a minimum or 6 hours of sun daily, and it helps if your rows run north to south for the least shading.

As you envision your garden, envision one more important thing along with it....your compost bin. Composting is a means of taking your garden (and kitchen) waste and turning it into a dark nutrient rich amendment that will feed your plants for years in a healthy, organic way. Composting is easy, simple and since compost is known as "black gold", you can tell it is very valuable to gardens. I'll provide details about maintaining compost bins and the many ways to use compost in future articles.

Enjoy your garden dreams, find your seeds and get those hands dirty!