Categories
Earth Green Lifestyle

The Garden Club

So we are a month into our first big garden! I recently put an all call out for those interested to share in the gardening and the harvest! There are usually 5 of us in our club.

We have tilled, fertilized, and planted onions, cabbage, brussel sprouts, peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, potatoes, squash, kale, and beets so far in the vegetable side.

There is also a spiral herb garden that has a variety of mint, catnip, motherwort, Mugwart, stinging nettle, echinacea, yarrow, anise hyssop, feverfew, fennel, blue anise, evening primrose, sage, Mullen, self heal, and horehound.

So far things are going well. I have been watering at night, but I think they need more water so I am going to look into an irrigation system.

Tending the Garden

Some of the plants are a little sad, and I wonder if its the fertilizer, sun or water? There are some gardens that have covers over the plants, so I am going to try that. The sun is really hot and full on them during the day.

While I am out there in the dirt I can feel the plants… when they are too hot from the sun I feel for them, when they need more water I can feel their thirst.

It made me sad when I woke up to see a few of my plants looking so sad. To think that I did not take enough time to listen to their needs. Feeling sad for them made me think about my actions and how I could take care of them better. I want the garden to thrive so badly, perhaps I am just learning patience again. Patience and listening.

Categories
Earth Green Lifestyle Revealing Treasures in your Own Backyard

Horn Farm Center

Saturday, May 1st was the annual Horn Farm Center plant sale.

The Horn Farm Center

The Horn Farm Center is a conservation success story. Born out of the effort to save the farm from industrial development in 2000, the Horn Farm Center for Agricultural Education was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation in 2004. The Horn Farm was saved by a community of passionate people, who understood that our natural spaces and cultural practices of stewarding and cultivating the land are sacred and need to be preserved. 

The plant sale was fantastic! There were so many varieties of plants, fruits, veggies and herbs! I was able to purchase a bunch of things for our garden, and at the same time give back to the community. All proceeds support local, regenerative farming practices and education at the Horn Farm Center.

I was so inspired by the mission and goals of the Horn Farm Center. Currently I am working on starting our own community garden, so seeing how they do things was very helpful!

If you live in York, you should totally check them out! They have a schedule of amazing events, classes and workshops here!

Categories
Existence Revealing Treasures in your Own Backyard Southern York

Revealing Treasures in Your own Backyard!

Hiking excursions, painting parties and cooking oh my! Its been such an adventurous summer so far!

I’ve been spending some time researching and identifying local medicinal plants.  Such as sassafras.

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Sassafras7.jpg
Sassafras7” by Original uploader was Wowbobwow12 at en.wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons using CommonsHelper.. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

“#sassafras (sassafras albidum) is a #magical #herb with #antiviral #antibacterial and #antiinflammatory effects, as well as being #antispirochete. This plant has a long traditional use in treating #siphilis which is a #spirochete disease, with the same bacterial structure as #Lyme disease. As a result of that understanding, many herbalist including myself, are exploring this plant in herbal protocols against Lyme. This plant is also the original ingredient in #rootbeer which was actually a #medicinal ferment, far from the toxicity of #soda; in fact, deeply medicinal. The root tastes like root #beer and makes a beautiful tea with #maple syrup added in. The leaves are also what gives gumbo it’s unique #flavor and mucilaginous texture which is also healing to the gut. The leaves dried and powdered is known as #filè powder. As with all plans it is important to consider the importance of regeneration of ecosystems to save the biodiversity of these and other medicines that are right under our #feet. It may have taken 30,000 years or more for the ecosystem to even harbor the ability of these #trees existence, yet it could take an afternoon with a chainsaw to wipe them out entirely. Always consider your place in the #ecosystem how to harvest regeneratively.” Credit to Return To Nature

So I am on the hunt for some sassafras! I will be documenting my explorations and findings!!