Clearing Out My Allotment

I took some time and cleared out my allotment a few weeks ago.  Pulling potatoes is the most theraputic!  I also think it would be the greatest for kids to help with–digging holes and planting seed potatoes in the spring and summer, constantly piling up soil around the potatoes during the year, and digging them up when they're ready!  What fun! I also cut some of the proliferating calendula blooms for tea as well as a few pattypan squash

 As I was clearing out my plot I pulled some dandelion root to dry for tea, as well as some more plantain spears to dry for grain.

Lastly I found some mint roots hiding out underground, which I pulled and will plant under my tree to add to my mint/lemon balm/peppermint forest :)

Building Up a Food Pantry, Bit by Bit

I love this sight..  New jars of saved dill seed, calendula petals, borage flowers and leaves, radish seeds, and mint... I have a shelf in my bedroom growing and making me feel somehow safe.... Somehow right.... Fascinating

A Beautiful Day

I spent the day today planting a bunch more of my garden–so revitalizing!

I planted a few herb seedlings: basil, rosemary, and lemon thyme (soooooo tasty!)

I also planted a bunch from seed: calendula, korean mint, callaloo, more radishes, a few mammoth sunflowers, basil, feverfew and sorrel, more spinach, more kale, more swiss chard, and more romaine lettuce. Phew!












The day was beautiful, the sun was shining, and I had 3 friends helping me–it worked out so that as one friend left, the next came!  I shared a meal with each one and we planted and dug together!  I'm realizing how tied together community, food growing, bartering, and questioning our current economic model are...  Work doesn't seem like work when I'm with friends, things go faster, and there is something so soul nourishing about being helped and helping in return at another time. The knowledge that we can give when we have the capacity and will be supported in times of need. What a beautiful day it was indeed!