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What I’m Reading: Insects and Gardens
Read MoreWe do not see most of the interactions in our gardens: ladybugs and ants wage war, aphids give virgin births and wasps lay their eggs on the backs of caterpillars. When we see evidence of the little creatures carrying out these interactions, a chewed leaf or sickly plant, we are culturally trained to intervene. We bring […]
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What Are Garlic Scapes? Grow and Cook With This Garden Delicacy
Read MoreGarlic scapes are a rare delicacy. In spring they briefly appear at farmer’s markets then disappear. You may have come across them at the farmer’s market, wondered what they were, and moved on. Garlic scapes have the crisp crunchiness of green beans with a mild garlic flavor. The best way to acquire garlic scapes is […]
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Eat Your Flowers: 10 Easy to Grow Edible Flowers
Read MoreFlowers are not there for our enjoyment. Think of them as that lit up “liquor” sign down the street; bright, inviting, the promise of something good. But, this promise is for pollinators, not us. Interestingly, however, the colors, shapes and smells that bees find attractive are also appealing to us. And so we admire flowers but […]
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10 Children’s Gardening Books That Will Inspire a Love for the Garden
Read MoreChildren’s gardening books elegantly teach, entertain and inspire. I have learned more from the books below than from some of the lengthiest garden tomes. All of the children’s books listed here teach about gardening. But, they also teach about acceptance, social activism, persistence, urban renewal, family and pride. 1. The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss […]
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Garden Cocktails: The Bourbon Red
Read MoreMost beet cocktails (not that there are many) are vodka based. For me however, beets feel like fireplaces, oak, cigar smoke and old men in tweed. Therefore, I pair beets with bourbon for this beet cocktail. I don’t know if it will ever find its way into a hunting lodge but it is one of my […]
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The Tools of Permaculture: A Guide to Permaculture Techniques
Read MoreThis is the third part in my permaculture series. Check out Part I: The Permaculture Principles and Part II: A History of Permaculture and its Movers and Shakers. Permaculture is a thought process. There are many methods employed by permaculturist but these methods do not make the movement. My teacher, Larry Santoyo, likes to say that […]
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Saving Seeds in Thailand
Read MoreStreet Markets are a staple of Thailand. Walking through one is absorbing; mountains of dried chiles, fresh cut flowers swarming with bees, tropical fruits unfamiliar in the West, flopping catfish and neat rows of pig heads. Some of these markets only happen at night, some open at 5 in the morning and if you show […]
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What I’m Reading: The One-Straw Revolution
Read MoreYou will recognize the similarity in the name, The One-Straw Revolution, and the name of this website. While I take my name from Paul Cezanne’s quote this book has been an influence on my own thinking about nature and agriculture from an early age. Masanobu Fukuoka sees a revolution in one strand of straw just […]
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Garden Cocktails: Winter on the Southside
Read MoreThe Southside cocktail is a drink of legend. My favorite origin story goes like this: Prohibition era Chicago was a gangland split between the north and south end of town. The gangs in the north cornered the liquor market and imported quality spirits from Canada. Gangs in the south, notably Al Capone, relied on spirits made in […]
