The Burning Question

By Jami Scholl | February 6, 2012 | 3:54 pm | Comments (2) | Share

Scene from a Summer Day

“Your Day, kissing, next success, friendships, nervous system, money-making… How do you want it all to feel?”

This is the inaugural question of The Burning Question Series from Danielle LaPorte. As many of you know, Danielle’s ebook White Hot Truth made quite an impression on me summer of 2010, and I was delighted to meet her in person (and give her some home grown and canned blackberry jam) at the World Domination Summit last June.

Danielle has a special gift for getting to the heart of the issue. And I don’t mean that she just zeroes in on an answer. She wants you to define for yourself how you want to feel, and then to work towards a solution with tangible real-life action steps. It all begins with your heart.

Gardens are many times very heart centered places, although there seem to be two concepts of gardens: one that is utilitarian growing food and another that is a space of meditation and rejuvenation of the spirit. I truly believe that productive gardens need not be either one or another, but can fulfill both of these needs. Relating this to Danielle’s question, gardeners can also ask: how do I want to feel when I am in my garden?

It is this question that will influence the design, the selection of plants, and their placement. This is a question only you can answer. And I can guarantee that it will stop your thinking, bringing your heart closer to the surface. There may even be a few tears.

Since Danielle has had such a positive influence for so many, including myself, I thought I would share my answer to this question and plug you all into her awesomeness through the link on the side of the page.

As for me, I want… my day, kissing, my next success and friendships, my nervous system and money-making to feel… like a warm 80 degree Indiana day where sunlight is dappled through smiling maple trees, gentle breezes blow grasses making waves of gold while kissing my skin. I close my eyes, become dispersed into all the sunlit beauty of wildflowers, of music and sky, of drops of rain and smiles and laughter, of forest floor and the smell of pine resin, of silence while the wind and warm rays of sun hug every cell in my body, effortlessly. I am home.

Categories: Garden the City 2012,Gardens,Homesteading,Permaculture,Plants,spirituality,Uncategorized,Urban Agriculture | Tags: Danielle LaPorte

Seed Catalogues

By Jami Scholl | January 6, 2012 | 2:25 pm | Comments (0) | Share

Garden Planning in Paris!

Greetings my friends;

This is a reminder that now is the time to start not only the garden planning process, but the seed selection process! There is no better way to do this than to support genetic diversity of our seed supply, support local and regional businesses and to establish a relationship with those with knowledge and a supply of what will grow best where you live. A few of my national favorites include Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Seed Saver Exchange, and Territorial Seed Company, all of which are national.

I do have local favorite seed and nursery companies as well: Natures Crossroads, Brambleberry Farm and The Chile Woman. I am sure you will find wonderful local options. Vote with you dollars, vote local!

And because I have been struggling with winter illnesses and don’t have the non-sleepy strength to pull all this together for seed companies, I am going to link you up to my good friends, teachers and colleagues at the Permaculture Activist. Keith keeps this listing as up-to-date as possible, having local options grouped by state. If you have suggestions which are not on this list, please let us all know through the comment section below this post.

Click here for a listing of catalogues by country and state or province.

While you are beginning the planning process, don’t forget to check out “The Shop” for a Gardeners Planting Calendar and A Gardeners Guide to the Productive Potager: A Collection of Essential Charts.

For “newbie” friends, here is an article I wrote in 2010 for Natures Crossroads blog. Oh, but before I sign off, I want to let you know that you are not alone! I am available for consulting via phone or onsite (if you live near Bloomington). Think that option may be too expensive or that you don’t want to “go it alone”? Completely understandable. I have given many presentations and classes which cuts the per person cost down considerably and brings together a group of like minded souls for garden buddies. And now, time for a cup of tea, and a comfy chair!

“Planning Your Garden”

By Jami Scholl

November 1^st, 2010

January was the time that all those requests for seed catalogues made back in November and December would fill my mailbox. Many great pleasurable evenings were stacked one on top the other as I read each plant description in each and every catalogue. My eyes scanned the pages, filled with photos of possibility of this food and that. I learned that one variety of carrot could have a much shorter growing season than another. Different varieties also had different harvest times; the shapes ranged from almost completely round like a large orange marble to short with a stubby end to long with pointed end. Colours of carrots in the photos ranged from pale yellow to bright orange to purple. (Imagine that, a purple carrot!) Shorter stubby carrots, such as the round Parmex, are not only fashionable, but will grow in heavier soils. The shorter varieties need less time to grow to maturity, too!

Reading carrot entry after carrot entry I also learned that some carrots contain more of certain nutrients than do other carrots. Some store better. Some are better for juicing. This is not something learned while standing in front of the vegetable case at the supermarket looking at the two or three choices of carrots…all orange. The choice became short or long, both packaged in plastic bags. Sometimes there was a lucky third choice – carrots held in a rubber-banded bunch of about 6; limp leafy green tops verified that they were actually plants and not manufactured to look that way.  Really now, who wants a bendable carrot that acts as if it were silicone baking forms? Not me! I’d prefer the crunchy nutrition rich orange, purple, yellow, round, stubby pointy ones that have flavour. So what to do now?

Plan.

Sounds simple. But where to start?

The best way to begin planning a garden is by answering these questions:

1)What do you like to eat? (Prioritize what you eat the most of.)

2) How much growing space do you have?

3) Is this just for fresh eating or preservation?

4) Do you want to harvest through as much of the year as possible?

5) Do you have sun or is the available space shady?

6) What are your temperatures?

7) In what condition is your soil?

I’ll use an example of a small space since this is the best place to begin learning about gardening. And perhaps this space has an area of 10 feet by 5 feet? Do you have enough sun and the right temperatures to grow what you’d like to eat fresh? Some things are not meant to grow in small spaces, such as corn. Care should be taken in selecting favourites for the amount of space the plant requires. I find graph paper helpful in laying out the details of my garden, no matter the size. With list of veggies and measured out space I do a little research – I need to know how much space each plant requires, and the number of days to harvest. If you really want to be detailed, you can make both an overhead view as well as one that illustrates height.

On the back of seed packets, books about vegetable gardening and online resources can inform you about how much space is required between plants and rows. I personally plant in blocks; in this way I utilize the spacing between plants which allows for more to be planted in a smaller area. Jon Jeavons has a wonderful diagram and explanation in his books talking about bio-intensive growing. Bio is in reference to biodynamic growing developed by Rudolf Steiner. Intensive growing was used in Parisian market gardens at the turn of the 19th century, when small farms of only a few acres size fed the city of Paris beautifully and efficiently.

Some things, such as lettuces and spinach, can be planted in early spring as they thrive in cooler weather. After the last spring frost, less hardy plants can be added, such as tomatoes and basil. Spinach and lettuce will bolt (go to seed) as the weather heats up, so these can be pulled out, placed in the compost, and another plant sowed in its place, such as beans. Once the beans are harvested, then carrots, onion, cold hardy lettuce or spinach can be planted. Replacing one type of plant with another through the growing season is known as succession planting.

Knowing harvest times of each plant allows for keeping a garden producing for much of the year. I have developed a Gardener’s Planting Calendar which makes succession planting much easier, as all that would need to be done is assess the size of available growing space, then look on the calendar for what can be planted for that particular month. I am working now to create versions of the 2011 calendar to be used in climate zones 5, 6, and 7. They will be available no later than February for March planting. A unique feature is that the year will begin March 2011, and go to February 2012 in order to coincide when most folks begin the growing season.

Something I have experimented with is planting later in the season and harvesting later… if the ground is kept from freezing then carrots can be harvested in January. Straw has wonderful insulative properties which can prolong root vegetables life in the soil – cold temperatures sweeten the carrot for a taste children enjoy!  Spinach planted in fall, if protected, can grow very, very slowly through the winter, and then will have a head start for early spring harvest.

Starting in a small space is beneficial to the new gardener, as knowledge and experience can be built upon year after year. Planning the garden is also about planning how much you have time to learn each year, each season, when “mistakes” are lessons learned. Garden planning is a process, a journey into a wealth of knowledge which can combine the intellect with hands-on experience that touches elemental emotions ranging from hopefulness to frustration to joy. To begin with a large space without background knowledge may become an overwhelming experience wrought with frustration and disappointment. It is at this point that gardening becomes a chore rather than a joy. And it is during these moments that those silicone plastic carrots begin to look tempting!

November is a good time to explore and prepare. If you will not be building raised beds or already have a garden, then a soil test is useful at this time of year. Think about what you need in regard to tools, and reference books. Perhaps explore garden classes and organized groups during the winter months. Make a list of all the things you eat each week in order to have the information you need to create a seed or plant list. November is a wonderful time to dream of the good food that can be grown in your own garden. Bon Appetit!

Categories: Uncategorized

Introducing the Garden Guide to the Productive Potager!

By Jami Scholl | December 24, 2011 | 10:01 am | Comments (0) | Share

Happy Holidays!

Just in time for Christmas Eve and last minute gifting for the gardener is the Garden Guide to the Productive Potager: A Collection of Essential Charts. With beautiful photos, short concise explanations and charts… lots of charts! Succession planting, container growing, planting amounts per person for fresh eating and for storage, slug proof plants, crop rotation and much more is in this downloadable 20 page book!

Also new for My Edible Eden is offering packaged deals or bundles! Now you can purchase the Garden Guide to the Productive Potager: A Collection of Essential Charts along with a Planting Calendar specifically for your climate zone. With the purchase of a Garden Guide bundle the planting calendar is half off! This is a very affordable deal costing less than $2.00 every month. This package will help you get a jump start to a healthful productive garden!

Wishing you the best during this holiday season!

jami

Categories: Uncategorized

It’s NOT too Late!

By Jami Scholl | September 30, 2011 | 1:23 pm | Comments (0) | Share

It’s a grey blustery day outside letting us here in the Midwest know that autumn is here. Although spring has past and summer leaves are waving sunset goodbyes, there are still things that you can plant in the garden, and here they are:

Beets

Corn salad

Leaf lettuce

Radish

Spinach

Turnips

Garlic

This weekend will be the last few days that you may be successful in planting beets, lettuce, radish and spinach so best to get them in quickly!

In regard to harvest, remember that even if your peas are not yet producing pods, the leaves and stems make a lovely addition to salads, and root veggies can be stored in placed for most of the winter with a good covering of straw.

Be sure to look for Garden the City 2012 (GtC2012) updates and happenings around Bloomington. I am very excited to take My Edible Eden into uncharted territory by including a yearly community sponsored food security/gardening project beginning with GtC2012. There will be opportunities for you to be involved in this project, so keep an eye out for updates, and Happy Gardening!

Smiles,

jami

Categories: Uncategorized

Failure: Un-dressed, Ad-dressed

By Jami Scholl | August 9, 2011 | 4:13 pm | Comments (3) | Share

In my last blog post I listed a number of quotes from Thomas Edison addressing failure.  I want to delve into this topic a bit further by undressing each quotation, giving you my interpretation.

“I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.”

This speaks to attempts – perfectionism, perhaps. If we assess Thomas Edison as if he was in a typical American classroom (note: school funding is dependent upon his immediate success/No Child Left Behind funding) he would have flunked many times over. Our society conditions kids to believe that to fail is bad. To get a wrong answer is bad, and that often it is indicative of self-worth. In a kids mind it would work something like this:

bad grade = bad me = I cannot do anything right = I am worthless.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

This quotation certainly is in line with the earlier quote, but shows point of view defines what failure is and is not. Each attempt was not a failure. Each attempt gave a solution that eliminated possibilities, and which therefore made clearer what a solution would be. This is also an example that there is no predetermined outcome where the teacher has the one right answer. Edison defined his goal and worked methodically to achieve it. He persevered and believed in his dream. He believed in himself and his abilities, learning at each step of the process. Here is a link to a TED talk by Tim Harford which explains when trial and error is the only way to find a solution: http://www.ted.com/talks/tim_harford.html

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

What is the difference between work and play? It is those who pursue their passions then work in their areas of strength in an attitude of  play who are most likely to be successful. I believe work is only unpleasant when we do not believe in what we are doing. Does your job align with your personal moral code or ethics? Is your goal monetary wealth or to have fun making the world a better place in some way? For those folks who can earn a livelihood and “work” or play in a field of interest are likely the most successful and happy people to meet for they have a dream that extends beyond the self.

“Many of life’s failures are men (individuals) who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

In this quotation I broaden it with the term “individuals” in order to include all of our population. In this quotation Edison is stating that a failure is not an attempt for a specified outcome, but people. He states that a Failure is a person who does not recognize how close they were to succeeding in their particular passion and then gave up their dream – they failed. This relates directly to self-worth. This is how most of our children are taught – if something does not work the first time, or perhaps a second time, then they fail. It also teaches that there is someone else defining the “problem” to be solved (aka defining a Goal) and that one person has THE answer, thus giving power of solution to another, abdicating personal responsibility.

I believe we should be defining our goals (not problems) in terms of the greater good, utilizing our unique strengths as gifts, and seeing each attempt as a solution to reaching a self-defined goal. There are many ways to experiment outside of a classroom. Gardening or farming are two ways of many solutions which require innovative thinking.

I once read that a child raised on a farm is one of the most creative individuals there is. Why? They encounter real life situations with natural parameters almost daily. A problem presents itself, a goal is defined. Solution after solution is attempted until one actually works. Motivation? Food, water, shelter – basic needs. If a raccoon gets into the henhouse, then a solution needs to be found that fits the budget as well as supplies which are on hand… or else no eggs, no meats, and no flock for the following year. With no flock there will be a need for more financial and time investment (chicks need to grow to a certain age before laying begins). Whether the flock is for a family’s sustenance, for sale or are pets (and many times it was all three), there is a real loss. A lingering loss.

There are many reasons I’ve a passion for gardens and farms, one of them is that I want my children to learn how to fail, which is really learning how to learn and succeed. They will learn how to define an objective, work toward a goal within real life constraints, learn to make decisions, be able to understand how ecosystems work, know something about self-reliance and the joys of giving. Learning happens all the time.

The photo above illustrates one of my recent life lessons through failure; what have been your best failures?

Categories: Food Traditions,Gardens,Homesteading,Permaculture,Uncategorized,Urban Agriculture | Tags: Education, Empowerment, Gardens, Permaculture, Urban Agriculture

The Golden Triangle Point One: Climate Change

By Jami Scholl | June 29, 2011 | 8:05 pm | Comments (0) | Share

This was a fairly commonplace sight - I began to wonder if Bloomington would be running short of orange cones and yellow caution tape.

It is Sunday. Dusk is falling as grey drizzle. A fly has found its way into the house and is now crawling across the window screen. As I take a bite of cold pizza I wonder if people really want to know truth. Sometimes I think folks mostly do have open minds, but then there are times like I am feeling now where I do not think people care to embrace the negative as well as the positive. Whether it is the choice to see an entire person which includes a side of the personality that is light as well as that which is dark, or if it is in regard to portions of the Golden Triangle such as peak oil, economic collapse or climate change. Faces become stone and heads turn away before feet carry them in the opposite direction.

On June 21st National Public Radio gave this report on Morning Edition (it can be read or listened to):

http://www.npr.org/2011/06/21/137309964/climate-change-public-skeptical-scientists-sure

Fourth Street after what was first termed "straight line winds," but in my mind was very evident of a tornado. It could quite easily be tracked through the wake of destruction from western Monroe County to approximately five blocks south of the courthouse, through campus and headed northeast.

A few weeks ago I had a book recalled from my local university library, the fourth edition of Global Warming: The Complete Briefing, a textbook by John Houghton. The first edition of this book was printed in 1994, this latest edition in 2009 and is dedicated to his grandchildren and their generation where each grandchild is listed by name. My friend Ed, an entomologist and organic farmer, recommended I read this book a few years ago. This past winter I again became interested in reading this latest edition spurred by the deep gut feeling that lingered after the cold bit into my plans to finish a client’s patio, completion delayed by the extremely lengthy drought south-central Indiana experienced.

I donned my alter persona, Indiana Jami in my own internal theatre production of the Temple of Discovery, where I dive into the depths of research and the creation of questions in a quest for knowledge and truth about climate change and edible plants. I was armed with a few key questions in hopes to determine what plants were growing at times of transition between glacial and interglacial periods, hoping this would inform me in regard to what would be the most adaptive food sources in my geographic area as the climate changed, whichever way it swung. What follows is a table which I think a good quick look at what it appears we are currently experiencing, and what is predicted.

Below is the table I have recreated from Global Warming: The Complete Briefing (page 230) as best I could to fit in the allotted space. I am not a technology wizard, so bear with me on this point. In this overview are predictions in regard to climate change.

I ask you, how many of these events listed in the table are currently happening or have happened in the continental United States in the past 3 months?

As the NPR article states, this is not an issue that is contested in other countries. Why is it contested here in the US?!?

Businessman with briefcase staring at the downed 150+ year old tree in Seminary Park in Bloomington.

The table, above, gives an indication of what issues we are facing and where these may likely occur. As I read this table what I deduce is that water storage will be important. There will be more water in the ocean than is there currently, which will affect how much we have for drinking, bathing, irrigation, manufacturing, etc. as water is a limited supply worldwide. There will likely continue to be a build up of contaminated water, which means even less to drink. And finally, with heat increasing, the need for more fluids also increases. Droughts will occur in summer as temperatures increase, with winters being wetter. In regard to food, it needs water, too, especially during the times of drought. Food prices go up as fuel prices increase, and with the contamination to our food supplies, which keep occurring, it makes sense to grow our own and to buy local. It appears that water storage is critical.

In the “very likely” column, it also appears that there will be more insect problems due to warmer temperatures not keeping these populations in check through a certain number of freeze days. And it also means that insects that would not normally be living with us will be migrating, to us. Oh, and some fruits that we now grow and produce in abundance, we will no longer be able to. Such as tree fruits which need a certain number of freeze days necessary for production, yet other fruits may adapt and thrive with the changes as long as they can tolerate how the “rainy season” and “dry season” works with the soil so as to not develop root rot or diseases from stress. As I go through these columns and move into the “very likely,” I notice that some of these things are already happening. How far along are we in all of this?

One of the things I have been doing to prepare is to plant perennial fruits and grow my vegetables in raised beds. Perennial fruits will become more expensive as transportation costs increase, and in regard to vegetables, I can plant much earlier than farmers as I do not need to worry so much about waterlogged soil, and with living in an urban environment my micro-climate is warmer. (In future posts I will address issues in regard to growing and preservation as I have thus far. If you have ANYTHING to add to the discussion, please do so as we will all benefit from your knowledge!) For crops such as wheat, large areas outside of town make the most sense as locations for growing. As most of the population also eats meat products, this should also be something to plan for with smaller animals to be allowed for city and peri-urban areas and all sizes of animals for rural areas.

If you have access to purchasing or checking this book out of a library, I highly recommend you do so in order to have an opinion that is not coloured and conflicted by politics or advertising here in the United States. The conflicts that are heard in U.S. media IS NOT representative of the opinions of scientists or individuals from around the world.  I am working on adding this book in my recommended reads in the amazon.com box to the right of the page, as for now you may click on the image to order new or used versions. I will be continually adding books that I have read and think will be helpful for you, and this is one of those books to buy, read understand and pass around.

The reason I am writing this blog, recommending books and providing hands on information is so that we can prepare ourselves, our families and our communities for these changes that are already happening around us. Am I prepared? Goodness, no. My home is a far cry from being in a state of preparation, which worries me. Although one benefit of living in community is that we can call on one another for specific skills for which we are most talented and gifted. It is with my talent and gift of writing and research that I hope to be of service to you through this blog. We all have a purpose or calling in life, and this is what I feel mine to be. It is my hope that you, too, share your gifts to the world, because as you can see, you are needed!

Categories: Community Food Security,Gardens,Permaculture,Plants,the golden triangle,Uncategorized,Urban Agriculture,Wild Edibles | Tags: Climate Change, Food Preservation, Food Security, Gardens, Golden Triangle, Permaculture, Urban Agriculture

The Golden Triangle

By Jami Scholl | June 14, 2011 | 4:46 am | Comments (0) | Share

Jami at APA Conference

After I completed a presentation for the State Master Gardener Conference in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, on Saturday, I sat down next to Ricky, the director of the conference, and asked for feedback. I received it later that day when he told me I needed to be myself. What? I was myself, and I felt that I was my BEST self for the day I was there. He went on to say that I will be famous one day and that I should think about how the keynote speaker, Mark “Coach” Smallwood, the new Executive Director of the Rodale Institute, gave his presentation.

After returning home with bone weary tiredness I yet again watched Brene Brown’s TEDx talk about the Power of Vulnerability. I critiqued myself as much as I could without a video of myself… and I thought about how typical Permaculture talks and classes proceed – heavily academic, speaking more to the mind than the heart. Permaculture, as with many other things in life, analyze, quantify, in order to be understood, but this is not the way to touch people. In another TEDx talk by Simon Sinek about how great leaders inspire action, he says that people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. This is great reinforcement to Chris Guillebeau’s download “279 Days to Overnight Success” which states that you must tell people WHY you are doing what you are doing, and to continue to tell your readership why.

This is the reason why I do what I do:

We need to prepare for the Golden Triangle of Unstable Economy, Peak Oil and Global Warming. According to my own personal ethics I have a responsibility to help you prepare for these changes. Through many culminating experiences and tools that I have honed I can assist you in the preparation for a more food secure future, which includes growing food from soil to table, care and butchering of poultry, working with others to change urban agriculture laws, working with neighbourhood covenants and restrictions, all with the lens of generations of gardeners and truck farmers in my family and with the tools of Permaculture.

Based upon my research (and built upon the shoulders of others) we have a great challenge to meet environmentally, physically, economically and psychologically. This video will give you an overview of the connections we need to have of the bigger picture to prepare our families and communities: http://www.grist.org/climate-change/2011-06-11-the-most-powerful-climate-video-youll-see-a

Why a Triangle? These three issues form a triangle much like the Bermuda Triangle – Scary. Uncertain.

Garden before leaving for WDS.

Why Golden? These points also create a frame from which great things can happen. “The problem is the solution” is a Permaculture mantra and can be illustrated by this film, The Five Obstructions by Lars von Trier:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYrNwO7-AVI

So back to the question of how to be myself when I present. Tell my story, with facts and information that can inspire and empower each individual who takes the time to listen and understand. From my own experience with depression and the feelings of hopelessness in the face of such a large challenge, I have learned that solutions exist, and some of this is about acceptance and adaption to these changes which are already occurring.

The Golden Triangle is about acceptance that the future is not what we had assumed it would be, adaption in the face of uncertainty, about preparation to be food and water secure. I can help you. I call it Foodscaping.

Consider joining my eMail list where you will receive updates when a new post is uploaded. I do not share or sell your information. If you find that what I am writing is not to your liking, I hope you find other sites which are a better fit, and I will not be offended when you unsubscribe.

Categories: metaphor,Permaculture,Uncategorized,Urban Agriculture | Tags: Climate Change, Food Security, Gardens, Golden Triangle, Peak Oil, Urban Agriculture

Garden Hugs

By Jami Scholl | June 8, 2011 | 4:10 am | Comment (1) | Share

Photos by Armasa Studios

I am sitting in the Minneapolis airport eating egg drop soup and an eggroll staring out the western window watching planes arrive and depart, arrive and depart, again and again. The sun is warm and I remove my sweater, sleepily replaying scenes and feelings of the past weekend in Portland at the World Domination Summit (WDS). A feeling flows over me that I am not as grounded as I could be.

Although I came to WDS to meet up with others who are defining a life for themselves that is unconventional, creative, adventurous and meaningful and to personally meet Pamela Slim and Danielle Laporte to express my gratitude for the wisdom and guidance given in their books. I was in a continual state of delight, and although my complete loss of voice ended my conversation with Pam, I was always in high spirits for all of the wonderful people around me. (You may read about the weekend on Caleb Wojcik's blog: http://www.pocketchanged.com/2011/06/06/why-you-need-to-go-to-the-world-domination-summit-next-year/)

What I learned in Pamela Slims workshop was likely not what was intended. You see, if you talk to Pam she really listens, with her whole heart, being completely present. Before you go, she gives you a hug. She does this with everyone. She is a hugger, and a very good one. When she embraced me she was completely present giving all of her warmest wishes and a universal love through my skin and into my body. She did this with her eyes closed and a smile on her face, which I saw her do with the two people she spoke to before me, so I assume the same thing happened when she hugged me.

And since I write about gardens, how does this relate to those vegetables growing in the yard outside your door, or at your plot in a community garden? To garden is to grow love. Plants, and people, grow best when tended but not ignored to go weedy, or smothered in overindulgence. We may be guided as a tomato up a trellis, as fingertips break off shoots, being pruned to be strong, productive.  I like to think that I am an indeterminate variety of tomato, ever growing to the sun, pruned when needed to stay healthy and producing tasty, juicy, healthy fruit for those around me.

To hug the garden as Pam hugged me and a multitude of others is akin to being present in the garden, integrating into it, allowing for all the creatures around to be seen in the stillness. Sitting on the ground allows for a person to be grounded, literally. To garden naturally, organically is to be truly present while in the garden in order to see and feel what is needed as this is a small ecosystem which should be lived within rather than take dominion over. Subjugation is what large scale agriculture does by treating food not as a vehicle of love through nutrition and flavour, but through the commoditization of the unripe and the leaching from the soil proper bacterial and fungal life for the health of all in the system. Through the posts to my blog I hope to lead you towards an opportunity to acquire skills, information, emotional support, some laughs and a place to connect with others interested in leading a gardener’s life: a life of love and balance, a life of beauty.

Now that I have cleared my schedule to spend more time writing, I am putting myself on a schedule: approximately 2 posts per week, one of which will be as this one where the garden is teacher, healer, metaphor; the second post will be a day or two before the weekend with helpful garden information, foodscaping information, preservation and other such information to empower you. Sometimes I will include a third post as an alert to special circumstances or reminders, travel photos and reviews of gardens, interviews and guest posts. If you have suggestions for topics to include or garden or Permaculture questions you may email me, and I will consider them for a future post. The topic for Thursday: Mint-y!

Don't forget to sign up for email notifications!

Interested in signing up to attend WDS next year?

http://worlddominationsummit.com/register/#primary-content

Categories: Uncategorized

Izaak, The Master Gardener Fair & Urban Ag Ponderings

By Jami Scholl | May 4, 2011 | 10:14 pm | Comments (0) | Share

Guinea Hogs at Brambleberry Farm in Paoli

When it rains it pours! And there is little difference between H2O and computer problems, which is why I have not recently posted on my new fabulously user friendly blog. Have I mentioned that technology and I have an extreme love-hate relationship? This latest monsoon of tech issues reminds me of one topic I want to discuss with you about water, but I will save it for another most. What I will do is update you on the Master Gardener Fair at the National Guard Armory a few weekends ago.

During this wonderful day I talked to a lot of people about gardens and Permaculture… I had some index cards and pen sitting in front of a chalk board on my table asking folks to share their thoughts, dreams, trials and, triumphs about gardens or experiences with food on these cards which I promised to share on my blog.

Continue reading »

Categories: Uncategorized

Master Gardener Fair: THIS SATURDAY!

By Jami Scholl | April 20, 2011 | 2:23 am | Comment (1) | Share

Integrated Kehole Garden

Greetings my wonderful garden enthusiasts!

This spring has been a very busy time both out in the garden as I begin planting a forest garden on my new property outside of town, as well as presenting at various conferences and events. At the moment I am in between having finished one presentation and preparing for another.

This past Friday I co-presented on the topic of Urban Agriculture with John Galuska at the American Planning Association annual conference. Unbeknownst to John and myself until 4 days before the presentation, we would share our time slot with a rural farmer… who, as we learned during his portion of time, uses some amazing technology on his tractor. GPS tracking and many other techno-gadgets. I did love how he stressed care of the soil. I did not love his opinion of CAFO’s (confined animal operations).

Dave Rollo, City Council Member extraordinare, presented after lunch, and after the agricultural portion of the day. In retrospect this seems unfortunate with Dave’s wonderful presentation about peak oil, and how edible landscaping, gardens and farming are a very important part of the preparation for life once our limited supply of oil is used to the point that it is not longer cost effective to extract and refine it.

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