Mar21
I have long been a proponent of saving and exchanging seeds and small regional seed companies, but recently I was shocked by two news stories in the world of commercial seeds. The first was the purchase of two of the largest seed suppliers in the country by Monsanto: Seminis, purchased in 2005, controlled 40% of the U.S. seed market at the time, and De Ruiter Seeds Group BV, a large Dutch vegetable seed breeder in 2008. This feels pretty ominous to me, that Monsanto, with their “copyright everything that exists” policy, should have such a large control over our seeds.
The second piece of news, which was more recent, was the discovery of a newly discovered pathogen that exists in much higher concentration in Roundup Ready soybeans and corn that may be responsible for “significant harm” to both plants and animals. continue reading »
Mar15
Another Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day rolls around and, once again, I am caught napping, so I’m going to post mostly just photos for March. It’s exciting to see the ground waking up elsewhere around the country, and bulbs start to poke out of the ground.
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Mar4
This is a characteristically late response to the Urban Homesteaders brouhaha. I was outside transplanting some seedlings, and I wanted to write about the plants but I just couldn’t let this go. I had to stake my claim to the right to use a term I’ve been using for over 20 years.
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Mar1
Here’s a little healthy but decadent thing I threw together last night. Barley is a great warming comfort food for those chilly spring evenings.
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Feb15
What the heck! I was expecting Garden Bloom Day to come tomorrow, but it looks like it’s on the 15th this month. So here’s just a quick look at what’s blooming in my garden this February. continue reading »
Feb9
When I was young, living in New York, my mom would always bring home daffodils for our birthdays. My sister and my birthdays are one week apart, in late March, around what we used to call “the first day of spring.” This year, in San Francisco, spring is busting out early all over the city.
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Jan31
With apologies to those still buried in snow, I want to celebrate our bounty of spring greens, both wild and cultivated. California’s flora, which turns tan for much of the year, is a beautiful shade of green right now. Here it’s the time for spring tonics and harnessing the wealth of nutrients that come with that first flush of green. continue reading »
Jan16
A series of winter storms has left us with complete and utter chaos in the garden. It is almost unrecognizable. I feel raw, exposed, and more than a little overwhelmed by the tasks ahead. continue reading »
Dec23
I was lucky enough to spend winter solstice away from the computer, phone, anything with a screen. It was a much-welcomed time out from the pre-holiday frenzy that makes up this time of year. continue reading »
Dec17
Here’s my monthly effort for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, brought to you by May Dreams Gardens. Just got back inside with the camera, going to add my post to the plethora that’s already there.
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