Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Winter Solstice 2011

Tomorrow night we will celebrate the winter solstice, along with everyone to the east of us, those to the west will have to wait for the 23rd December. The shortest day, then we will slowly enjoy more daylight as we move through winter. To me it is like asking if your glass is half empty or half full, tomorrow indicates the first day of winter or the point that daylight returns. My answer is half full and longer days are coming, so that must make me a positive thinker!

One of the most thrilling moments for me was watching the sun set at Stonehenge in England. During the winter solstice it sets between 2 upright and one horizontal stone. I only saw it once in that particular place but the sight has stayed with me. When I was young it was still possible to walk amongst the stones and touch them but since the late 1970's they have been cordoned off. Built almost 5000 years ago, Stonehenge builders showed understanding of some sophisticated mathematics but the magic is its alignment with midsummer sunrise, midwinter sunset and the most southerly and northerly settings of the moon. The builders had no idea that in worlds yet to be discovered, the timing of the winter solstice would not coincide with the setting sun.

(winter solstice sunset at Stonehenge. Credit Wikimedia Commons)

It doesn't matter what your religious views or convictions may be, the winter solstice is a point of hope and excitement, a visceral reaction to the sun's movement and an acknowledgement that we are at the mercy something greater than ourselves for life here on earth. A moment to reflect and celebrate, whether you say "Merry Christmas", "Happy Channuka" or "Happy Holiday" the solstice affects us all.

We wish each of you a safe journey, a happy time with friends and family and a wonderful 2012.

Edith & Anita.



Friday, December 16, 2011

Seed Catalogue Season!

If the thought of seed catalogues arriving in the mail doesn't make you smile and think of hours of enjoyable planning then you probably don't have a vegetable garden. Even if you have arrived at that lofty status of self sufficiency with heirloom seeds, you probably still enjoy seed catalogues. There are many different kinds, specialist catalogues catering to the many types of gardeners but, these days, the catalogue stops most gardeners from one stop shopping, each one offers something we can't possibly live without. Some are works of art, beautiful photographs of desirable vegetables and fruits trying to convince us that we can grow anything with 'their' seeds.

The catalogues that appeal to us are the ones that include gardening folklore, gardening trivia and short articles covering a variety of 'how-to' subjects. Catalogues also have to meet the networking requirements and standards of our fellow gardeners. Word soon gets round if a company lacks customer service or doesn't live up to the promises of their advertising. Of course you could just browse the internet, download the information, make your choices and order online, I'm sure many people do. We are of the generation that believe half the fun is sitting down with a cup of tea, using a pencil in the margin, making lists of what we will need in the coming year and finally coming to decisions in the New Year. We are not so old as to ignore the ease of online ordering once all the decisions have been made.

There is a common theme to the catalogues we have requested, their companies have all signed the safe seed pledge. Ironically it wasn't one of the pre-requisites for us initially, we just found that the companies we wanted to continue using also happened to be on the list of safe seed resources. If you are concerned about the quality and source of your seeds and prefer organic seed, you  can check out the list of companies at http://www.councilforresponsiblegenetics.org/ViewPage.aspx?pageId=261

We used to buy most of our seeds and seedlings from the Farm store or one of the many 'greenhouses' located outside the major stores in spring. Each spring we would travel to a nursery several miles away but have been disappointed enough times to not make the trip again. Last year we visited a local family who sell their seedlings at our closest Farmers' Market. A delightful couple who took the time to show us around their gardens and greenhouses. They shared stories of their successes and failures and this year we will go to them for any seedlings we may need. Except for our leeks! A friend recommended http://www.morgancountyseeds.com/ and we were very happy with their product, their service, the quality of the plants..... and the price! They promise good, cheap and fast and they surely deliver on this promise. Last year we also ordered several types of dried beans from them and this year we will order leeks and limas.

One of the most beautiful catalogues must be from the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company http://rareseeds.com/ Photographs, information, how-to's, and varieties of seeds for fruits and vegetables not to be found elsewhere. We will be ordering squashes and Belgian endive seeds from them.

Each winter we look at our supplies ( frozen, canned and dried) and decide how long they will last and which we will need to replenish in the coming seasons. We decide if there is a gap in our diet that we need to fill and if there is something we still buy that we could be growing for ourselves. The list we come up with is our starting point in the seed catalogues. We decide if we want to try a different type of the same vegetable, grow several varieties or stick with an old favourite. We read through the catalogues and make sure the varieties we might want will work in our relatively short growing period, decide which company will receive which order and then we dream a little. What if............! Usually that results in us trying something completely new like last year. We had room in the garden and experimented with dried beans. They were all a success and we will continue to grow from the seeds we collected and saved. The limas were not as prolific but we will continue to experiment with varieties of limas that will be more suited to our conditions.

This year we are thinking of experimenting with several types of winter squash. We want one that will be ready to harvest in our northern climate, good to eat, make good pies and sweet breads, will keep well through the winter and being attractive as an autumnal ornament would be nice too. There are several options in the catalogues but it will take a few more evenings and pots of tea before we have our shortlist.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Trees


TREES
by: Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)
       THINK that I shall never see
      A poem lovely as a tree.
       
      A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
      Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
       
      A tree that looks at God all day,
      And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
       
      A tree that may in Summer wear
      A nest of robins in her hair;
       
      Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
      Who intimately lives with rain.
       
      Poems are made by fools like me,
      But only God can make a tree.