Anais Nin and The Common Ground Fair

Dear blog and readers,
I'm sorry I've been neglecting you. I've been doing a lot more writing in my journal lately and spending my other free moments with the New Yorker and Anais Nin's Henry and June. I'm a bit obsessed with both. Anais Nin was so cool and it is her writing that has inspired me to journal again. I think she began writing at age 9 and kept at it until her passing in 1977. Henry and June is like a high brow beach read, filled with exciting affairs (many at once), and vivid sex scenes, as well as detailed discussions on writing and art. She uses the "f" word a lot, which surprised me. I didn't realize it was already widely used in the 30s. Now I know. More on Anais here.


Sunday, I bathed in a lake. That was just one highlight in a fun-filled weekend in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, the childhood home of my roommate Veronica. We were joined by Emily and Wyatt, and had a wicked good time with her ever welcoming and entertaining parents. They sent us home with homegrown squash, local apples, cookies, and all kinds of pickles and relishes.

Part of the impetus for the journey was attending the Common Ground Fair, one of the largest and oldest agricultural fairs in New England. Mostly we just ate until we couldn't eat anymore. If you ever have a chance to go the fair, try a pie cone and/or the fried shitake mushrooms. The fair is run my MOFGA, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardners Association, so everything at the fair is organic and, for the most part, local. For example, there is no sugar at the fair but they've made an exception for coffee. The fair offers countless workshops on everything from beekeeping to the benefits of keeping and eating your own placenta. (I'm not joking.) There were also all kinds of demonstrations and juried exhibitions of livestock, vegetables, and flowers. I especially enjoyed hanging out with the mules and squishing their noses. I spent much of the weekend trying to imagine how I might make enough money to start a farming operation large enough to necessitate a mule, especially a Percheron-donkey cross like this one.


More photos soon.

Gardening Rules

This post is dedicated to Dan Abrams, whose enthusiasm for this blog never ceases to surprise me.

Cucumbers in the front yard,



Bigger, in the kitchen,



And pickled as spicy half sours




Raspberries from the community plot!

Overcoming obstacles to growing your own vegetables and herbs

These notes are meant to compliment a presentation at the 2011 Boston Skillshare entitled No Space? No Cash? No Problem! Overcoming Obstacles To Growing Your Own Vegetables and Herbs.




When getting started with your first gardening project, think about it like a newspaper story. Be sure to figure out the who, what, when, where, why and how.

Who can help you?
What are you planting?
When will you start?
Where will you plant? Community plot, porch, sunny window, driveway?
Why? (this is an easy one)
How? Will you use grow lights indoors, vertical trellising on the side of your building or hanging containers on your porch?

Hot tips:
- Wash your containers before using or reusing. There could be diseases, bacteria, etc. lingering in there.
- Get your soil tested!!!! (UMASS Amherst)
- Learn about common pests, diseases
- Store seeds in the freezer
- Plants have different needs - know what your plants like best in terms of soil, light, etc. For example lavender like sandier soil and less water than a basil plant so your probably don't want to plant them together.
- Clean your tools. It's good for the tools and for preventing the spread of disease, pests, etc.
- Potted plants need fertilizer, especially perennials. Find out what your plants like best. A little side dressing of compost or worm castings (worm poop) usually goes a long way.
- Mulch is your friend. It helps keep soil moist and prevents weeds. You can use newspaper (no magazines please) or shredded leaves, among other things.
- While not absolutely necessary, planning, labeling plants, and tracking the success of your plantings is highly recommended.


More fun stuff

Acquire this book: The Urban Homestead by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen

Make your own self-watering containers

Landless Gardening: Use a potato sack and put it anywhere! Make it yourself or buy a kit from Landless Gardening with everything you need for $20.

Living Wall
Living walls can be a great way to grow a lot in a small space inside or outside.

The Boston Gardener in Dudley Square carries the pumps, filters, and growing medium you need to build your own irrigated system. See a demo in this video:



Wallypockets are pre-made plant bags that you can mount on the wall and water like you would any potted plants.

Get a head start on the season with winter sowing. This involves making a tiny greenhouse so you can sow seeds outdoors in the late winter. Use milk jugs, takeout containers, and even clear plastic bags. More at WinterSown.org



Terrariums are fun and back in fashion. While they are most commonly made with ornamental plants, you could make a nice one with herbs.



Resources:

Allandale Farm
Boston Natural Areas Network
Container Gardening Guru
Garden Girl TV
Organic Gardening Magazine
RootSimple (By the authors of The Urban Homestead)
TruckFarm (what I was trying to show early in the session)
Urban Homesteader's League (Boston Area)
Urban Farm Magazine
Wormjava (order worm castings online to enrich your container plants)