Living well in the future won’t be about how much land you own, but how wisely you use it - less decorative, more practical, and deeply connected to earth, food, energy, and community. Old fashioned.
It’s this spot by the window where I can just sit with my coffee and watch the world or squirrels go by. Your gardening tips are also pretty great, especially the part about the rainwater and how it’s actually better for plants. I’d never really thought about the chlorine in tap water being a problem for the garden, but it makes sense. We don't have too much rain in SoCal, so I rely on tap water, and it's so harsh that it turns my glasses white. It could be why my plants don't last very long :)
What plants do you grow in your garden? Chlorine should not affect the glass, maybe that is calcium making your glasses milky. (A scrub with vinegar will help with that ).
Maybe with your indoor plants use filtered water from the britta.
The difference in the garden after a rain shower is significant though. Almost like the plants take a deep breath and exhale green.
It rained all night here - a gentle rain and once the sun comes up I am going out to check the seedlings - I just know the green onions will have popped through!
Hi, Cecilia! Thank you for all of the useful advice.
Our earthworms will be happily reproducing as soon as it starts to warm up on our little farm in back of the house. Did you know they like coffee grounds? We have moles, and unfortunately, the worms are oftentimes their dinner.
We had solar installed after the 9.0 quake here in Japan 14 years ago this month. The electricity company paid out a small amount to people who produced more than what they used. Of course, that's gone now, but they've okayed restarting some nuclear power plants. Do we have our priorities straight, I wonder....
I didn't know about the chlorine, although it makes sense. M has an organic fertilizer that she mixes with water, but she always leaves the bucket out for a day or two so the chlorine escapes before she mixes it in and spreads the water. We don't have too much space, but what rain we do get we try to capture in buckets. Not enough to do much good, especially now that the summers are so extreme. Can only resort to hose water in the evenings.
I never thought about eating the seedlings when thinning out the plants! Great idea. I have a bunch of seeds from last year. I might plant them just to get the sprouts.
We don't have a lawn, but we do get bags of leaves from the hillsides and mix them in when turning over the soil in spring. The worms love them, too.
That all sounds I want to say gentle but the word is probably gently sublime. Like you are making the very best of what you have in a steady calm way. And yes I do know that worms like coffee grounds plus each of my outside pots gets one puck in rotation. Banana peels and ground egg shells too.
My new worms here in Melbourne are kind of slow growing - they are different from the American worms I get there. I am thinking of adding a few handfuls of worms straight into the new raised beds to aid soil structure.
Moles are a sign of a healthy balanced soil but they do make a mess the little blighters.
We share with all the life that comes and goes here (raccoons, tanuki, and snakes are the exceptions). This winter, we had a Japanese weasel living in the rice straw that was piled up and covered with a tarp. It’s right next to the persimmon tree, so s/he had free pick of any of the fruit we left for the birds. Haven’t seen the dear little one for a few weeks, so assuming s/he has moved on.
The moles…. Hmmm. We’d rather not share the worms, but that, too, is part of the life cycle. There are little mounds in between the onions. Last year we could see the little critters moving as they burrowed near the top of the soil, making the weeds move in unusual ways.
First week of May, we’ll be planting green peppers, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and eggplant. There’s nothing like going out in the back yard to find lunch in the summer. I love string beans, but the past couple of years, there have been insects that burrow into the stalks, so we ended up pulling them out early. The artichokes did really well over the winter. I just ignored them, no cover or anything, and they’re still enormous and healthy!
We have more space out in the rice field beyond, but although we’re still able, the years are creeping up on us. I wanted to try vertical farming at one point, but we get a LOT of strong winds through our little valley, not to mention typhoons. Aware of our limitations, perhaps?
When I was working full-time, I could take extra produce to the uni and give to friends and the office staff. Now that I’m “retired”, there aren’t many people to give stuff to. Neighbors grow their own. Friends live too far away. Another reason to start cutting back on the amount we produce, I guess. (I say that, but we have to put in extra plants in case of the ones we want don’t make it. That’s why it’s always hard to walk around out there!)
I love that you are using every single bit of space. And that in the summer it is hard to walk around ‘out there’. I have never been to Japan but am told the weather is a little like New Zealand’s weather? Tomatoes and eggplant with a little pasta and fresh basil - perfect lunch!
Growing just enough to eat and just a bit more to put up for winter is an art form. The season always has something to say!.
Here where there is almost perpetual sunshine many homes (more over time) has some sort of solar power panels. I would love some.
Since I have never been 'down under' I cannot imagine what it is like to have the seasons reversed from my standards. Christmas in summer, my July birthday in the dark of winter.
But think of the coziness of a winter birthday! An open fire maybe. Red wine from down the road, a shirt with - um - kangaroos in jumpers on the fabric?
I learn a lot too. Since my hemoglobin is sinking, I am into spinach leaves daily. And now I ;learned parsley--of all things--has more Vitamin C than an orange! That's wild news. Never ate a spinach leaf in my life until a couple months ago. Only experience ever was with cooked to hell spinach--and hate it. Love the darling ducklings. Now I have to ask about Quacker. Did she die too?
Yes. Quacker died with her flock. I still cannot write that without tears in my eyes.
A scrambled egg with parsley and a side of raisins, plain Greek yoghurt and orange juice every morning. Eaten in the sun if possible. A handful of raisins is 25 percent of your daily iron needs but needs to have that glass of fresh orange juice to enhance assimilation. It does not sound too awful does it?
PLUS a smoothie at lunchtime - you can hide a handful of spinach in a smoothie! With banana and red fruit - you won’t even taste it. . . I also add walnuts to my smoothie for protein.
It's unsettling to be in Minnesota, too. I think it is just a sign of the times. We can seek our clear compass from our values and the people in our lives who ground us. And the stories that speak to us. Enjoy your week there.
It can get pricey if you cannot access a scheme. None of the ones I have lived with have a battery. The batteries are a developing technology, too. But I can see how it would be useful. Maybe - wind? in wellington? 😂 ! have a great day!
Ahh the poet window.
Everyone should have one.
It’s this spot by the window where I can just sit with my coffee and watch the world or squirrels go by. Your gardening tips are also pretty great, especially the part about the rainwater and how it’s actually better for plants. I’d never really thought about the chlorine in tap water being a problem for the garden, but it makes sense. We don't have too much rain in SoCal, so I rely on tap water, and it's so harsh that it turns my glasses white. It could be why my plants don't last very long :)
Thank you for sharing, as always, Cecilia.
I wish you the best weekend.
What plants do you grow in your garden? Chlorine should not affect the glass, maybe that is calcium making your glasses milky. (A scrub with vinegar will help with that ).
Maybe with your indoor plants use filtered water from the britta.
The difference in the garden after a rain shower is significant though. Almost like the plants take a deep breath and exhale green.
It rained all night here - a gentle rain and once the sun comes up I am going out to check the seedlings - I just know the green onions will have popped through!
Hey Cecilia
Thyme and cilantro
You are right - hard water is mostly calcium.
We tried vinegar and a bunch of other stuff.
It ruins all of our new stuff, so we keep some older glasses out.
We have a partially covered area on the patio. I will try the filtered water.
Thank you for the tip, Cecilia :)
PS It will be 80 F this weekend in SoCal
Hi, Cecilia! Thank you for all of the useful advice.
Our earthworms will be happily reproducing as soon as it starts to warm up on our little farm in back of the house. Did you know they like coffee grounds? We have moles, and unfortunately, the worms are oftentimes their dinner.
We had solar installed after the 9.0 quake here in Japan 14 years ago this month. The electricity company paid out a small amount to people who produced more than what they used. Of course, that's gone now, but they've okayed restarting some nuclear power plants. Do we have our priorities straight, I wonder....
I didn't know about the chlorine, although it makes sense. M has an organic fertilizer that she mixes with water, but she always leaves the bucket out for a day or two so the chlorine escapes before she mixes it in and spreads the water. We don't have too much space, but what rain we do get we try to capture in buckets. Not enough to do much good, especially now that the summers are so extreme. Can only resort to hose water in the evenings.
I never thought about eating the seedlings when thinning out the plants! Great idea. I have a bunch of seeds from last year. I might plant them just to get the sprouts.
We don't have a lawn, but we do get bags of leaves from the hillsides and mix them in when turning over the soil in spring. The worms love them, too.
That all sounds I want to say gentle but the word is probably gently sublime. Like you are making the very best of what you have in a steady calm way. And yes I do know that worms like coffee grounds plus each of my outside pots gets one puck in rotation. Banana peels and ground egg shells too.
My new worms here in Melbourne are kind of slow growing - they are different from the American worms I get there. I am thinking of adding a few handfuls of worms straight into the new raised beds to aid soil structure.
Moles are a sign of a healthy balanced soil but they do make a mess the little blighters.
What are you going to plant next?
We share with all the life that comes and goes here (raccoons, tanuki, and snakes are the exceptions). This winter, we had a Japanese weasel living in the rice straw that was piled up and covered with a tarp. It’s right next to the persimmon tree, so s/he had free pick of any of the fruit we left for the birds. Haven’t seen the dear little one for a few weeks, so assuming s/he has moved on.
The moles…. Hmmm. We’d rather not share the worms, but that, too, is part of the life cycle. There are little mounds in between the onions. Last year we could see the little critters moving as they burrowed near the top of the soil, making the weeds move in unusual ways.
First week of May, we’ll be planting green peppers, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and eggplant. There’s nothing like going out in the back yard to find lunch in the summer. I love string beans, but the past couple of years, there have been insects that burrow into the stalks, so we ended up pulling them out early. The artichokes did really well over the winter. I just ignored them, no cover or anything, and they’re still enormous and healthy!
We have more space out in the rice field beyond, but although we’re still able, the years are creeping up on us. I wanted to try vertical farming at one point, but we get a LOT of strong winds through our little valley, not to mention typhoons. Aware of our limitations, perhaps?
When I was working full-time, I could take extra produce to the uni and give to friends and the office staff. Now that I’m “retired”, there aren’t many people to give stuff to. Neighbors grow their own. Friends live too far away. Another reason to start cutting back on the amount we produce, I guess. (I say that, but we have to put in extra plants in case of the ones we want don’t make it. That’s why it’s always hard to walk around out there!)
I love that you are using every single bit of space. And that in the summer it is hard to walk around ‘out there’. I have never been to Japan but am told the weather is a little like New Zealand’s weather? Tomatoes and eggplant with a little pasta and fresh basil - perfect lunch!
Growing just enough to eat and just a bit more to put up for winter is an art form. The season always has something to say!.
Lovely rain!
Here where there is almost perpetual sunshine many homes (more over time) has some sort of solar power panels. I would love some.
Since I have never been 'down under' I cannot imagine what it is like to have the seasons reversed from my standards. Christmas in summer, my July birthday in the dark of winter.
But think of the coziness of a winter birthday! An open fire maybe. Red wine from down the road, a shirt with - um - kangaroos in jumpers on the fabric?
I learn a lot too. Since my hemoglobin is sinking, I am into spinach leaves daily. And now I ;learned parsley--of all things--has more Vitamin C than an orange! That's wild news. Never ate a spinach leaf in my life until a couple months ago. Only experience ever was with cooked to hell spinach--and hate it. Love the darling ducklings. Now I have to ask about Quacker. Did she die too?
Yes. Quacker died with her flock. I still cannot write that without tears in my eyes.
A scrambled egg with parsley and a side of raisins, plain Greek yoghurt and orange juice every morning. Eaten in the sun if possible. A handful of raisins is 25 percent of your daily iron needs but needs to have that glass of fresh orange juice to enhance assimilation. It does not sound too awful does it?
PLUS a smoothie at lunchtime - you can hide a handful of spinach in a smoothie! With banana and red fruit - you won’t even taste it. . . I also add walnuts to my smoothie for protein.
Why is your hemoglobin sinking?
Love the ducklings. No wonder John couldn't resist!
I know. Let’s hope they do ok.
I continue to learn so much from you, even at a distance and you just live your life, here and there, both. with each sentence, something new to me -
We are all just living our lives, do you think? There is so much of the extraordinary in an ordinary life.
Great to hear your adventures, to celebrate rain, and especially solar power. Glad you can be there, and share across continents.
Hey there Hans! I feel multi-national at the moment. It is a curious and slightly unsettling feeling! Hope all is well with you and your congregation.
It's unsettling to be in Minnesota, too. I think it is just a sign of the times. We can seek our clear compass from our values and the people in our lives who ground us. And the stories that speak to us. Enjoy your week there.
We've thought about solar as well but no local schemes subsidizing it where I am - it can get a bit pricey if adding a battery
It can get pricey if you cannot access a scheme. None of the ones I have lived with have a battery. The batteries are a developing technology, too. But I can see how it would be useful. Maybe - wind? in wellington? 😂 ! have a great day!