Update

 I haven't posted in a while. I'm doing well. I'm not gardening now, but have been working as a cook and learning many recipes.  I've also been going back to school, studying biochemistry.  It has been very rewarding learning the science behind the gardening.  Chemistry is teaching the building blocks to everything the exists in this world and the biology is showing the course of action of all these building blocks. 

Not having a place to garden is a bit tough on the passion I have for gardens.  It is important to not be overly attached to things in this life. Through that change I have had the opportunity to learn the science being gardening, and found a more safe and healthy environment.  

Anyway, I normally impart some deep wisdom in these posts. So what I have right now is that going for long daily walks can have fairly important health benefits, the study I read was showing that the pace of the walk effects the length of your telometric something.., which are biological age signals.. So basically go on daily walks and try to walk at a fairly fast pace to become more healthy. Thanks for reading!

buns

These are the meal of the night. Rolls cooked on a skillet with some butter. Other options would be broiling with asiago or parmesan as well as butter, olive oil, or various other... Hot dog, covered in a veggie stew. Carrots, squash, onion cooked, then rice cooked in and cream cheese added + avacado

The Life

So I hadn't stopped writing, about two weeks after my last post a turn of events had me move out. I switched to writing with pen and paper. Sadly most was lost in flooding of where I was staying last year. Housing in this area is fairly expensive and being in the middle of a pandemic made it hard to make ends meet. Once you don't have ways to cook or store food, the cost of living goes way up. When you don't have a safe place to store belongings the cost of replacing things that are picked up by other people goes way up. Saving for a large security deposit becomes more difficult. I was between housing for about 10 months.  I may post some of the journaling later. I've got a place now. I'm not gardening currently, my focus is on cooking recently. 

 I've worked as a cook for many years so I try to apply things I've learned at home. This post is mostly just a general update. I'm not gonna post any recipes now. I'd like to keep writing more, so maybe I'll write more on cooking in the future. Yesterday we had an 'atmospheric river' roll through the area. It rained for around 2 days, then lighten up for a day, then dumped so much water the next day. Flooding all over. It looks like the sun is out today so I'm gonna go enjoy it.  

Spring Gardening

Gardening has been going well. I've managed to get seeds to sprout in containers this year, which I've had trouble with in the past.  The main thing has been consistent watering.  Over the years the soil has improved from solid clay.  I've turned most of the beds and added more compost so there is room to plant the seedlings. For watering I have planted most things close together, near fruit trees.  Close together with companion planting. The fruit trees keep the hottest part of the day less extreme for the garden. 

The first picture is of cantaloupe sprouts.  The second picture if mostly of corn. There are some strawberries, beans, and Swiss chard pictured too.

Here is a video of planting some of the corn.

Tune up your bike!

Greetings!  So today let's learn about how to do a basic "tune-up" on a bike. Most importantly is to be safe.  Check your brakes before riding and always be cautious.  A main thing to do is clean as much you can. A towel is good, maybe a flat-head screwdriver to clean tight spots.

   Brakes; add a bit of oil. Check for any fray or heavy rust on cables. If it seems unsafe don't ride and get it checked out first. Check that the wheel can turn without the brake pad stopping it. Adjust as necessary.  Make sure, usually with an Allen wrench, that all the screws are tightened.  Keep the part of the wheel the brake makes contact with clean of dirt and oil.

 Tires; make sure there are no visible holes or tears in your tire. If there are you are likely to keep getting flat inner tubes or won't hold air if tubeless.  New tires are reasonably priced, patching is difficult and makes your tire off balance a bit. Also check the bolts and make sure the wheels are firmly secured to the frame.  Check the wheels for roundness and that the bearing are intact. Clean and oil.

  Tires/wheel size and pressure; both tires and rims should have sizes on them, ex: 26in. x 1.5 other common sizes are 700cc x 2.  First number is the diameter width of the rim.  Second is the diameter of the tube.  Check the compatibility.  Some are tubeless. On the tire for tubes it will have a min and max p.s.i. Higher psi will be less rolling resistance, so brake sooner, more likely to get flats.  Lower psi will be a smoother ride.  Be careful not to be too low where hitting bumps could damage the rim, tube and tire.. The min and max are good for proper wear on the tire.

  Gears; now clean the gears and derailleur. Wipe the chain with a towel then add bike grease or motor oil.  Get a bit of oil in the axles and clean off more.  The chain should be on snug, enough to move easily and not fall off.  The rear derailleur usually takes care of this. Some bikes don't have them.  Adding or removing links to a chain is easy with a tool designed for it.  Then turning the bike upside-down can be helpful to check the gears. Make sure all gears can be shifted through without shifting the gear off track.

 Enjoy 

Organics pt. 2

    There are a few ways chemicals get into food. Absorption from soil, is a major way. Another way is, what's sprayed on the plant. These compounds, often aimed at weeds and insects, could build up in the animals, dairy, and consumers eating these plants.  Other than those ideas, fruits and veggies, straight from the garden, is a nice addition to most meals.
    When planting a garden I like to clear all trash from the area, and be careful of what goes into compost.  A clean water source is also important. For the soil and natural waterways, as I dig in I'll take the time to remove any plastics, painted woods, cement, asphalt, etc.. For compost, I'll be sure to remove any stickers or ties. I'll then build up compost, mixing different soils knowing they are free of contaminates.
     I haven't used sprays in my smaller backyard gardening. On a larger scale pests can take out entire crops in a few days if the conditions are right. Companion planting helps a lot by providing biodiversity.  I'll try to feed with a constant source of compost so the plants don't get stressed out or more susceptible to pests.   

 Happy Gardening!

Ready to plant

Gardening can likely be done anywhere in the world with water and soil. I got some purple carrots and onion seedlings to plant. I have some seed I'll plant as well. The soil in the garden is heavy clay. I'll add compost and mix into a small area, then plant. Here are some photos of the garden! 

 This is a bed of kale (left) and chard (right).

 Here pictured are beets (front), artichokes (mid), and brussel sprouts (far back).

I'll let these continue to grow as the season changes. Eventually I'll redig these beds and add more organic matter. 

Gardening

     Hello, welcome to the blog. Gardening has been going well. It's near the end of winter and I am turning lots of soil.  I've been using an electric lawn mower to compost leaves weeds and grass to amend the soil. I saved some seed, though some has gone bad because I left outside and it got damp. I planted a bed of kale, Swiss chard, and parsley.  The kale started fairly well, some chard started. I haven't seen any parsley, not too sure what it looks like sprouting.  I think the bed could have used more compost before planting.  Also better sun while keeping a balanced watering would have helped more seeds grow. 
   I've learned a few recipes for cooking these plants. I've cut them up and added them to eggs and other veggies for a stir fry type thing. This works well.  I was reading kale has some type of acid that stops you from digesting the nutrients so it's important to cook lightly first.  Otherwise I'd saute it with some olive oil and garlic.
    So I haven't blogged lately.  I have been working a lot.  Learning to cook and prep food.  I moved pretty far to a larger city.  It was a really great time.  I'm going back to school now.  I guess being there made me see a lot of possibilities in life.  I'm relearning a lot of skills because I haven't been taking more than one class since I stopped going awhile back.  I like blogging and hope to continue more often.  Writing helps me organize goals and ideas.
   I suppose this is all I'll write today. Happy gardening!

Organics, Health and Mindfulness

   Organics is using no artificial sprays, fertilizers as well as following some standards like cleaning tools at the end of every day.  I believe there are some other rules; like no chemicals in the field for 20 years.   

Perma-culture: Healthy Food without the Cost of Our Environment

   So what is perma-culture? I chose to add a dash to the word, as I feel it should be a free word.  It's like the alchemist's stone of farming.  Throughout the years I've heard of it from time to time, but could never point a finger and say "There"!  Personally, I see it as closely related to food forestry.  I'll give some examples in my small garden.

   As you see here there are flowering broccoli, Swiss chard and a few lettuce left.  This bed was planted around march.  After around 3 months of lettuce and Swiss chard the broccoli finished.  Around this time I switched over to a bed with more sun.  I added heavy mulch, almost covering the lettuce(which was flowering), mostly stopped watering and left it.  Now the days have shortened and we had a few rains, I lightly weeded it and added more compost.  The Swiss chard is growing back from seed, it is also a well composted raised bed that remained mostly weed free through the summer.

   Sustainability is an important factor here.  Placing the bed in partial shade, I get slower growth.  By taking the time to understand plants needs, I can provide for them; without needing to be there all the time.  Which leads up to my next post on organics and why they are important.  

   Thanks for reading,

 Show a random act of kindness.

Gardening

Greetings,
         It's the end summer, removing weeds is easier when they are dry.  I have been adding a few more plots. Most lettuces have gone to seed, I am leaving them alone because I don't have more to plant now. There are a lot of birds in the garden, they are probably getting some of the seeds. After the first few weedings, there are hardly any weeds in the beds. Companion planting seems to be helping a lot. 
       Water conservation is good for me because I often forget to water.  Heavy mulching and letting weeds grow around the bed seems to help a lot.  I've planted near a few fruit trees, on the sunny side.  Close plantings of vegetables, which start small and grow large after a few months, surrounded by greens. Greens become bitter the more you pick from them and as the season warms up.  By keeping lots of life in the garden it takes longer for the water to evaporate between watering.
       I'm working on potatoes right now, I'll clear the area of weeds and plant on a shallow layer of harder aged compost.  I'll bury them with a mixture of mostly dried grass (like the hay method) and some soil.
      Cooking has been something that also comes in handy when growing a vegetable garden.  Some things really aren't that good straight from the garden.  I've got Swiss chard and kale growing.  They can use light cooking with some olive oil. Things like fruits can be cooked in many ways; juice concentrates, fruit strips, or even made into sweet sorbets. When I had a lot of lettuce growing, Ceaser salads were a staple in my diet. 
      The healing power of gardening. Digging in the dirt with your hands is healthy, it draws toxins out of your hands.  Having a safe and peaceful place to go lowers stress levels greatly boosting the immune system.
       Growing lettuce is very difficult. It is sensitive to heat as it has a small root system.  A balance of some shade seems to allow more full flavored greens. When cutting I would switch off cutting every other plant allowing an extra close planting. Saving and replanting seeds can save a lot over buying starts. Especially because these are short lived plants. I recommend planting varieties separately both to make cutting faster and to keep the seeds more true to the original plant.
      I went Wwoofing abroad last year. It was a wonderful experience filled with adventure.  It brought to reality how much opportunity there is to help communities worldwide through agriculture.  I got to learn many thing from olive oil processes to using herbs in many dishes. I got to help plant a huge vegetable garden and was able to share things I've learned in the past while learning new things about building irrigation systems.  I was met with great kindness everywhere I went.  It was terrifying when I got off the plane, because I quickly realized I couldn't read anything and not that many people spoke more than a few words of English.  I made up for it by taking things slowly.  There were times I felt uncomfortable, was followed, and didn't have plan. 
     My primary means of transportation was by foot. After three days with a relatively light pack, my feet were blistered so bad I was having trouble walking.  So I found a pair of flip flops.  It helped a lot.  Another time, I had just enough budgeted for a hotel that night.  When I got there, those rooms were sold out. So I dug through my bag and had just enough to pay for the next one up.
    One thing that left me speechless was, I sat down to roll a cigarette, when a group of kids near by came up and gave me a cigarette.  That created a huge shift in my mind to realizing I was finally in a safe place. Then I was able to get where I was headed easier

New Garden

     Spring is arriving. I've prepared a small garden area.  The greenhouse is under construction as you can see in the photo.

Greenhouse being built

The pile of fairly fresh compost which will be buried under the soil.

I left cardboard over an area of lawn for a few months.  This killed off most weeds and got the soil much easier to dig.
I then dug up all the weeds and separated them from the soil.  Dug down again, raking all the dirt off to the side of the 3x6ft

Adding a lot of fresh compost below will help block weeds.

Then the heavier soil is added on the pile.

This is sifted compost. It's what I use to plant in.  Basically sift your compost through a metal screen around chicken wire or a bit smaller.  What I get is soft and nutritious(worm filled!) soil. 

I add this on top of the soil after raking it out some.

I then measured it out and raked it out to 2'6" x 5'6". As the soil settles it will expand back out to 3' x 6'

Here is the raked out and ready to plant soil. I was lucky to catch a nice day to plant, it has been raining often.

It's important to water both the plants and the plot heavily before planting.  Roots don't like to be dry especially during the stress of transplanting.  The roots also don't like sun, so dig the holes before taking them out of the 6 packs.

These are the things I am planting now, also a red sail lettuce. (forgot to get pictured)  In our area there is likely to be mild frost for another 2 months.  All of these are frost hardy.  I have found red lettuces to be able to tolerate cold better than green.  There are a few arugula and romaine. The arugula is about to bolt because I wasn't watering often enough. 

Here is the finished garden bed.  I started by spacing the broccoli and Swiss chard further apart then filling in with the lettuce.  The lettuce is sorted by variety with the green lettuce closest to the near plum tree.  This may help deter heavier frost.   Good luck planting all.

Travel

This is a bit off topic. There are many posts on how to travel affordably, so this will be on how to travel safely.  As with most things in life, appearance is important.  Be humble, everyone you interact with has an unbelievable story. Though always stay aware. As if I feel mistreated I will express it, so will everyone else in one way or another.  Sadly being from the United States nearly everyone I meet has a slightly mistreated feeling towards me. This ties into rehab, to keep the spell, of being from the most aggressively destructive country in the world, at bay you must be generous, but not co-dependent.  Co-depence is when someone is using you to support a habit, whether "using" or not. The main habit I have seen is refusal to work, the illusion that being healthy comes from earning without work.  This is the primary cause of heart disease, etc.. Lack of physical activity, A.k.a. work.
Another way to stay safe is be buzzed while around new situations. This allows you to keep you passions and emotions from strangers. Also beer has a lot of calories and is very affordable, which greatly cuts costs of food.  Next up, travel light. Ties back into being humble, you are exploring the world! You don't need to look perfect. Every extra pound you are caring is making you more exhausted, more vulnerable. Bring a travel toothbrush a bit of paste, a very small blanket and a few pairs or clothes at max. Even if you lose everything you will be fine! Also saves on flights. Don't be afraid to walk away. Listen to your intuition, as soon as you feel something is off, kindly be on your way. Till next time

Back to the Basics

When I began gardening years ago, it was a outlet.  People would say I had problems with alcohol or anything they could put a finger on.  Sadly I believed them at the time. So I would exhaust myself in the garden rather than react to the negativity I was experiencing.

I had a vision of creating a rehab program using work in the garden to redirect the energy of people seeking a more healthy lifestyle. By working in the garden they could learn to support themselves as well as learning about nutrition.

I believe this could help the U.S. become united again by acting as a role model to other nations rather than a fearmonger. Making programs like this available to people on welfare, they could learn the tools to contribute more to society.

This sounds like a vague idea, but it doesn't need to be.  The cost of starting a garden is miniscule, as I wrote about in the post about bees. The benefits would be immeasurable.

Countries dealing with political instability could also greatly benefit from this opportunity. Rather than increasing costly militant presence, the ability to put political pressure on, overall good-hearted, people would be removed.

With much love, continue creating beauty in this world

Always running

There was a fortune cookie that read, "Romance and travel will go together."  I sighed in relief.  In the past 5 years I've quit many jobs to travel.  Many friends pressure me to go to school or take up a career.  Be more romantic and shit. So I feel torn.  I love my friends and value their opinions, but traveling really makes me happy.  So the sigh was at a thought of being able to travel all over and still stay close with the people who are close to my heart. 
I was reading the blog of someone whose journey makes me feel far less different in my own. They were talking about dating themselves. That post inspired me to write more honestly.  I stopped dating a long time ago. I started feeling that there is no one loyal out there and stopped letting myself care about those types of feelings.  Sure it may be an illegitimate (no pun intended) way to feel, but feelings remain. 
There is more to it though. Dating myself became very enjoyable.  Rather than structure my life around one other person. I could roam freely. I began hobbies and started making tons of friends.  And yes, I started to learn about who I really was. What I like and what makes me happy.  I wouldn't shower for days and stopped worrying about how other people view me. The most genuine people I've met started crawling out of the woodwork.
I began learning to see behavioral patterns and could avoid counter-productive relationships much sooner.  So the journey of finding myself became rewarding. The world became a much smaller place.  Because even though I'd never met certain people I could spot their intentions quickly.
This is sorta just a ramble, it feels nice to write out

The Roots

Greetings,
     The gardening has been going well.  Since I stopped posting a few years ago I've been practicing what I've learned in the garden a lot more.  However, like Lord of the Rings, getting the whole story sheds abundant light.  In growing up, I quickly learned the more I would try to excel in different aspects of life the more opposition I would face.  By the time I turned 18 I began seeing it as helpful to spend time alone.  I was working at a crowded bar at the time.  Getting away from all the energy was relaxing.
    I am a kind person.  At the time, kindness was not popular in the world.  So I began walking the Thames River, often with a beer.  It was rare to find nature without nicely trimmed grass in the part of the city I lived.  I enjoyed watching the birds and walking till I had no idea where I was.  It became a challenge to find my way home at times.  It was nice and peaceful.  Eventually I ran into this Library that was unlike anything I'd seen before. That was when I realized pursuing peaceful resolutions was rewarding me.  This was the National Archives of U.K.
   That realization helped me get through some college instead of worrying about more temporary things.  I met someone who had just returned from helping out in a foreign country.  We talked about ways natural resources could be used to help feed a lot of people.  A bit down the road I began digging into clay soil and plantings starts in it. I didn't have much success at first, but I slowly and at times quickly learned.  The roots needed softer soil to grow into. Leaves break down into more nitrogen and branches into more carbon. By layering mulch I didn't have to water as often. I started watching videos and reading all about gardening.
   I noticed other people had little interest in my gardening so it became a place I could get away too.  When I'd be frustrated I would work in the garden until I could barely stand.  After about a year of that I was able to find a new path and learn new skills.  I began getting an abundance of food and getting stronger.
   I also began doing yoga more and learning to let energy go without responding.  This eventually allowed me to safely spend time with people from nearly any walk of life.  Though now I'd spent time watching the spiral patterns of life.  I've found happiness, genuine love, and trust while learning about gardening, yoga and making friends in places where I entered knowing no one.
   I feel like even though people have emotional attachment to stuff and/or desires they should still be treated with as much respect as a ladybug, to say the least.  So the past few years I have been back in the garden.  In nature I often see many expressions of beauty.  I'm guessing a lack of natural nutrients in the food supply has a lot to do with current and past health issues than our science understands. However, I love gardening, so of course I'd say that.  Namaste   

Citrus Artichoke Companion Planting and Compassion

     Greetings readers, it has been awhile since an update.  Currently the garden is mostly barren, however the soil is filled with various seeds waiting to sprout in spring.  Last year the tomato harvest was more abundant than I could eat or give away.  Blessings.
     
       What remains is artichokes, proudly unaffected by the frost, as well as a few onions. There is also a grapefruit tree. Knowing citrus plants don't tolerate frost and being too lazy to cover it every-time the temperatures drop, I planted it right next to the artichoke plants.  I am surprised at how well it is doing.

      The artichoke leaves have now grown slightly over the grapefruit tree. Amazingly enough, the grapefruit tree is not only surviving, but growing into the artichoke's protection.  There has been a fair amount of new growth since the first frost of the year.  I heard that underneath a plant canopy, frost takes much longer to settle.   This also can lessen the cold if for some reason you have to sleep outside during cold conditions.

      It has been a difficult year, dealing with a lot of aggressive behavior.  The rewards have been great though.  By turning the other cheek I have been able to explain how toxins and malnutrition affect emotions. A bit over 7 years ago, I had a conversation with a friend about world hunger.  I felt there was little I could do to help, much less reverse the process, because it is not profitable.  So I choose to stop dating and stop working to build my own wealth, in order to make an actual impact.

       That is very much why I started this blog.  To offer what I have been learning about feeding and healing myself without monetary input.  During that time I have learned a tremendous amount and am grateful.  I've not only learned a great deal about gardening and nutrition, but how to meet people where they are at.  Over the years many of the most sincere people I've met have been wanderers, homeless and "mentally challenged."  I quickly learned many of these people really could use a listening ear and someone to accept them for who they are. This helped me come to peace with behaviors of people that have caused me to feel mistreated in the past.

      After 7 years had passed I decided to return to a more comfortable lifestyle.  Mostly because the loneliness is rough.  I took a vacation to New York to celebrate and accepted a job above minimum wage for the first time since then.  I'm not sure where my journey will lead me now, but I am excited for new beginnings.  I plan to still continue being generous and compassionate, simply am now seeking the Middle Way that Buddha spoke of.  Thank you everyone for reading.  Until next time

No till gardening

     Here is a series of photos showing the method of no-till gardening I find most useful as well as how it's done.  Thanks for reading.  Decide where you want you garden. Spread leaves and mulch found around nearby trees over the designated area.  Water once and let sit for around a week. When dry rake everything to one side, then use a hoe to cut off the weeds.  Next rake everything to the side you just cleared of weeds, and repeat. Mix any dug up soil into the mulch.  Now it will be ready to plant starts in.  This won't give you sterile soil so bugs or bacteria will likely take out seeds.  Happy planting :-D

Honey Bees

    I've been looking into getting a hive of honey bees, the main pollinators of our planet.  Getting honey and wax would be awesome and the bees would help the garden thrive!  So I began calling around and realized it is a bit out of my price range for this year.  Nonetheless I've been learning a great deal about them since.

   Bee populations appear to be in decline.  Without bees, the almond industry would not exist.   Many other staple crops rely on bees for pollination.  However there is a multitude of problems affecting these critters.  The main ones are mites, and viruses transmitted by those mites.  Most hives are unlikely to last more than a year without some type of miticide.  So what can we do to help?

   Based on what I have been learning about soil composition and companion planting.  By providing soil with more diversity and life in it, plants are able to grow much stronger.  They are more likely to have the ability to fight off a lot of the same issues affecting monocrops.  Companion planting is the idea of planting multiple crops together, usually to lessen the presence of harmful pests.  What does this have to do with bees?  If their environment during the off-season provides them with enough diversity of micro-nutrients, they would have an immune system better prepared for the travel and monocrop pollination during the active seasons.

   This sounds like an expensive process.  It really doesn't need to be though.  With proper composting and no-till methods a garden can be started without spending much beyond supplying water to the site.  Many plants can be started by seed.  If this bee-friendly environment can also supply a wide variety of foods and flowers, it can benefit the community in countless ways as well.

Greenhouse

Recently I've had the blessing of getting a greenhouse.  It is great for starting plants inside that couldn't be started outside, until after the last frost.  The increased humidity makes it easier to keep them watered and it provides cover from wind and rain.

So far a friend and I planted lettuce, spinach, collard greens, peas, and jalapeños.  In a few months they will be ready to be planted outside.  I also found a palm tree sprout and put it in some nicer soil.  If it starts growing I'll be stoked!  The days have gotten longer and the chickens stated laying again.

I've been looking into selling produce at a local farmer's market.  There are a few hoops to be jumped through.  Luckily I have met some really incredible people who have made the process much more understandable.  Beyond that, I am beginning to plant so a variety of produce will be ready to be sold when market day comes around.