The Many Means of Therapy

From a generous gardener in the neighborhood…

To a creative gardencentric therapist…

whose sign I found posted on the “community board” at Flatbush Food Co-op on Cortelyou…

To Friday night mighty jazz jam sessions at Williamsburg Music Center at Bedford & S. 5th (it’s a non-profit org founded and run by the amazingly talented and community focused, greener-than-green thumb, Jerry Eastman)….

To blueberry cake in the fridge when I get home, to be married with the most delectable ice cream anywhere to be found (a sinful scoop each of Brooklyn Bell’s brown sugar whiskey vanilla and BB’s black chocolate) …

Sour cream and maple frosting topping it in and off…

To the sunlight through the edible leaves…

To sage to burn (or smudge) to keep out pests (mosquitoes detest this) and establish harmony in the heart and home….

To Wednesday morning jazz and eggs to break Tuesday’s fast. Topped with herbs from the garden…

May you welcome summer this week with a celebration of all your tools of healing, peace and power.

2 Comments

The Secret Life of Plant (Shadows)

2 Comments

Romance Dies from Unnatural Causes

This was passed along to me recently…

Although the reports are that Romance died this week from unnatural causes, some suspect the fickle candle of life flickered its last flame due to old age. She spent her last years in the Happy Valentine Assisted Loving Facility where, in later years, her visitors were few and far between. Some came to mourn her, while others came to encourage her to hold on. Still others came merely to pay their last respects, knowing the end was inevitable.

Romance’s absence will leave a hole in our hearts, but she will be especially missed by her friends Tenderness, Grace, and Forgiveness, who were there even when she was wrapped up in her own dalliances.

Maybe more than anyone, Romance will be missed by her longtime sweetheart and dedicated companion, Humor, who stayed by her side through thick and thin till the very end. Their chemistry was legendary, even accounting for the rare spat when Romance felt she wasn’t being taken seriously. Their occasional bit of discord was always dissolved in laughter.

Romance is survived by her mother, Love. Her father, Logic, who left before Romance could walk, was last spotted wandering the streets of Wisconsin, looking dazed and slightly confused. While, over the years, there was talk of a possible reunion, somehow the timing never was quite right.

There will be no wake or special services for Romance. She wanted to go the way she came, quietly, so you couldn’t peg the moment of her arrival but once there, you never wanted her to leave.

Theories abound as to the source of her demise. Some say neglect from her larger social circles played a part. Others point to the tin soldiers of technology and their arsenal of gadgetry. An older acquaintance of mine used to say concealment is sexy. Assuming that the case, the creation of the tools of endless access must certainly take a bow here. No more waiting by the phone, or wondering if he, or she, or they are thinking about you; our feelings are cracked, split, and splattered on the plasma screen, if not by ourselves, then by the incessant observers.

Still others say she simply felt useless. It’s true she hadn’t danced of late. All the movies did was frighten her. And she was distracted during dinners out by the number of fellow patrons openly snapping photos if their food. She found it unappetizing. So she and Humor stayed in most nights, dining on cold pizza and drinking the occasional bourbon.

They say that true Love never dies. Romance being the only child, maybe she inherited that trait. Listen for her closely. Her knock is very soft. If you’re lucky enough for her visit, make sure you let her in. She just might’ve brought her old friend with her. Let me tell you, they make quite the pair.

Leave a comment

The Cherry Fairy

We went cherry picking in the backyard Sunday, June 3. I’ve had the tree several years, but this was the first year there was a real harvest (in past years there have only been a handful of pickable non-mealy ones).

My partner and I climbed the tree with paper bags slung over our arms. He took the upper branches. I braced myself between the fence and the lower branches.

I saw a lot of cherries fall. I caught some.

I dropped them into my bag as fast as I could. A little girl, probably about six-years old, in the row of houses behind ours sat in the window watching us, while her mother cooked dinner in the kitchen behind her. At one point I had to lean over, nearly into our neighbor’s yard to reach the cherries on the farthest extending branches. She giggled as she chewed on some candy, watching us.

Some of the cherries were not ripe. We probably could have waited an extra day or two. But it was Sunday, my family was in town. We had food on the grill, and gardening getting done. In the end, we got about two big bags full of cherries. There were still more higher to the top. I wanted to climb up high to pick them but my partner told me to leave them, saying, they’re God’s tax. I let them be. He thinks he’s pretty funny. He usually is.

We’re going to make cherry ice cream but for now, we have about two large soup containers filled and three gallon freezer bags. We ate some and are saving the rest. I might put my new canning skills to test.

1 Comment

Putting Your Weeds To Work

Out of curiosity and in a baby step toward frugality and self-sufficiency, I have started a weed garden composed of the varieties of “weeds” that occur most prominently and persistently in my yard. I have uprooted them and transplanted them into containers of a variety of sizes to observe them only slightly removed from their natural habitat. I want to identify/classify them, learn about them, and figure out how to make them earn their keep. It’s not a renter’s market, and real estate in Brooklyn is not cheap. On top of that, with all of us being told we can become backyard farmers by trading in our $300 skinny jeans (which I personally never have owned but whose presence is nonetheless ubiquitous) for an equally priced pair of torn, ripped, and patched and otherwise used and abused vintage workerman’s dungarees, my little plot of land is screaming for the showiest and most table worthy vegetation gentrification.

With that in mind, I am cleaning house on my weeds, trying to identify the ones taking up the most space and putting them all to work. Of course, many are already paying their dues, serving as decoys for the unwanted pests and attracting other, beneficial, ones. I don’t want to disturb the equilibrium and natural state of things too much – just want to be trying to get the most out of my yard’s inhabitants.

That said, I’m starting by looking at a very common to this area plant, by the name of plantain, though it’s not the banana variety.

Wildman Steve Brill recommends against eating it, simply because it’s not that tasty, but it’s widely hailed as a cure all for skin intrusions from mosquitoes to minor scrapes and burns. It’s best if used within 10-15 minutes of a bite; within that time, a quick treatment can fully cure a bite by removing the poison. Take a leaf, crinkle or smash it up between your fingers, and place it directly on the bite for a minute or so. The relief should be felt almost immediately. One thing I’m unsure of — anyone? anyone? — is if it is still effective when not immediately plucked from the plant. In other words, if you’re hiking and spot some, and want to take it along as an impromptu first aid kit, how long will it maintain its healing properties? This may be a question for the Wildman himself.

Plantain is also a worker weed because it is deep-rooted and can help open up and break up soil to help water find paths to more fragile rooted plants. This is especially helpful in areas such as ours (NYC) where the soil is so heavily clay-like.

Plantains? They’re keepers. Leave some in your yard close to more delicate plants (or try transplanting them), and keep some in a pot on your deck or near your front or back door for emergency aid when the mosquitoes get hungry. I found mine are thriving in planters (while other weeds are not do keen on such domestication).

QUESTION: how are you putting your plantains to work for you? Go ahead … Gimme the dirt!

1 Comment

Monet’s Garden at NY Botanical Garden

I’ve been noticing lately on my night walks the effort that goes into plants that are front-facing. Even plants and flowers in windows or window boxes, and the warmth they bring to the neighborhood, are impressive for what they say about the home’s inhabitants. It says they care, that they want to bring beauty to where they live, that they want to share. This spirit of a gardener was never more evident to me than this weekend.

This weekend we took a jaunt to the Bronx where we saw the fruits of the labor of love by the growers (isn’t that a great word for gardeners — I love the multiple meanings) at the New York Botanical Garden. We took in a dizzying array of colorful flora, and delighted in this garden inspired by Claude Monet‘s own at Giverny. Spattered throughout the stunning visual inspirations are placards with quotes from Monet centered loosely on the theme that flowers are what inspired him to become a painter. To him, his painting and the garden he so lovingly tended were inseparable. His creations — both the gardens and paintings — tell us he was right.

We got to the garden Saturday morning at 10:15 (NYBG opens at 10:00 a.m.), and already the line for parking stretched into the street. I’d recommend an early a.m. weekday visit in order to be able to have time to take in all there is to see here. You may also want to download the NYBG app before your visit, to get the most out of it. I started to download the app but got impatient and set out to catch the sights…

The scent and the sights are swoon worthy.

These orchids — which came in a variety of striking colors — from all sides, look like tiny slippers. I only took a shot straight on, so it’s a little hard to tell, but turn it on its side and it looks like you could slip one of these on a fairy’s foot.

The variety of plants and flowers occupied the floor, the ceiling and everything in between. If you didn’t look up, you would have missed this curious beast, above.

The plants included a smattering of edible variety as well. Here is a striped pineapple. There were also orange trees, and a grapefruit tree too. Yum!

And, of course, it wouldn’t be complete without the water lilies. There are two large ponds with water lilies and a variety of other plants. Colorful and people-friendly fish apparently keep away pests and feed on the moss of the underwater stones on which some of the plants are growing. The littlest visitors seemed most interested in following the trail of the fish as they swam the length of the pond.

Many thanks to the New York Botanical Garden for bringing a slice of Monet’s inspiration, literally to life for us. The painstaking research and growing they did for us is yet another example of the generous spirit captured by Monet, and shared by gardeners throughout the world.

As breathtaking as it was, just a quick peek here, to see Monet’s gardens which were resurrected from disrepair after WWII, tells me I need to take a trip to Giverny soon.

1 Comment

Aimee’s Canning Class

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of learning how to can from a seasoned practitioner, our friend Aimee, over at Red Garden Clogs. I never canned before but feel like I can do it (safely) now. We made pickled jalapeños (with garlic and allspice) during the class, and got to taste test some she had already made. They were so delicious on crunchy, natural corn tortilla chips. They pack a punch but are not burn-your-mouth/regret-it-later hot. I’m looking forward to enjoying our batch later this summer with farmers cheese on lightly grilled flatbread. Uuuuuumm.

Leave a comment

Oooh Mami!

Who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch? Just got back from my favorite eco-responsible pick up lunch to go spot, Pret. I am hoping to do lunches from home soon but not there just yet – will start next week. So I went to Pret, being frugal and ready to order only a cup of soup when I noticed their Wheel of Fortune posted on the wall. I asked if they’d spin it for me. They obliged, and it landed on the equivalent of a Price Is Right car: a frrrreeeeeee lunch! Everyone clapped as I collected my sandwich, snack, drink, and soup (the soup I still purchased since it didn’t come with the lunch). Mushroom risotto soup – might not look like much but it made me plenty happy today and supplied my Friday dose of umami. Oooh, Mami! Thank you Pret!

Leave a comment

Goat, Anyone?

Gotta love Seattle. I’ve actually never been there, always wanted to go. Last fall I met a wonderful Seattlite (ok, I know that’s wrong but sounds so right to me). She keeps me up to date on the happenings there. Here’s a novel idea from some west coast revel gardeners: use goats instead of pesticides to keep your land free and clear of unwelcome visitors. Check it out here.

I’ve heard of other natural ways to keep pests away. My other favorite is from the Self-Sufficient Gardener, who regularly emphasizes that pests are just a natural part of gardening, not all are bad, it’s important to know the difference between the good ones (beneficial) and harmful pests, and that one of the most important methods of pest control is planning. A resilient garden grounded with healthy soil and packed with diverse and sturdy (think heirloom over hybrid) plants will put itself in balance. Check out some quick advice from him on how to deal with pests here.

QUESTION: How do you deal with pests? Have you been seeing any this year? Do you plan your garden around them or just wait to see what shows up? (I have to say I’m guilty of the latter in that I do only minimal planning – such as placing marigolds around my tomato garden – but just wait to see what shows up for the rest). Do you use any organic pesticides or other products? Go ahead … gimme the dirt!