Garden Fare

2010-09-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

Randy Ritchie, founder of Malibu Compost will be at Prospector's Nursery in Grass Valley on Saturday, September 11th.

His company is the first to distribute Biodynamic compost on a larger scale. Details are on the flier.

Layer/sheet compost workshop date change

2010-04-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

Because of a storm that's forecast for next week, the composting workshop date has changed. It will be held on May 5th, still from 10-2ish. When the registration is full I'll send out the address to all participants.

By the way, I'm at 43" of rain for the season, with 3.5" total in the last two storms.

2010-04-19T20:49:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me a link to the Huff Post of a blogger who defines organic, natural, etc. Here's the link, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robyn-o/organic-food-what-does-or_b_538535.html

I'll try to get permission from her to publish the entire article here. She does a great job rooting out what the words mean.

Seed planting time

2010-04-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

By the way, it's to be upper 60's this weekend, a new moon and rain next week. Sounds like the perfect storm for planting your radishes, lettuces onion sets, carrots, parsnips and any other early summer veggies you want.

Enjoy.

Layer composting workshop, 28 April

2010-04-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

I'm helping some folks in south Nevada County create food growing areas for next season. When we started the process they were insistent on using the biointensive double dig method, which I love. But where we live there are millions of rocks and double digging is, I think, insane. So I took some time and convinced them of the merits of doing layer compost raised beds. We're preparing them now for next year.

They were amazingly intimidated by the process, which means they'd read so many books on how to do it that they had themselves confused and paralyzed. I've spent the last couple of weeks working with them, helping to gather the resources that are available to us in this area. And, while they still believe in the John Jeavons spirit, as I do as well, we've discovered another way to create wonderfully composted beds without using the digging bar as often. And I've shown them the beautiful "soil" from beds I've created to prove how well it works.

So now we are thinking that there may be others who have read about how to do layer composting but don't exactly know how to do it and we are offering a free workshop to help them understand the process.

We're planning it for the 28th of April, from 10am to 2ish. This is a serious, hands on affair. I'm not there to show you how to layer compost but to facilitate you in doing so. Bring gloves, a hat for the sun, water and lunch. You will get dirty. We are using alfalfa as a nitrogen source. If you're allergic, bring a mask or bandana. It will make your eyes itch if you are allergic. My eyes itch. I'm allergic. I wear a bandana, sometimes.

Space is limited so email or call to reserve a spot.
patrick@mygardenfare.com
530.913.2962

2010-03-24T08:50:00.000-07:00

Morning all. Happy Belated Spring! I'm busier n a one legged man at a barn dance...

Leslie and I have started a new company, Star Apple Edible Gardens, based solely in the SF Bay area. We're taking Garden Fare into Sacramento. Just to keep you up to date.

And if you've nothing to do this beautiful weekend, we've a garden in the Victory Garden area of the San Francisco Flower and Garden show. It might be one of the best gardens I've ever designed, with Leslie's critical eye to guide me, of course. I'll throw up some foetoes at some point. Here's the info. A film crew from ABC San Francisco View From the Bay also did an interview with us. Enjoy!

what's organic about organic?

2010-03-05T08:49:00.000-08:00

The Briar Patch is showing the film, "What's Organic About Organic?" tonight, Friday night, at 6:30. It's a little over an hour long. It was shown at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival but I missed it so am going.

I've seen most, if not all, of the recent food movies, with the exception of King Corn. I can probably guess the story line of that one.
I think the message is clear and probably good in all of them about the ridiculousness of corporate greed versus taking care of what takes care of us. What's Organic further explores some of this idea and shows the impact on the local grower when the larger grower can import to a locality for less than the local grower can grow food.

Not now but sometime in the future I'm going to address the idea of mass produced "organic" food. The idea was sparked by a friend who talked about the "organic" versus non-organic ramen noodles, which had me chuckling on a number of different levels.

2010-03-03T15:55:00.000-08:00

If you're out wandering in the snow tonight, stop by the APPLE Center for Sustainable living in Nevada City. The "Just Grow It" exhibit opens tonight. Local urban food grower Tania Carlone is speaking about how she and her family transformed their kentucky bluegrass lawn into an edible, permaculture-based mecca. You can also see a photo of my favorite tool, my well-worn pony irrigation spade.

The exhibit focuses on home food production and is filled with facts and figures about hows and whys of growing your own food.

2010-02-17T20:09:00.000-08:00

the plums are budding and the sandhill cranes are flying. must be spring. in northern california, that is.

you should have your last dormant spray done. when the buds of all your fruit trees look like barely opened popcorn kernals, spray with kelp. spray the plums with dormant oil to control aphids. start thinking about your early season veggies: peas, broccoli, cauliflower, beans and of course lettuces. if you're doing your own starts, tomatoes and peppers should be growing in trays soon if not now.

a number of years ago, my good friend amyt and i drove across nebraska to see the sandhill cranes in spring, flying through the throat of the hourglass that makes up their migration path through the middle of the united states. i never knew it was such a big deal as i grew up there. but once i understood the gravity of their journey, well, it made us drive right up to worms, nebraska and have a beer. yes, there really is a beaver crossing nebraska.

now, anytime i hear their call and watch the circling and conversing as they tell their stories, as they travel, i think of nebraska and the sandhills.

Wild and Scenic Film Festival

2010-01-13T09:20:00.000-08:00

So, now that I have the casts off of both of my arms, I'm able to work the keyboard again, although slowly. There's a story there, but for now we'll just say that it involved an orchard ladder, an orchard and three very energetic dogs. You can make something up and it'd be pretty close to the truth.

Speaking of orchards, if you winter prune, well you should be doing it. And you're dormant spraying should be in full swing. One more around Valentine's Day, then a good spray with kelp at bud break.

If you're planting your own starts, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes should all be in flats soon, if not already.

One last thing. The Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival is this weekend. John Tecklin, owner, farmer of Mountain Bounty Farms in Nevada City and I are speaking at one of the workshops. We'll be talking about growing your own food and supporting local farms. We'll, of course, be talking about all things involving how to have access to the best and healthiest food for you. Our workshop is this Saturday morning, the 16th, at the Nevada City Elementary School, 415 Main Street, from 10-11am. Hope to see you there.

All Hallows Eve

2009-10-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

it's the last week of the Nevada City Farmer's Market. a little bittersweet-it's great fun and the young farmers are so energetic. the downside-the young farmers are so energetic. last week at the hoedown, we danced, and danced, and danced. heard the roosters crowin as we made our way home. the soup they made was amazing. to heck with alice waters. the roasted red pepper-tomato soup was killer. as were all the variations on squash soup. in all, 80 gallons of soup and about 300 supporters. thank you, thank you. take a bow.

anyhow, it's the last week of the Market. if you STILL haven't come, do. and wear a costume. maybe, just maybe, we'll get out the haybale cart and fly down the hill. bring your helmet and pillows just in case. but no promises.

and it's you last opportunity to volunteer. set up is at 7:30 in the morn. might need a stocking cap but no snow boots. good music, strong coffee and breakfast burritoooes. then take down at one and beers with the mayor. where else do you get to drink beer with mayor?

Dancin' til the cows come home...

2009-10-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all...we're dang near done with the Nevada City Farmer's markets. And to be sure we go out with style we're throwing a Hoe-Down.

Bring your hoes, your dancing shoes for contra dancin' and whatnot.

Bring yous jugs o'rotgut, ifn's ya need to...just leaves yer guns at home, son.

Hang out with your farmers, your friends, even your friends wife.

Barn doors open at 5, grub there after. Ragged But Right's startin things swingin at 7ish.

Don't get the point, stop by the Market, Sat morn. and ask all the questions you can.

"local rube makes it big"

2009-10-09T21:32:00.000-07:00

the mainstays of the local bee and honey movement are holding a fundraiser for the movie they made about their bees. much more important to me than a nobel peace prize...their info and website, rubes.

if you haven't had their honey, man, your missing out. no sugar added here.

youngsters and food

2009-10-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

we're doing a garden for heather haxo phillips and her husband bashir. she's a...well she does a lot of things. she's a raw food chef, rawbayarea, teaches this crazy yoga called Iyengar yoga. i don't do yoga though many tell me i should because of how i abuse my body, or at least used to. bashir imports among other things olive oil from the holy land. every time i've been to their home, they push all this food on me, like i'm too skinny or something. so i'm polite and i eat. and eat. the olive oil is amazing.
bashir is making kombucha all the time and it's been great to compare his to mine. so the meals have been bread that he bakes, dipped in olive oil then dipped in this spice that i can't recognize-somewhere between thyme, oregano and something else...
the real point is that her niece produced this video for her senior thesis at Hampshire College. she graduated with a permaculture and theater degree. of course this is what she came up with.

Enjoy.

bocce ball

2009-10-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

i've a friend, joel brockmyre, who owns another edible landscaping company called j.appleseed food garden co. he's focusing on a different aspect of what we do, primarily on the raised bed idea. he's a pretty dang good carpenter. actually taught me a couple of things.
he took his raised bed idea a little out of the box...and created a bocce ball court. is that what they're called? a photo...

small oakland garden

2009-10-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

here's the most recent finished product. judy and jay had a disaster of a back yard. concrete rubble, weeds, overgrown wisteria. an old rusty storage shed threatening to fall over.
they run a mannequin business and had plenty of props for us to use to be creative. judy never cooked and i even saw a micky d's bag now and then. now they have fresh salad every day, harvest herbs for tea and are enjoying figs from their tree.

bio fuel oasis and container growing class

2009-09-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

so check these yahoos out. they're making food for their cars out of veggie oil? crazy? not so. you too could be driving down the road smelling like a mcdonalds french fry rather than spewing out crap that hurts my lungs...
and...
we're partnering to teach another container gardening class in late september. info and registration on their website! pretty dang cool...
Biofuel Oasis

their shop caters to the urban futurist. you can learn about having chickens, preserving your harvest and fillerup all in one shebang. man, sometimes nebraska is so far away.

Rubes

2009-09-17T08:51:00.000-07:00

"It was dark by the time we headed back through the cornfield to Elsie and David's house. At low speeds our car runs solely on battery, so it's spookily quiet, as if the engine had died but you're still rolling along. We could hear night birds and the tires softly grinding dust as we turned into the field.

"Stop here," David said suddenly. "Pull ahead just a little, so the headlights are pointing up into the field. Now turn off the headlights."

The field sparkled with what must have been millions of fireflies-the most I've ever seen in one place. They'd probably brought their families from adjacent states into this atrazine-free zone. They blinked densely, randomly, an eyeful of frenzied stars.

"Just try something," David said. "Flash the headlights one time, on and off."

What happened next was surreal. After out bright flash the field went black, and then, like a wave, a million lights flashed back at us in unison.

Whoa. To convince ourselves this was not a social hallucination, we did it again. And again. Hooting every time, so pleased were we with our antics. It's a grand state of affairs, to fool a million brainless creatures all at the same time. After five or six rounds the fireflies seemed to figure out that we were not their god, or they lost their faith, or at any rate went back to their own blinky business.

David chuckled. "Country-kid fireworks." "

I'm reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver; this was a small passage that reminded me of nights on the edge of the Sandhills.

A pretty good primer for getting off corporate food. Filled with season specific recipes. Opinionated but she also understands that she's still a part of the system and that the system is a massive machine grinding to it's own beat.

Rattlesnake and clutch

2009-09-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

I went to Hummingbird Hollow farm yesterday to work. Mimi said she had another rattlesnake for me to relocate, the 6th of the year. When I looked in the snake holding container, this is what I found.
Thought that reptiles laid eggs but found out that rattlesnakes give birth to live young. There were 11 babies in the clutch.

I actually called a rattlesnake handler, Gary Grube; felt that this was a little more than what I wanted to deal with. He is the reptile merit badge leader for the local Boyscout troop and was interesting to chat with. Said that in a clutch this large only 4 or 5 would survive.

When we first moved to the area I hadn't learned yet about the benefits of not killing them and actually relocating. They do a great job of controlling rodents. But when there are pets and kids around the area, I do, though it's not easy for me, get rid of them. I figure that snake is going to do more good than some others...

food, inc

2009-09-03T22:50:00.000-07:00

just came home from seeing food, inc. at the magic theatre in nevada city. great movie and if you haven't seen it, you should.
yes, should.
maybe it'll change how you look at your chicken or beef or pig.

there's a large section devoted to the evil monsanto entity. in the movie, there's this great old farmer who helps other farmers save their seeds. he's an old threshing machine that he mentions are disappearing. guess who's buying them and destroying them? i'll give you 999,999 guesses and the first 999,998 don't count.

so he's helping these other farmers, and he's called out by monsanto for helping these other farmers bypass infringement laws. so they sue him and guess what now? he's bankrupt because they kept throwing lawyers at him until he cried uncle.

monsanto has set up a hotline for other farmers to report their neighbors who have the audacity to save their seed. organic seeds even. a hotline to report their neighbors...wow. then they send out two men in black cars and intimidate those unthinkable criminals who, god forbid, save their own seed. amazing patriots. think i'll call the hotline and turn myself in and see what happens.

are you getting this? i'm paraphrasing but monsanto is evil. and if you knew of the folks in the govt. who have ties to them, you'd be appalled. or not. and it's not just a republican thing. the lillybellied democrats are involved, too. they're looking the other way while putting their hands in their cash lined pockets as well.

maybe it's just not that important. maybe it's all just left wing, socialist propaganda.
but i don't think so.

agricultural revolution, not to be confused with socialism

2009-08-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

I lived in Lincoln, Nebraska for many years, off and on during college, moved away, then back a few times. Population of Lincoln in 2008 was 251,624 people. One relatively small city in the U.S.

EVERY DAY, ON THIS PLANET, THE HUMAN POPULATION INCREASES BY +/-227,000.

Holy Mackeral.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/snapshot.htm?section=N&label=2009-08-28-worldpop&loc=interstitialskip

this, i think, is the result of the agricultural revolution

container garden class-18 reasons

2009-08-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

Leslie and I are teaching another container gardening class in case you weren't able to make the first one, which was with Urban Kitchens SF.
This class is at the 18 Reasons space in the Mission. Here's their Facebook link to register. http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=18+reasons&init=quick#/event.php?eid=123762664146&ref=mf
you'll learn the basics about growing greens and herbs in a container. you can transfer many of the ideas to your outside garden.
be prepared: you will get your hands dirty and the reward will be a beautiful wine box filled with greens that you take home.
see you there.

slow food berkeley

2009-08-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

we're boothing at the slow food event in berkely over labor day weekend. come on out and bring the kids. http://slowfoodberkeley.com/content/events.html

dancing fool

2009-08-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

this has nothing to do with gardening, except that asleep at the wheel ate apples and carrots from the garden at pilot peak.

and i danced my butt off!! was an amazingly beautiful night and had a beautiful dance partner.

Urban Kitchens SF

2009-08-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

we're teaching a series of container gardening classes, here is the first one, in san francisco.

come join us and learn how to grow small amounts of food indoors for the winter.
http://www.urbankitchensf.com/in-the-works/growing-food-in-containers

Nevada County Land Trust

2009-08-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

On the 22nd of August, Pilot Peak Winery, www.PilotPeak.com, is sponsoring the Nevada County Land Trust Concert, www.nevadacountlandtrust.org .

The kitchen garden at the winery is still crazy out of control, in a beautiful organized manner; so if you're at the concert check it out.

Oh, yeah. And Asleep At the Wheel is playing. Almost forgot.

Drugs-not to be confused with your food

2009-08-12T08:03:00.000-07:00

You have to bear with me for a moment. The link I'm attaching is from the USAToday. Pathetic I know but it's quick for checking the sports headlines. I truly am an American.

Read through the article. The brief of it is that this pitcher is telling it like it is with no crap. And it make folks uncomfortable. I have my moments when I'm on the soapbox but my heart is in the right place. If you're a baseball fan, you might be like me and very cynical but still addicted...if not a fan then scroll down to the 5th paragraph from the bottom. It's the kicker and what I really want you to pay attention to.

Make you a little uncomfortable? Is it true?

Really, if we cared about ourselves would we really be putting all of the preservatives and HFCS into our bodies...
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/reds/2009-08-12-arroyo-cover-unconcerned_N.htm

Don't get me wrong, I'm not excited about the fact that he's using the PED's but he's not lying about it. He'll pay for it down the road when his liver fails or he has cancer of where ever. It's his choice. But he's a product of our society or at least he's playing within the boundaries of making tons of money and what's expected of him.

grazing

2009-07-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

I was at Swenson Ravine Ranch today working in their garden. Hardly had to touch my lunch for all of the grazing I was able to do. The golden raspberries were still coming on, snagged a couple of green zebra tomatoes and some carrots. The peaches were falling all over the place so gorged on some and brought some home.
The fig tree is loaded like I've never seen it before; am looking forward to them. And the asian pear has a few fruits that will be ready by the time I'm there next week...

in the news

2009-07-24T12:57:00.000-07:00

the mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, is helping us along. great guy.
http://www.triplepundit.com/pages/garden-fare.php

fox in the henhouse

2009-07-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

you have really got to be kidding me...guess it's coming back to bite me in the butt that i didn't vote for change. http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/

speaking of monsanto, they are now an underwriter of npr along with walmart. great team.

speaking again of monsanto, i was looking at the april 20, 2009 issue of the new yorker. the back mag ad was monsanto, "monsanto's advance seeds not only significantly increase crop yields, they use fewer key resouces-like land and fuel-to do it." the last sentance is, " That's sustainable agriculture. And that's what Monsanto is all about."

here's a farm that really uses sustainable practices. there is a major, huge glaring difference.
http://polyfacefarms.com/default.aspx

bother some bugs

2009-07-10T18:34:00.000-07:00

i was cutting back the outrageous zucchini in the kitchen garden for the steven's family and pilot peak winery, www.pilotpeak.com , and this dang butterfly kept flitting around bugging me as i was trying to work...

caldron of lady bugs

2009-06-30T22:03:00.000-07:00

was doing fire control the other day down by the creek that runs through the property. we've had a few days of 100+ degrees so was out near sunset with the weed eater. had been working on a stand of calamagrostis with miscanthus and panicum scattered about. really a beautiful area and such a shame to have to cut it all down. but they are prime fire fuel. i'd just cut a large clump of fescue, turned around then back and saw a basketball sized mass of bright orange. was amazed to watch the mass of ladybugs. i ran the quarter mile to the house to get the camera and by the time i returned this is what was going on. i read that they clump like this to conserve heat!

windbag

2009-06-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

Leslie and I are presenting at the Nevada City Farmer's Market on the 11th of July. We're tabling and helping with the market. At 10:00 I'm speaking about the food production gap that can be filled between what the organic small farmers provide and what is available in the stores. Please come and throw me softball questions like "why don't the tomatoes that i buy in the major supermarkets taste like those that i used to eat when i was a youngster spending the summers with my grandparents?"

farmer's market

2009-06-14T22:32:00.000-07:00

here's what the first week of the nevada city farmer's market looked like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n-9HlCyf6M

the very beginning

2009-06-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

so a few years ago, we were living in a little bunk house on a 40 acre ranch that was at one time part of a 40,000 acre ranch in the foothills of the sierra nevada mountains. we were at the base of pilot peak, which is essentially a very large hill. i've been told by the old ranchers that there are thousands of rattle snakes up there but who knows. i do know that the maidu hold the area in very high regard.
we wanted to have a large garden but our landlord wasn't excited about the idea. i decided to simply start planting the tomatoes in amongst the roses and penstemons in the perennial gardens that i'd already created. low and behold i thought i'd come up with a whole new way to do landscape design: plant lettuces as ground cover along with strawberries. mix the peppers with the quince and artichokes to create different textures and color schemes, right out side the back door so they are all easy to harvest! use fruit trees as ornamentals. what a concept. i was going to be a millionaire finally, and i'd call the idea "edible landscaping".

then i learned of rosalind creasy and my hopes were only momentarily dashed. but out of that very small yard, maybe 800 sqft, we grew enough vegetables to feed ourselves, can some and share with 5 of our neighbors. out of this idea grew the idea of really farming. after all we were in the middle of ranch land.

the next growing season we created a small csa. we catered to the lake wild wood crowd. the folks in that area have a dickens of a time growing vegetable gardens because they aren't allowed to have fences and a fence is pretty important to keep the deer out. so instead they breed deer.
and we grew food for them(the people).
i learned a couple of important things that summer 1) farming and running a fulltime business is near suicidal, and 2) that i'm too stubborn for my own good sometimes.

i did enjoy the full moon harvests and watching the sun rise over the mountains.

though i enjoyed farming, i'm a much better gardener, that is, growing on a smaller and more intimate scale. and thus, with leslie's help we've expanded garden fare.

michael pollan

2009-06-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

just returned from berkeley and a weekend of flying around checking out gardens with leslie. went to an opening of a garden designed by willow rosenthal of city slicker farm. http://www.cityslickerfarms.org/
was a great event with other edible landscaping folks in attendance. was actually a fundraiser for a group of young filmmakers. Edible City will be out sometime in the near future. i just don't know when. here's a clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV77t9h8DfQ
michael pollan spoke as well. might be the only blog to not start with this fact first but actually i was more interested in seeing the garden and the film. but he was interesting. spoke to the idea that organic has hit the mainstream,i.e., that walmart is organic. also mentioned some of the obama administrations ideas about food. i don't really believe that the govt will actually back organic growers but stranger things have happened. i digress. so when he was finished with his chat he said he'd entertain one or two short questions. the first was from a person who stood up on her soap box(i saw it-mine looks similar)and ranted about the proposed zoning ordinance change that would allow homeowners to build a second dwelling on their property. her point being that this would eliminate even more food growing space similar to what happened with the subdivision boom(and bust). she went on for about 7 or 8 minutes-long enough for many people to start fidgeting. when she was finally done she did ask how michael might feel about this idea. he said that she'd already talked long enough about it and said, "next short question."

2009-04-11T16:44:00.000-07:00

next weekend, there's an event to benefit the Wolf Creek Community Alliance. local writer and park ranger, Rick Sanger is promoting Healing yourself as you heal the Planet! He's corralled a bunch of the local healers ranging from those who teach yoga to acupuncturist to nutritionist to provide therapy for you.

you can make appointments on line. for the complete schedule and to make appointments,
www.wolfcreekalliance.org

2009-04-07T09:44:00.000-07:00

spent yesterday prepping a new site for a garden in penn valley. there wasn't a cloud in the sky and was spring warm. butterflies and bees were hanging out all day with me and the dogs.
the space was an orchard that hasn't been cared for in a number of years. there are a couple of plums, a nectarine and tree that i haven't identified yet. i'll know more when it sets fruit. the existing trees are not healthy for lack of consistant water but they'll be encouraged with regular water. we did a spray of kelp to help them along. in early february i planted 15 jujubi's, some lang and some li, at the site. we'll add hazelnuts next week.

the food garden'll be about 3000 sqft. it's surrounded by blue and live oaks. a creek runs below and you can see that the soil is alluvial from the creek flooding in the distant past. in this area we're planning on potatoes, greens, peppers, carrots and beets, pumpkins and winter squash with additional space for the future. there is an additional site down the hill that will be for the tomato varieties.

2009-04-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

mali was interviewed last week on the program Forum, on KQED public radio in San Francisco. the show's topic was forced entrepreneurship brought on by the changing economy. though we've pursued growing food because of my passion, we have not been without our own career challenges.

take a listen. the entire show is interesting in itself but if you're only interested in the Garden Fare segment, fast forward the audio to 43:15.
http://www.kqed.org/epArchive/R904020900

2009-03-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

here is another food garden that we created after ripping out a lawn. this garden is in oakland, near lakeshore drive.

we spent four days working here. we installed in the pattern of a sunburst raised beds of redwood bender board and paths of gold crusher dust. the city had planted crape myrtles in the parkway and had damaged, but not repaired, the irrigation system. we excitedly found all the problems and made the necessary repairs.

the sunburst pattern is centered on each side of the house with an fuji apple and a bartlett pear. at the moment, there are mainly varieties of greens but as our tomato, eggplant and pepper starts mature they will be added. a lavander bed was planted in the front with penstamon and salvia varieties planted as a border. oregano and thyme were planted to replace lawn in the parkway and next to the driveway; the client will use them in her cooking and the flowers of the oregano can be used in small nosegay arrangements. we also worked in existing iris and succulents.

we are using various outlets to distribute the excess produce that we harvest.

2009-02-05T10:57:00.000-08:00

i was watering one the many compost piles that i've obsessively created. this one was at swenson ravine farm. it's a mixture of horse manure and stall shavings, cow manure, grass clippings and leaves with some dr. earth added to speed up the process.

the pile is far enough away from the hose that the hose isn't long enough to reach and since it was such a beautiful late winter day, only wispy clouds against the blue sky, the oaks were just beginning to show buds, i didn't round up another hose but simply stood and sprayed the water onto the pile from ten feet or so away. i'm sure this wasn't the most efficient use of my time but i was enjoying the color contrasts of the grey bark of the oaks and the bright green of the early spring grass and the warm sun was a nice change from the cold, grey of the last few weeks.

my thumb over the end of the hose was making a good stream to the piles but was making a not so wide spray at the same time, enough of a fine spray that bright green hummingbird came by for a quick shower and drink.

i was amazed to watch him ruffle himself and twist and turn to douse himself completely then hover as he grabbed a drink. his iridescent green and ruby throat gleaned in the mid afternoon sun. he flew up to a nearby leafless oak branch and i thought the short show was over. but he sat for only a moment and preened, then returned again. he, again, twisted and turned and bathed then landed closer this time on a dead rose branch waiting to be shredded for a future compost pile.

i wanted to walk slowly to my pickup and grab the camera but was afraid of losing the moment. so i simply watched this show for some ten minutes until he'd had himself enough and hummed off to the grevillea that were starting to bloom. again i was reminded that i have one of the best jobs that i know of.