SEE, NOW *THIS* IS THE REAL PRICE OF FREEDOM: recalcitrant, rebellious eggs, with no regard for order whatsoever. Talk about fresh eggs! Thanks, Andre Jordan, for reminding me to pick up a dozen at the farmer’s market Saturday…the ones I raise here aren’t anywhere near “ripe” yet.
I WATCHED A ZOOM lecture the other day that really put into words a lot of the ways my own deepening understanding of ecology is shaking up the way I practice horticulture—from spring cleanup, right on to the last chore of the active year. The lecturer was Rebecca McMackin, director of horticulture for Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City, where she leads the team that manages 85 acres of diverse parkland with a central focus on habitat creation of woodlands, wetlands, and meadows to build soils and support birds, butterflies, and other organisms.
We talked about the dynamic tactics they use and when and why–a whole different approach to spring cleanup, where the life cycles of animals (from insects on up) dictate what happens when, garden maintenance-wise. Like why some things don’t get cut back, and others that are still seed-laden when they do have their seeds collected and set aside, then returned to the spot after whatever cleanup is needed there.
(Stream it below, read the illustrated transcript or subscribe free.)
It is miserable here today. In fact it has been all week. Rainy, cold, and rather like fall instead of summer. I cannot think of a better remedy than an Andre doodle, and this one, with a Socialist egg, might be my favorite of all time. Thank you Andre and Margaret!
I really needed a chuckle. Somehow managed to get into a fight with some poison ivy and the poison ivy won. So Miserable. Thanks Andre!.
Margaret,
After becoming addicted to your blog a couple of months ago and reading though everything you have written here so entertainingly and knowledgeably, I can’t believe that you need to pay a trip to farmers market to get some eggs. Two beautiful chickens in an even more beautiful coop I believe are a must in your garden.
I wonder if this is a dinner party for Jack the Demon that I’m suggesting?…
Hi, Irena. No chickens here — too many wild things (not just Jack — he’d be the least of my troubles when it came to who’d stop by for chicken tartare). Being in a state park and forest (all around me is wild and crazy land) it’s just asking for trouble, and even more visitors that I have now!
I agree with Irena about chickens: Mine are decoratively strutting around the yard cleaning up insects and, almost every day this time of year, laying very tasty eggs. They are 4 very small Bantams that don’t even fly over the 18″ high chicken fence that surrounds my gardens outside the higher deer fences. There’s a photo of some of my chickens, some chicks, and the fence at http://leereich.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html.
Hi, Lee. How nice to see you here. I take it you don’t live with a family of gray fox, a lone adult red fox, and more raccoons than you can count. Oh, and then there’s the bears and coyotes and fisher cats and and and … being in the state land here, it’s blood-curdling screams in the night more night than not coming from the woods and fields around me, someone getting eaten. Even my farmer neighbors got sick of dealing with dead chickens all the time, some creature always trying to break in. I forgot to mention weasels. :) I will just remain envious of your great coop and the Bantams.
Hi, Margaret, any hints for a fig tree? I planted it about 4 weeks ago, with a lot of compost at the bottom of the hole. The leaves seem to be turning yellow… Too much compost? too much water? Any help appreciated.
Hi, Meryl. Obviously I can’t see from here, and I don’t know where you are and what the weather has been, but transplanting is stressful for many plants, even in the best circumstances. If it loses some leaves it will bounce back I bet. As for watering: You want to give it enough so that it never comes close to wilting, of course, but not water again when the soil is still moist down below from the last time – you kind of have to feel around and make sure it needs watering again, if you know what I mean. This is not particular to figs, but just generally — you don’t want to swamp the plant, nor deprive it and stress it from underwatering, either.
Andre, thank you. I always cringe a little when I pay attention to the price of the grocery store’s free-range eggs, but hey, you can’t put a price on freedom, right? I’ll be chuckling in the checkout line…
Thanks, Margaret, I will follow your advice and keep watching.
Yesterday, I finally got my tomatoes in! The rain and the need to get the plot tilled(and a huge delay in being able to get it done) caused more time to go by than ideal. Still, if all goes well, we will hopefully get a good crop. I had 6 yards of organic compost (leaves and grass) incorporated to get a start on improving the soil and hope to get more when the growing season is over. It is my goal never to till again, just keep applying great compost. I do have a problem that I hope you can advise about: the garden plot is situated behind an old barn, painted red years ago and very likely shedding lead and who knows what other toxic stuff. I’m not planting food crops nearer than 15 feet away, but wonder what’s the best way to deal with the clear ground. Can I plant flowers and something like comfrey? Ideally, I’d like to grow something that will clean the soil, but while trying to do that I don’t want to poison beneficial insects and birds that may be attracted. what do you recommend? Thank you so much for your consideration. And, is15 feet a safe distance for food crops?