Monthly Archives: February 2018

Savoring Home Grown Heritage Beans

  Blissful Bean Based Dishes February’s continuing cold is making both gardening and daily walks a lot brisker. Though buds are slowly swelling and a few brave plants are blooming, most are on hold, waiting for warmer weather. Me too, … Continue reading

Posted in Health & Wellbeing, preserving food, Recipes, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living, Vegan Recipes | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Of Wind And The Absence of Power

Gathering Moss This weekend, howling gusts tore through the Maritime Northwest, tossing branches everywhere and felling trees as well as power lines. Our small island was left largely powerless (many folks still are), a condition that scares some people into … Continue reading

Posted in Health & Wellbeing, Moss, Sustainable Living | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Restoring Habitat For Birds, Bees, and Butterflies

So are we, and so are a host of small creatures that lived in those woods. Birds and bats, raccoons and foxes, insects and snakes, slugs and salamanders, all displaced if not killed outright. The good news is that it doesn’t take a lot of space to house many of these beings. The bad news is that they need a bit of the wild, and any touch of wild is in danger these days. When I work with homeowners, I often hear that they want to welcome birds and nurture bees, yet the first thing they want to get rid of is the messy tangle of blackberries and salal, huckleberries and wild roses that so often edge the property. Even when I point out that such tangles are home and buffet for the very creatures they want to welcome, it’s clear that many folks can’t live with that lack of controlled appearance. Leaving some wild can be a hard sell, since our ideas about tidiness can be deeply rooted. Thus, it’s hugely important to equally deeply consider why we may think that the appearance of control is more important than a healthy, intact habitat environment. Continue reading

Posted in Annual Color, Early Crops, Easy Care Perennials, Garden Prep, Gardening With Children, Health & Wellbeing, Planting & Transplanting, Pollinators, Soil, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lovely (Vegan) Lasagna

Magic Ingredients My family recently celebrated the second birthday of my delightful granddaughter, who requested a kitty party (face paint, costumes games) with a huge shark pinata (cats eat fish right?). After the fish course was dealt with (whack!), folks … Continue reading

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