a week in color {№9}

there is no doubt the weeks when spring is transitioning to summer are the most lush and technicolor of all.  we are living in a riot of colors here on gypsy hill.  it is almost (almost) too much for me.  it is right around this time when i dream of wearing white cotton voile sundresses with french linen pinafores to balance and soften my rainbow world.

here's what i was up to last week:

i planted a wood trough of succulents for the outdoor dining table (above).

i confirmed my love affair with all things floral at pharsalia's flower workshop.

i put together a mini outdoor altar.  mary and lakshmi, together in peace, bringing blessings to the homestead.

i finished planting the herbs on the kitchen balcony.  i just realized that in this photo, it pretty much looks like only flowers.  there's rosemary, lavender, three different thymes, oregano, green and purple basil, mint and cilantro in there as well.  also, the fig tree (off to the side) so far looks like it recovered from the polar vortex.

i made many many trips to the karma garden to gather this year's strawberry harvest.

i painted a bit.

i ate honeysuckle jam (honeysuckle jam!) that i got at the farmers' market.

i made the best guacamole known to man for memorial day afternoon but we ended up devouring it before lunch.

i ate this giant bowl of happy with avocado, organic greens and flowers from the farmers' market.

i got scapes at the market too.  have you had them?  i'm going to make pesto, i think.

this week the karma garden is giving us strawberries, catmint and arugula.  the tomatoes are beginning to flower and when i water them, they give off that tomato leaf scent that reminds me of my grandma's california garden.  reminds me of love.

spring sprouting::three ways

sprouting №1:  to eat

when i was a girl, our kitchen window sill always had one or two jelly jars with a giant avocado pit suspended above water, held at the rim of the jar by toothpicks.  as the days went by, a sprout would emerge to form the beginning of an avocado tree.  we had several planted around the yard.  the california sun pretty much guaranteed the production of luscious avocados.  

we are not so lucky (with avocados) in virginia.

so i am playing homage to the giant pit of green perfection of my childhood by sprouting on a smaller scale.  adzuki beans, chickpeas, green peas and mung beans will sprout delightfully nutritious sprouts to eat on the fly or throw into a wrap or on a veggie burger.

rinse your beans and let soak overnight.  rinse twice more and drain.  measure one-half cup of plumped and cleaned beans into a jar.  cover with a double or triple layer of cheesecloth and secure with elastic bands.  each morning, fill the jar with water to give the beans a nice shower and drink.  drain off the water through the cheesecloth and give your jar a nice couple of shakes.  in a few days, sprouts will emerge.  continue with the daily shower-shake.  when your sprouts are about two inches, you can eat them.  remove them from their jars and store in a glass container in the fridge for up to one week.

talk about nourishment straight from the source.

sprouting №2:  to grow

this year, i'm starting plants for the karma garden from seed.  i chose organic, non-gmo heirloom seeds and am starting them in organic, sustainable mix.  added eco-bonus-points:  toilet paper rolls as tiny pots.

i am so excited about these two especially:  purple carrots and green zebra tomatoes (who did not do so well last year).

i'm making tiny flags for them.  i did not mark my plants very well in the garden last year and i think we "weeded" a lot of good stuff.  while we are getting better at identifying our plants, we still need a little help.

once planted, these little guys need to be kept moist and under grow lights.  in my opinion this is the perfect excuse to buy that child's blue elephant watering can i've been eyeing.  :)

sprouting №3:  me

this spring, i am metaphorically germinating:

• trail running
• a bigger organic garden plot (if we decide to do it on our land instead of the college's organic garden, it will need to be in the front yard because the back is too shaded with the forest.  this is a big move and a big statement.)
• more yoga
• nyc
• leaning into the gypsiness of my travelling job
• making each trip an adventure
• making each day an adventure

paint and paper and pencil

i got a little carried away making a sign for our plot at the organic garden.  it will read "good karma garden."  i like that:  happy sun and good karma.

in the garden

in the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.

-margaret atwood

we have planted! 


since this little project started a bit late, we had to purchase some plants.  and since this is the karma garden, i specifically asked for non-monsanto tomato plants at the nursery.  rookie mistake:  i didn't have a list with me.  we were sold four heirloom varieties and one (lemon boy) is on the list.  i'm so sad to have to uproot pretty little lemon boy and take him back, but i refuse to support monsanto, even if it's only $2.79.   i thought if it was heirloom it would be safe.  lesson learned.

next year, seeds will be purchased from baker creek seeds to ensure total good karma.  big gratitude to meg and meg's mom for the amazing catalog. 

aren't the chicks getting big? 


i hope you get a little dirty this weekend.

the organic garden

behind the campus of randolph college, where my husband teaches (me too, every other year), a group of students started a community garden.  this year ken surprised me with our own little four-foot-by-ten-foot plot.  on saturday we spent a few hours clearing out our little space and dreaming about what we wanted to plant.

new young chickens arrived a few weeks ago.  these are ameraucana birds, who lay the lovely teal-colored eggs.  we can get all of our eggs from the garden.  they are totally organic.  and we can express our gratitude to the chickens.  good food karma.

several students spend their saturday afternoons helping out around the garden.  sweet kay came over to lend a hand with our weeding.

there are fruit trees too.  the peach trees are in bloom.  they are so bright, the air surrounding them is almost tinted pink.

the ducks roam free between the plots.  there are several ponds where they splash around and engage in duck shenanigans.

our plot is on a terraced slope, with a view of the chicken houses.  the bees buzz around their hives behind the chickens.

it is such a beautiful place to make friends, enjoy some peace and grow good food.  children chase the ducks as their parents work side by side with students from around the world.  there is a meeting space off to the side.  i've heard stories of gatherings around the bonfire after hours of hard work, coming together to talk and celebrate the garden and all of its gifts.

einstein is the boss of the chicken house.  he's quite handsome, don't you agree?

we feel so lucky to have this space.  our home sits in a forest of trees and is too shaded to grow vegetables.  i'm looking forward to the goodness to come this summer.

one hundred things i love {51-60}

51. the wee patio outside my kitchen door.  here lives a little herb garden, ivy growing wild and free and the rusty old blue schwin.
52. chai and rainbows.
53. that i can be in a total loser mood and force myself to think about ten things i love and the funk shifts.  just like that.
54.  heading to the karma garden first thing in the morning to water.  the combination of silence and growth makes it my favorite way to start a day.
55. wanderlust.  currently dissonantly dreaming about india and disneyland and dollywood and letting the pacific rush over me.
56.  my husband has the best voice.  seriously, sometimes he can be talking about our stock portfolio or mowing the lawn or taking the dog to the vet and i get all swoony.
57.  he reads to me in bed.  i am lucky.
58.  striped maxi skirts. 
59.  eating vegetarian.  because i can live on falafel and avocado and sweet potatoes.
60.  the traditional mennonite families that sell their fruit and veg and pie at the farmers market.  they have a quiet and solid presence that is so rare.  i am intrigued by their way of life.

the perfect summer weekend

this weekend was

1. lazy
2. slow
3. cool(ish)
4. not too humid
5. free of obligation
6. full of gifts from the earth

after saturday morning yoga, we took a beautiful drive to a peach orchard and picked a peck.

we shared a peach milkshake under the orchard canopy.  isn't this just lovely?  i wish i would have planned ahead and prepared a proper picnic.

but i suppose "no planning required" was another thing that made this weekend perfect.

our karma garden is giving us so much goodness this year.  the abundance of cucumbers and dill informed our choice for sunday supper:  cold cucumber soup.

cooking straight from the garden is something i'm getting better at as the summers roll by.

this is the perfect summer supper:  fresh, cooling, light.

c u c u m b e r  s o u p  with  h e r b s  and  p e t a l s

ingredients

•  3 large cucumbers
• 1 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt 
• 2 or 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• zest of one lemon
• juice of half the lemon
• handful fresh dill
• handful fresh parsley
• sea salt
• course ground black pepper
• herbs and edible flowers for garnish (i used the dill blooms, oregano flowers, nasturtiums and calendula)
• olive oil

preparation

• if you prefer your soup smooth, peel all three cucumbers, scrape out the seeds and give a rough chop
• *if you prefer your soup a bit rustic (as shown), leave one of the cucumbers unpeeled and add it to the soup after the soup has been processed
• put cucumbers, yogurt, finely minced garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, dill and parsley in food processor and pulse to desired consistency
• salt and pepper to taste
• move soup to alternate glass container
• *if you prefer the rustic version, process the third unpeeled cucumber to a rough consistency now and add to the soup
• place in fridge and let it chill for at least one hour
• when it's time to serve, garnish with more fresh herbs, flowers and more course ground black pepper; drizzle with olive oil
• serve with toasted baguette or croutons

as an introvert, a perfect weekend for me always involves some quiet alone time.  i took a walk away from the crowd and stumbled upon this secret lotus pond.  there was one giant white bloom, a few perfect buds and a corps de ballet of electric blue and black dragonflies dancing about.

a serendipitous and magical prize for a solitary meander.

thank you weekend.  thank you summer.  thank you life.