Path of Peace: New Garden Bed and Garden Greens

We finally started planting and cutting back dead growth at Fair Share yesterday. Here is the new peace sign lettuce bed that was planted. This bed was started months and months ago with a truck load of Sargassum seaweed collected from the beach. It rotted down nicely and the soil is very dark and rich here.



The lovely winter hardy fennel is looking lush and undisturbed by January freezes.


We had a huge crowd of people at the garden. I guess people are happy to be out and about now that it has warmed up here. Luckily there was a lot of work to do. I may have to start thinking ahead though. A lot of people were asking me what to do next. Besides cutting back the dead plant material I started a lot of seeds in pots or direct sown into the raised beds. Some of the seeds that I started yesterday included Red clover, Rama Tulsi, Krishna Tulsi, Parsley, Lemon Eucalyptus, Tropical Tomato from Echo, watermelon, Agrimony. The kids also planted one of the raised beds with butter nut squash seeds that I had saved.


Arugala or Salad? Salad or Arugala? Or is it both? This was the big question about this flowering plant in the herb spiral. Well I think the answer is both. It grew up in the spiral underneath where the planted Arugala had gone to seed last year. And yes, this was quite near the 'Mesclun salad mix' bed that one of our volunteers planted, but Arugala is also a part of Mesclun salad, so I think the answer is both. I still think the Arugala is from volunteer seedlings from the mother Arugala plant, not just misplaced seeds from the salad bed.

St. Patty's Day Jewelry from LindaB

Green is my favorite color, so of course these St. Patty's Day items jumped out at me when I was browsing at Linda B's Beaded Jewelry Shop on Etsy. Linda loves color and what the gemstones and colors symbolize and create one-of-a-kind, unusual designs of handbeaded gemstone and glass pendants, bracelets, earrings, beaded bookmarks, rings, beaded keychains and car mirror jewelry. Linda also has a colorful blog that she updates frequently.


Linda is currently offering 10% off any Judaica item purchases through 3/12/10. You can convo her on etsy to change the price before purchase using the subject Judaica.

Saturday's Herb Farm Adventure

I had a lovely day Saturday at Magggie's Herb farm. The plants are coming along in the green house after a long freeze. I was happy to be able to pick up some new plants to replace the ones that I lost in January. Some of the herbs I took home included Calendula like the lovely flowering ones pictured here, Patchouli, True Rose Geranium, Tilo, and Lemon Balm.

Most of the mother plants were still recovering so we worked with dried herbs for making our tinctures during our Herbal Medicine Making class. My students chose dried Goldenrod, Motherwort, Lavender to make their tinctuers. Our honey cough and sore throat syrup came out nicely. We used a blend of thyme, yarrow, lemongrass, marjorum, and horehound for the decoction.


The big question was when are you coming back to teach? I am very happy these new students liked the class. I am not sure If I will be back there to teach there this summer, but I am hoping at latest to resume classes in the Fall. When Moira was a baby I never left her with others for long or took her out in the world with me to work as my students were suggesting. I love visiting and teaching at the farm too much to stay away though, so I'm sure we will find a good solution.

Think Spring! Spring Sale with Unique Women in Business

UNIQUE WOMEN IN BUSINESS THINK SPRING SALE MARCH 5TH - 8TH

All floral items from Aquarian Bath are on sale 20% off on Etsy: Floral soaps, floral perfumes, lavender neck pillows and more. Natural scents of Jasmine sambac, Ylang Ylang, Lavender, Rose Geranium, Vanilla. To receive your discount place your etsy order as usual and I will send a revised paypal invoice. Alternatively place your order and paypal as usual; I will refund 20% off your floral products.

Search 'UWIBSPRING' on Etsy for more sale items from other Unique Women in Business and visit our blog. I've included some of my favorites here which will be on sale or have discounted shipping from other UWIB members, the first of which is the Bleeding Hearts print from Lindentreephotograph.

Love Birds Necklace by Garden Vibe.


Green romantic shrug by Ayca


Spring Flowers Necklace by CobwebCorner.


Happiness by RobinMariaPedrero


Sea Grapes bracelet by AudreyGardenLady

Hello Spring!!! (or close enough for Spring Planting in Florida)

Hurray! Today is March 1st. For Central Florida in my growing zone that means the danger of frost and freezes has past. Quiet happily this coincides also with me coming back to my normal self after being in bed on and off all weekend with a head cold. I started out my day with preparations for spring growing. I pruned back all the dead wood from the Neem and Moringa olefiera trees, the candle bush (Senna alata), cork screw gingers, hibiscus, and various other shrubs and herbs. I weeded the old mugwort from mugwort patch. There are already lots of little baby variegated mugworts coming up. Finally I turned the raised bed and compost pile.

I've been looking through my seed box and have pulled a few items to get started in the raised be this week. I'm going to give butternut squash, amaranth, red clover, okra and watermelon a go in the raised bed. I have various other seeds to start in pots including holy basil, agrimony, calendula,tomatos and bell peppers. I think somewhere I have bok choi and parsley seed too.

Wednesday I will get the herbs pruned back and start seeds in the flats I prepared at the Fair Share Garden. I'll be sure to post pictures when things start growing.