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When propagating oak trees, the very best is to plant an acorn in the fall – directly in the ground and allow it to grow. Unfortunately, over winter, your planted acorn may be feasted on by rodents, and the acorns planted by birds and squirrels …
Listen to the Latest Episode of Woolgathering Podcast: Beatriz Chapters 22 and 23 In this episode, Merula and Beatriz find where the witches have been hiding! At last! Can you believe it?
Propagating Succulents! Another trial run in plant propagation. This time I wanted to attempt propagating this particular succulent. (I don’t know its name.) In the past I have propagated jade plants and aloes, but I had yet to try snipping a leaf from a succulent. …
Walnut Dyeing! It’s been a couple years since I boiled walnuts for fun, but the green orbs were calling to me this year. About three weeks ago, I collected 15 lbs of fallen walnuts. This was easy to do because we have plenty of black …
Happy Labor Day! Today, I am grateful to all of the people who grow our food. Farming is intense and laborious work – especially if you are practicing regenerative farming techniques. Farmers farm because of their deep connections to soil, environment, plants, and animals. I’m …
I survived making Red HOT Chili Pepper Flakes!! Over the course of several seventh grade volleyball games, my Mom has plunged into my arms a couple trays laden with enormous tomatoes that my super-gardener cousin grew. We quickly turned them into pico de gallo salsa. …
It’s a new episode of The Woolgathering Podcast! In this episode, Gloria finds a curious treasure in the attic. Listen here! Or wherever you get your podcasts!
I draw my dog Lucy like Jack draws one of his French girls. She is my muse and my inspiration. I don’t know why, but I find the shapes that she makes with her resting body to be so interesting. Part of me wishes I …
I dried some mint for tea this morning! This was my first time doing so, and I am fairly content with my results. We grow mint at several locations not only because it is a yummy herb, but because it spreads easily as a ground …
Okay, Part 2 of the cornelian cherries saga continues with homemade jelly. This jelly, which Patrick made with a hefty amount of lemon juice, is just delicious! It’s tart and bright and lovely on buttermilk biscuits or as a topper on a scoop of vanilla …
Here are some drawings of things that we have been harvesting from our gardens this Summer. We’ve had SO many green beans. It’s been a bean bonanza! Last year there were so many cucumbers and chile peppers. It’s interesting to see what is a boom …
This was a fun process to explore on this beautiful, sunny day. Artist Janelle Rae (former artist in residence at Spring Bird/current creator of the honeysuckle meditation hut featured in the blue bench meadow) recommended making hammer prints with the zinnias that we are growing. …
In last week’s Woolgathering Podcast, I mentioned the Dog Days of Summer, and then immediately admitted I didn’t know the origin behind that phrase, which I understood to mean the really hot days of Summer that occur towards the end of the season. So, I …
This is cornelian cherry juice. Pat made it by boiling cornelian cherries (with pits) in water for about a half an hour. Then he strained it and heated the juice with sugar until the sugar dissolved. (This is the ratio: 5 kilo cherries – 6 …
There are some seasonal changes that are not necessarily connected to our natural worlds. As Summer starts to fade into Fall (don’t worry, there is still plenty of Summer ahead), two seasonal markers of Fall have shown themselves already. One is “Jean Jacket Weather”! I …