Painful Plantings

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica)

Normally I enjoy the ritual of putting new plants into the garden and its promise of a fresh start. However, this weekend when I was asked to help plant out a couple of flats of stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) I was skeptical. The “sting” side of the plant was the first thing to pop into my mind and I wasn’t eager to get in too close and personal. When it came down to it all I had to do was put on a long sleeved shirt and some gardening gloves and the plants didn’t give me any trouble. So, why plant this stinging perennial herb?

A Day of Gratitude

What is gratitude? “It’s gardening!” piped in one of the kids during last week’s farm field trip. Not exactly what I had in mind when asking the question, but I certainly liked the answer. K-3 students from the Pacific Community Charter School came out to Windy Hollow Farm for a “squeeze-it-in-before-the-rainy-season-really-hits” field trip. We did end up with a bit of drizzle during the day, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of this rowdy crew. Breaking into small groups, all of the students had a turn at hand-cranking pumpkin ice cream, baking pumpkin muffins, collecting flower seeds, and crafting a tree of gratitude.

Rethinking the Fall Cleanup

Fall in the garden can be a bit “messy” with perennials dying back, vegetables going to seed, and trees losing leaves. But, rather than becoming overwhelmed  with the necessity of tidying up the gardens, take a minute to read this excerpt about fall cleanup from the Garden Coach’s Blog for Gardeners.

Rain Water Catchment Events

The winter rains are coming and it’s time to get ready to catch some of the water that will soon be cascading off your roof. There are several events this Saturday that could help you get ready.

Green Roofs

Light green roof at Findhorn

I just came home from an eco-village training program at Findhorn in Scotland where I was learning how communities can become sustainable and more socially connected. While I was there I was inspired by all of the green roofs in the eco-village. They were on everything from large commercial buildings, such as the concert hall, to private homes and even small bike sheds and outhouses. The green roofs help these buildings blend into the  landscape, slow down run-off, and act as insulation. I really like how they restore the building site itself to natural habitat for wildlife.