Category Archives: seasons

the fairy gate later

Do you remember the fairy gate we made?  More than two years ago, the crape myrtle suffered wind damage so we kept her shed branches.  They had so much character that we decided to create the Fairy Gate.

eloise under the fairy gate

And then there was this later in the summer:

e under the fairy arch in 8/10

And now there is this:

eloise under the fairy gate, 2012

This was taken today, two years after the first photo — E missing her two front teeth and wearing the same shirt as almost two years ago.

Remember, though, that last year I found that a volunteer rose had come up at the base of the fairy gate

rose

And here is that rose today:

fairy gate rose

And again from a different perspective:

rose at curious farm

While I love the images that show how my daughter has grown, I also am so touched by this rose that grew on her own right next to the fairy gate.  She grew in the middle of a bed of brassicas.  She hasn’t flowered yet, but I think she’s a dog rose or a climbing rose of some kind.  These small miracles keep me going.  How could a climbing rose know to grow right there, where she could stretch happily over some old branches?  I think the fairies planted her. 

Magic is afoot at Curious Farm. 

 

in the garden, almost spring…

bittercress

Do you have this growing in your yard, too?  It’s called bittercress or popweed, and I love it in salads.  We’re going to eat this particular lovely and a few of her friends tomorrow night.  It tastes like watercress or arugula, and it is a wild brassica (cousin to broccoli and cabbage).  The texture — raw, in salads — is springy and fun.

Look!  The lovage is peeking up (red spears below) — just in time for Spring!

lovage in March

And Hello, Rhubarb!

rhubarb

This is its first full year here, and it’s growing nicely on the herbal lawn with the clover, yarrow, and dandelions.  Someday its proud red stalks will be a structural element in the front yard — and a pickling ingredient, too.

Happy almost spring!

spring quickening

Today is Imbolc/Candlemas/Brigid’s Day/ Groundhog’s Day.   All of these holidays have something to do with looking for signs of spring or returning to the garden again to prepare for the coming spring.  This is the day mid-way between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, and we can see signs of spring everywhere if we look.

Today I found daffodils coming up:

daffodils coming up in february

And I saw garlic coming up:

garlic in spring

Hello, Rhubarb!  She made it through her first winter here!

rhubarb coming up in february

And here is one of the generous kale plants that has been feeding us for more than a year — still producing delicious, tender leaves:

kale in february

And here is the lady-in-charge among the hens.  It took me awhile to realize that this quiet, sweet, watchful one was really the big boss because the others were so noisy in their petty squabbles.  This one rules the roost, and she is just done molting.

australorp in charge

Some robins are eating the crabapples still left on the Evereste tree out front.  Can you see three?

robins in the crabapple tree

And then this sweet beet broke my heart…  look at her!  She survived the winter and is hanging on proudly to the dirt while she sends up glorious new leaves to welcome in the sun.  My gosh, how do we survive the winter sometimes?!  But we do.

beet in february

Blessings to you as we head toward spring!

 

sunshine!

ginger turmeric tonic sauerkraut

I am uncrocking a batch of Curious Farm Ginger-Turmeric Tonic Sauerkraut this morning, and the color is glorious.  The smell is delicious — gingery, warm, uplifting.

Come to Food Front on NW Thurman Street this Sunday, December 11th, from noon – 3pm and try some of this healing sauerkraut.  It’s a burst of sunshine to give us all hope until the sun begins to grow again after Solstice.

this morning in the garden…

I went out into the garden this morning to harvest some greens for kimchi, and this is what I saw…

cabbage

A brave little cabbage that has grown to glory itself and to prove me wrong about not being able to grow cabbage to save my life.  Grace.

kale

The kale, some planted last fall, are still producing.

rose

The “volunteer” (or fairy-planted) rose continues to grow over the fairy arch.

figs

There are a lot of figs on the trees!  Please ripen!  Please ripen!

motherwort

More motherwort grows, and I’m grateful because I use her often to help soothe my anxiety and get through hard days.  She calms and nourishes the heart, and her bitter flavor helps the liver.

What grows in your gardens, friends?  What are you noticing or harvesting — in concrete or metaphoric ways?  Life is a garden, thank goodness.