As I sat in the Newark airport today, I came across a NY Times article in the Food Section about some sort of rare, exotic fruit that actually has the ability to make other foods take on completely different flavors.  For example:  lemons would taste sweet, beer would taste like chocolate, etc.  They were small, looked a bit like cherries.  

Anyone out there experienced one of these fruits?  Apparently Magic Fruit Parties are becoming popular.  People just go, eat a fruit, hold it in their mouths for about 5 minutes before swallowing, and then get to experience an hour or so of exotic new taste.

It's like Willy Wonka meets Timothy Leary...

 

 

Yesterday I wandered over to a neighbor's.  She has recently created a bed near her house but was concerned about the possibility of lead in the soil (her house is older), specifically in dark, leafy green veggies.   I was wondering if anyone else has heard about this.

We have two amazing lilac trees in our back yard.  The flowers are actually weighing down the limbs.  Does anyone know when (if) they should be pruned?  

So, I have access to a neighbor's Tiller and I have to confess, I'm a little intimidated.  I was all gung-ho to borrow it, but now I'm hearing rumors of the Soil Being Too Damp and that I might destroy molecular structures within the soil if I don't wait for a few sunny days.  (Also not to add compost right now while it's so wet)

I want to till our garden to prep it for the many MANY seeds my husband has started.  Any advice out there would be greatly appreciated!

Here is the thing.  In several old houses I've been in I've noticed many MANY ladybugs in the upstairs bedrooms.  I know gardeners are always trying to attract ladybugs to their plants...why is it they like to hang out in 19th century bedrooms?

While walking around downtown Asheville today I, on a whim, took the kids to a new cafe called Green Sage (at Broadway & College.) They are all about serving local, fresh, organic food -- and it was really good.  

They have salads, wraps, kids' menu options, sandwiches, smoothies, soup, baked goods and beer/wine.  Big and open enough to be kid friendly, but also sofas for lounging or solo computer work.  They have a list on their menu of all of the local suppliers -- nearly everything is from NC.  They compost all uneaten food as well.

So any Asheville Greenthumbrs should check it out.  I was impressed (and my 6.99 spinach salad with roasted beets and shallot dressing was delicious.)

So much rain.  But no rain barrels around our home.  Seems to me they would be perfect.  Our basement has been known to leak somewhat due to a faulty spout so why not just diver the water completely away...?

Questions:  1. What kind to buy (plastic, wood, ceramic?)

2. how far can we pipe water?

3. mosquitoes?

4. pressure enough to spray hose, or would slow drip be better?

My husband gave this book by Barbara Kingsolver last spring and it threw me into a torrent of planting, tending, growing.  The entire month of May last year we had spinach for dinner each night.  My 2 boys (ages 4 & 6 at the time) were not as disheartened by the new influx of greens in their lives as I had feared.  Resignation may have been the word.  At any rate, it did thrill me to be pulling up greens from the earth and no cutting into pre-bagged greens.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is about the true life-change that Kingsolver's family goes through in an effort to become more aware of sustainable living.  It does strike me that somehow my own family's day-to-day needs (laundry, carpools, snacks, homework, play-dates, soccer games, etc.) are in direct contrast to the earth-earnest connected days of the Kingsolver's.  I don't know how to get there, without picking up and moving to a remote farm (and perhaps convincing a publisher to support my efforts!)

However, I suppose moderation is always a good place to start. Such as not planting 30 tomato plants your first year....  Also, weeding and watering did get pushed to the back burner many afternoons in favor of a swim, or going to the Hop for ice-cream, or climbing the maple tree. 

Although making ones own goat cheese on weekly basis does have it's pull.  Must be the Laura Ingalls Wilder in me.

In short: I found this to be an inspirational book, which can be used for either pure reading pleasure, a guide to better food-lable-reading (esp. Locally Grown) or an impetus to launch your own small vegetable farm.

 

 

So, we are trying to warm up our big fat house with some houseplants.  I initially was thinking about a lemon tree/bush because that's what my mom had when I was growing up.  It only produced one or two lemons per year.  But they were huge and my grandmother would always come to town and make about 4 lemon pies from them.  No kidding.

But I digress.  I'd like a lemon tree, just to honor my mom, but we don't get enough direct sunlight.  So I think I'd like to look for something else.  Meanwhile, I was at Lowe's today looking for curtain rods and wandered into their nursery department.  There were lots of big/tree houseplants that seemed like they'd work well.  I want to do more research on what exactly would be right for our home, but I was feeling pangs of Should Wait and Buy from a Local Grower vs. Buying On The Spot from The Chain...

more later -- this journal thing is new for me.

 

 

Hi guys - this all looks great.  I had a little trouble changing my image.  That could be that I am technophobe.  But Lance agreed that it was a bit obscure.  Anyway, I'm letting you know.  That's it!