Growing Wisdom Gardens

Winter Slumber

2012-01-06T17:37:00.000-08:00

After the colors fade,

the earth begins to tuck itself in

under blankets of frost and wind swept grass.

And we settle in for the long stretch.

As the sunlight shortens,

and the fire must grow.

While dreaming and planning we dance all alone,

while whistling along to our favorite songs.

herbal allies

2011-09-20T09:02:00.000-07:00

Calendula blossoms drying. Calendula is one of my favorite herbs for enhancing lymphatic circulation and healing gut inflammation. It also makes a lovely healing oil for topical uses.

We managed to get a few beautiful heirloom tomato volunteers before the stink bugs set in for late summer eating.

We had tons of sweet annie this year, a wonderful smelling, anti-malarial protection plant

My prized passionflower, a transplant from Smile herb shop, brought to me by Holly Torgerson. I have been trying for 3 years to get a passionflower to grow, and this one has rewarded me with many beautiful flowers. The most amazing flower on the planet! Passionflower is one of my favorite herbs for calming an overactive mind and gently lulling one to sleep.

The queenly elecampane, towering above the rest of the garden. Elecampane root is a valuable lung tonic, helping you to expel phlegm and congestion from the lungs.

harvests

2011-09-20T08:40:00.000-07:00

My newfound magical herb friend: Nigella, or Black Cumin seed. A beautiful flower and wonderful cure-all from the middle eastern herbal tradition. The seeds are eaten and used for "everything that ails you"

This has been the year of cherry tomatoes! We didn't plant any tomatoes in anticipation of stink bugs. Then we had a thousand volunteer plants that I left in the ground and lo and behold, stink bugs didn't bother them much! That means cherry tomatoes coming out of our ears!
Look at this giant lettuce leaf basil! We've been busy harvesting my 5 types of basil to make enough pesto to last throughout the winter

A red kuri squash flower gets magically turned into a delicious squash
Our first year growing onions from seed, started in february, harvested in september

2011-07-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

Now that spring has come and gone, we've been very busy keeping the garden civil. The herbal wheel has been filled in with herbal reseedings from last year, volunteers from compost, and invasions of clover, grass, and thistles. Having a garden in the middle of a wild hay field means constant weeding of prolific wind-blown seedlings. It is very humbling to leave for a week and come back to a garden that is reclaiming itself. Despite lots of sun and little water since spring, most of the beloved herbs I have introduced are thriving.

summer garden 2011

2011-07-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

The chestnut trees have been buzzing with bees and musky flower pheremones as the flowers begin their growth into baby chestnuts
The foxglove is quite at home in its little corner it has carved out beside the wormwood

And we've got new arrivals who most likely hitched a ride over here from Carolyn's garden in the compost we spread in the spring: Poppies! Such an amazing plant to watch bloom- each bent over stem waits for its turn to pop into scarlet bloom brilliantly for a day and then fall to pieces of red confetti on the ground

And lamb's wool, that soft furry queen whose purple flowers are loved by bees and pollinators. She's made herself quite happy here.

summer garden 2011

2011-07-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

Salvia azurea, or blue sage, coming back from last year

The chamomile (that I never planted) has come back with abundance, and I have been harvesting some for tea

Early in spring I scattered dill seeds everywhere and it made a nice green feathery groundcover

Which in a month has turned into giant yellow firework flowers, swaying in the wind

summer garden 2011

2011-07-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

Amazing iris color display in Carolyn's English garden

So excited that the Blue Cohosh I brought back from Ohio is alive and well!

Happy garlic!

happy lettuce
happy kale!

Garden 2011

2011-07-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely time watching the emergence of spring, with gorgeous iris, blooming onion, forsythia, and dogwoods

lemon balm awakening from its slumber to conquer the world!

We started in early spring with seedling trays of onions, broccoli, kale, calendula, lettuce, and 10 lbs of garlic in the ground. We had a very wet spring, which was great for the greens. I am always amazed at the power of the moment of transition from the dead, empty appearance of winter to the rapid green growth of spring. Its a season of renewal, hope, and promise. As the strength of the sun returns, and the forsythia and daffodils emerge, I can feel my energy levels and spirits start to rise. This is a time of planning for the long year ahead.

Summer is.....

2010-08-31T10:41:00.000-07:00

.. having fun with cutting up produce

kitten head onions!
dehydrating local honeycrisp apples
and peaches. goodness!
summer is fun

Summer is.....

2010-08-31T10:37:00.000-07:00

...watching a sunflower open

Mater heaven!

2010-08-31T10:32:00.000-07:00

Fresh tomato basil avocado soup with grilled cheese
materfly

Brandywine and Mr. Stripey
Golden Jubilee

more herbs

2010-08-31T10:00:00.001-07:00

Echinacea angustifolia, one of our best herbal allies against colds, flus, snakebite, you name it!

Marshmallow, or althaea officinalis- used to soothe sore throats and mucous membranes
my friend Holy Basil, Tulsi, or Ocimum sanctum- used to relax and lift moods and spirits, herb for protection, and herb of grace
Gumweed, or Grindelia integrifolia- used for dry, irritating coughs and for itchy poison ivy
Great Blue lobelia, or Lobelia siphilitica- beautiful flowering cousin of Lobelia inflata, a very powerful antispasmodic herb. This one is poisonous but pretty!

Sunny days

2010-08-31T09:42:00.000-07:00

This is the fig tree we planted during the wedding!
Raised bed is all grown up now, garlic is gone and basil and tomatoes and kale in its place. Note the awesome cd fence we made to keep the deer away. It makes a laser show in the garden!
bathtub of flowers
We made a little bed under the arch that married us. Sweet spot for a hammock!

Summer fruits!

2010-08-31T09:38:00.001-07:00

peaches and tomatoes oh my!
brandywine beauty
volunteer cantaloupe!
cayenne peppers almost ripe!

Summer flowers

2010-08-31T09:31:00.000-07:00

Butterflies love Zinnia!

Bees love sunflowers!
Pleurisy root or Butterflyweed, Asclepias tuberosaMajestic Elecampane, or Inula helenium

Motherwort, or Leonurus cardiaca

garlic 'n onions

2010-08-31T09:27:00.000-07:00

onions n garlic

2010-08-31T09:24:00.001-07:00

We got married!

2010-08-31T09:10:00.001-07:00

Ben and Sue 2010

our new picnic bag- wine glasses, yes! Thanks Leigh and Mary!

above right:

ring pillow and engagement ring

our new camping hammock! Double seater!

Summer lovin!

2010-08-31T09:02:00.001-07:00

We got our plants in a little late this summer because we were a little 'distracted' by the wedding. Still got them in though!
Foxglove bloomed this year!
Our newly planted raised bed with peppers and tomatoes, with garlic to the left
lettuce leaf basil. so cute!
basil and kale plantlings

Spring Flowers and love showers

2010-06-03T19:03:00.000-07:00

Please excuse us for not
posting anything since the snow! We have been busy getting married here at the farm and planning the wedding. Susan has been transitioning into the clinical part of her herbal studies and she is now accepting clients! Stay tuned for further updates!

New website

2010-02-07T19:44:00.000-08:00

I've launched the new sister website for my herbalism business, Growing Wisdom Herbals (www.growingwisdomherbals.com). It is barely a skeleton right now, but keep checking back for exciting updates! I am preparing to start practicing in the clinic at Tai Sophia in April, and will be participating in a promotional medicine show at Tai Sophia on March 8.

Winter Wonderland

2010-02-07T19:31:00.000-08:00

Wake up with a holy cuppa

2009-10-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

I'm joining this month's herbal blog party at http://fieldoftansy.blogspot.com/2009/10/october-blog-party-call-for-submissions.html.

This month the topic is morning ritual beverages. Usually I am drinking coffee, but for those who are abstaining or unable, holy basil is a nice uplifting morning beverage to wake you up and energize you for the day.

I would love to introduce everyone to my friend holy basil, or Ocimum sanctum. She is very generous with her gifts and loves to bring joy to others. A spicy, sweet herb, she has the interesting combination of a mix between bubblegum and cloves.

Holy basil, also known as Tulsi, is revered in India as an 'elixir of life' and believed to promote longevity. This herb is so important to Hindu culture that it is believed to be a physical incarnate of the gods, and different species are named after them (Rama, Krishna, and Vana). It is common to have holy basil plants in pots around houses and temples in India. The tea is drunk before meditation as a way to get closer to god.

Tulsi has been used medicinally in India for thousands of years for colds, headaches, inflammation, stomach problems, and in cosmetics. The western world is just starting to catch on to the delights of this plant. It has recently been classified as a mild adaptogen, which means it helps the body to adapt to stress. Modern studies have shown that it helps lower cortisol levels (one marker of stress response), has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and may help balance blood sugar. It is one of my favorite herbs to recommend to people because it makes them feel so good.

For those who tend to be anxious and excitable in the morning or are just plain stressed, holy basil is an herbal ally. The tea is comforting, calming, focusing, relaxing, and uplifting. It is usually available in health food stores in tea bags, sometimes mixed with other flavors. I love the delicate flavors, so I always get the original kind.

After this summer, I will not need to buy holy basil for a while. I planted many plants, and being from the proliferative mint family, they all grew wonderfully for me. It even outgrew my regular basil, so I started making holy basil pesto. This has been a delightful addition to my diet, a wonderful garden friend, and a great way to get herbal medicine into the food supply. I can't sing enough praise for this wonderful plant!

Full circle

2009-09-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

This marks the completion of cycles. We have been in Maryland a year now. I have finished a year of school and Ben has been working at the brewery a year. We have also just finished the wheel garden, fully completing the flower design. I had the month of August off from school to finish our various projects. We held another workday to lay the final layers. I finally got all of the poor plants out of the greenhouse and into the ground, and things are growing and flowering like crazy! Its hard to show in a picture because the camera doesn't know what to focus on. I have been busy harvesting, making pesto and tinctures and drying herbs for tea. The cooling autumn breezes are blowing through and the plants are soaking up the last of the summer sun. I love living out here!

summer storm!

2009-09-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

Right after my last post, we had a whopping summer storm that flattened the sunflowers with one fell swoop. It was actually a tornado, and it downed tons of trees and knocked our power lines down for a couple of days. It was the day before a final for me so I was studying by candlelight that night. The teepee also got flattened and some tomatoes got discombobulated. Nature made it's power clear and I was humbled by it. Fortunately most of the plants were too low growing to be affected and summer growth continues without the soaring heights of the sunflowers.

garlic and sunflowers

2009-08-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

Well we harvested our garlic, around 100 beautiful bulbs of the variety "music." We cooked some up with our home-grown kale and its delicious! The plants are going crazy this year with all the rain and the sunflowers are like trees towering over the other plants.

2009-07-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

Tony cooling off- it was hot!
Eliza harvesting holy basil
Ben pouring peat moss

layering

Work day at the garden

2009-07-08T19:49:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 27th we hard a garden workday/celebrate my birthday party, starting at 9am, ending 9pm. It was a long, fun day. We worked hard and played hard! Started with the compost in the morning and ended with a cookout and jam session later on. We got another quarter of newspaper laid down in the wheel garden and a few layers of manure, peat moss, and straw. Now we have the north, east, and south directions laid out and a little bit of the west. I can get some more plants out of the greenhouse and in the ground as soon as I have time to plant them. We harvested our first garlic and holy basil and made lovely pesto out of it. Yummy!

laying out the design
Eliza doing a newspaper stomp
fresh country eggs
matt shovelling poo
fresh compost and 'cooking' compost

2009-07-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

Its working!
my favorite weed so far, milkweed
milkweed's cousin, asclepias tuberosa
drying calendula and chamomile
first garlic harvest!

2009-07-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

Yarrow that volunteered in the wheel garden
tomato flower!
this is looking at the northeastern curves of the wheel garden
potato flower
this is my magic rock

2009-07-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

beautiful thistles
Our pregnant beekeeper Mae and her husband

spacesuits
squash-in-a-box
Daylilies! Its summer!

Growth!

2009-07-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

bathtub of flowers
Calendula

garlic scapes!
Viola tricolor (johnny jump ups or hearts-ease)

Wow! Another month has gone by and it is amazing to see how fast plants grow when it rains alot. This has been a very rainy and cool spring and summer, which I'm told is unusual around here. We definitely had our fair share of hot sun too. The plants have all exploded with growth and flowers and fruit are popping out everywhere. The daylilies are out, the chestnut trees are blooming, bees are bustling. I have been enchanted with watching for new things to see every day. Even the thistles are beautiful! We've got raspberries, kale, basil coming on and soon tomatoes and potatoes will be ready. We harvested some garlic and its delicious! I'm so proud of it! I've been making tons of pesto with holy basil and garlic scapes and lemon balm!

2009-05-27T20:27:00.000-07:00

potato plant poking up

holy basil and peas in middle

Plants!

2009-05-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

A month has gone by since my last post, but I feel like it has been much longer. May splashed in with dogwoods and tulips and an amazing azalea show! Three different pinks and a gorgeous white one lasted almost all month. It was so cool to watch the soil come alive and flowers and plants emerge. With all this rain and sun the plants are taking off, exploding with growth! That means all of the plants! It is all I can do to clip the seedheads off the thistles before they spread themselves, and ben can barely keep up with the grass. The garlic has been reaching upwards and has just sent its flower stalks up in a little curlie-cue. I have been repotting and transplanting and sowing seeds with whatever time I have. I took a week off to go to a botanical sanctuary in Ohio with my class and experience old growth stands of goldenseal and ginseng and black cohosh. I got to bring home some blue cohosh, black cohosh, goldenseal, and collinsonia plants to plant out here, as well as a ton of dried plants for making medicine. I came home with new eyes for plants and swimming with visions of future possibilities. It was a truly inspiring trip. I will be posting pics on here soon. Now the medicine wheel is halfway finished and ready to plant into. I have been planting slowly as the seedlings get old enough, hoping the deer won't choose this one as their favorite food. Won't be long now until the first flowers are ready for the bees!

spring babies

2009-05-01T21:59:00.001-07:00

bees and thistles and beds

2009-05-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

this is our number one weed! canada thistle
potato lasagna bed

old bookshelf turned into a lettuce bed
Bee boxes are set in place and ready for action!

spring medicines!

2009-05-01T21:45:00.001-07:00

shepherd's purse
ground ivy
yarrow
asparagus
violets

spring flower surprises

2009-05-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

2009-05-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

Garden Weekend April 18

2009-04-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a little sneak preview of a mandala/ medicine wheel garden that we are creating as our first project, and more pictures of sprouting plants and spring plants. I would like to invite everyone out to a fun time of hanging out with the land, helping us establish our lasagna beds, planting seeds and plants, and blessing the garden with your presence. We will be open for visitors Sat or Sun from 12-5 so whenever you can make it, come on out!

Directions to the farm: If you're coming from North, East, or West: take I-70 west or east to 270 south (at Frederick). Go about 12 miles to exit 22, rt 109 or Old Hundred Road to Sugarloaf. At end of ramp take a left, and then take your first left onto peachtree rd. Continue around the curves and take your first right into the driveway. Follow up and around to the left, past the farmhouse to the barn.
If you're coming from D.C. or south, take 270 North to exit 22 and follow directions above.
I will be providing snacks and lunch, so please RSVP and let me know if you can come! Bring tools and gloves if you have them because I don't have a lot of extras.
Come share in the spring!

sproutin' seeds

2009-03-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

3/7-3/21
Our garlic is finally peeking out! After the snow melted, it started sprouting! The spring crocuses, snowdrops, and daffodils have popped up too. My spirits are soaring after a few days of warm weather and sun. If magic exists, it exists in the sprouting of seeds and bulbs. You put it in the ground and then pop! One day it sends shoots up and starts climbing towards the sun. We have been planting and sprouting feverishly to get some seedlings ready before planting out time. Our apartment is covered with flats and random pots that we've planted in. We have been misting the flats daily with water and watching for any changes in the surface of the soil. Its so delightful to see that first sprout! So far we have 2 kinds of Kale, 2 kinds of basil, and about 15 different herbs started.
Meanwhile, I have been reading all of the growing information for the different herbs and planning out where they like to grow. Its like planning a party for plants! They all have different preferences and we want to satisfy them all.
Ben has been busy maintaining the compost piles. We have started to get leftover veggies from the Common Market to increase our compost yields. We have 3 started so far. The one we started in the fall is looking good and full of worms!

Winter 2009

2009-03-29T14:42:00.001-07:00

3/2
At the beginning of March, we were welcomed into our barn experience by a light fluffy snow that blanketed everything. Ben and I took a walk around to check out the snow and see the footprints. We saw deer, rabbit, and dog prints. It was great to walk around and explore the new carpeting, especially in the areas where you can't walk during the summer because its so overgrown. Ben made snow angels on the hill. We checked our lasagna garden that we made in the fall and it looks nice and luscious, ready for planting!

The New Year

2009-01-11T10:44:00.000-08:00

2008 was a great year for us!

In early January we set off for Hawaii to work on organic farms and do some island-hopping for four months.

We stayed at four farms on three islands (Oahu, Hawaii, and Maui). We learned so much along the way, got a ton of hands-on experience, and met a lot of amazing people!

Before returning home we got engaged... while cruising past the massive cliffs and waterfalls of Molokai aboard the superferry.

Once we returned to the mainland in May we spent the summer at home in Raleigh before moving up to MD for Susan's school. Since then everything else as fallen into place nicely.

That being said, we are both really excited about 2009 and our first growing season!

We have started up a bed in a fenced-in veggie garden using the "Lasagna Gardening" method described in Patricia Lanza's book. This method is ideal for us right now because it is a no-till, no-weeding, method of natural organic gardening. Since we are basically starting from scratch and have little-to-no equipment we decided to start a 6x8 ft plot to see what kind of yield this layering approach delivers.

First I cleared the area of any major weeds (dandelions, thistle, etc).
Then I placed about 2" of wet newspaper overlapping to prevent weeds from sneaking through.
On top of that I spread a 3" layer of decomposed manure.
Next I placed a layer of straw to cover.

The next weekend I came back and spread a 2" layer of peat moss,
followed by another 3" layer of manure,
topped off with straw.
After that I repeated with peat moss, then manure, and finally a top heavy mulch layer of straw.

Over the next 3-4 months our lasanga garden bed will "cook" and decompose. Essentially we are making our compost by letting worms do the work of decomposing the materials, and in the Spring we should have a very rich soil to start our vegetables with!

Medicinal Herbs, Veggies, Permaculture, Educational Farm

2008-12-14T07:44:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Growing Wisdom Gardens Blog!

We're currently in the process of starting up an educational herb/veggie permaculture farm in Clarksburg, MD (10 mi. south of Frederick, MD. After traveling in Hawaii, working on organic farms through the WWOOF program, my fiance, Susan, and I (Ben), moved to Maryland and had an amazing opportunity unfold before us. In March we will be moving onto the land, living in an apartment attached to an old dairy barn; and for a very reasonable rent we will be able to grow what we want on this beautiful farm which has been "organic" for over 20 years!

Thanks for visiting,
Ben and Sue

Planting our first crop: 5 lbs of hard-neck garlic.