Bloom!

Just like that! My strawberry plant has a snow white lotus blossom looking bud on it this morning. I am really wanting a better camera.

Compost Backup

I resisted the urge to have an adequate composting bin shipped to me and purchased three large plastic containers (made in USA) with lids. These only cost $3 each and were purchased at Lowes's. I figure that they will serve some other purpose if I'm not able to modify them for use composting. If a garden supply shop as large as Lowes has does not sell composting bins, perhaps no one does. The problem that I have not resolved is how to get rotation and movement inside the container. For the time being, I will shift it around daily.

The green onions are over-due for transplanting. They seem too delicate to handle, but the seed package states to thin at 1 to 2 inches high. Mine are close to 4" high.

My older plants are all showing new growth since starting the weekly spraying of the Terracylce Plant Food (or worm poop). I will need to purchase the gallon size soon.

Made in China

I walked up and down the entire seasonal isle at the CVS where a current display of Valentines blasts your eyeballs with pink and red, lifting each item to see where it was made, and everything comes from China! The entire isle!
I checked the clearance baskets of Christmas merchandise, such as wrapping paper, ribbons, and tags. Same thing! China!
We don't even need these things. The idea of a handmade valentine is so much more endearing than the cellophane offering at the drugstore.
I've been unaware and slack. I've been a partaker in all of this sedated consumption. My gift-giving will be more thoughtful going forward. While at the thrift store, I will snatch up second hand lace, ribbons, etc, that can be used for wrapping. I will make my own greeting cards.
Most important of all, I will speak it. I will bring this to the attention of others whenever I can. I will tell them how we our selling out the very foundation of the United States by consuming cheap, off shore goods, products, and services over those produced here.
By the mid 1950's we had accomplished so much in the way of child labor laws, food and drug oversight, fair wages, and onward into the 1970's with anti-discrimination laws and so on. Then what did we do? Ooh, let's get our goods cheaper from countries that can't afford to evolve. It didn't matter to us that a twelve year old made the sneakers we wore. We rationalized that without that job, the kid would probably starve anyhow. If this is a truth, why are we furious about the prospect of child labor abuse on our own soil?
The most ridiculous statement concerning this country's abuse of illegal immigrant labor is: "They are doing jobs nobody wants to do anyway" Give me a break! So it's ok exclude certain jobs from labor and wage standards as long as we can create the fear of deportation in desperate migrant workers? Nobody wants the jobs because they do not pay a living wage.
Now that I have gone from Valentines to national policy, I will close.

With Love,
Belle

Hello Baby!

Sprouts! I had six of these guys in the onion tray yesterday morning, now there are six more and one tomato.

People Worth Listening To

http://nativeharvest.com

This is Winona LaDuke. She is the ultimate earth mother and a pretty damn good speaker as well. What she says is really worth listening to. You can find some of her speeches on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxnj2tk54JY

Salvage Soup

When I returned home on Saturday with the vegetables, I pulled my vegetable bins out to clean and put the newly purchased produce in. In amongst the old stuff was an almost limp stalk of celery and bunch of green onion. They weren't quite ready for the heap, so I decided to make soup. I finely chopped these and other ingredients: one organic carrot, one of the beefsteak tomatoes, a can of stewed tomatoes, a can of vegetable broth. I added tarragon, basil, seasoned salt, barley, and towards the end, leftover brown rice. The end result was a robust soup that rivaled my previous favorite which was made with a soup bone and bits of sirloin. Yum!

Winter Park Farmers Market

Saturday is a great day to shop at the Winter Park Farmer's market. It is located in and out of the old train depot at 200 W New England Ave. The market opens for Saturdays only at 7am and closes at 1pm.

My whole day up to this minute has felt just lovely and I am sure it is because of the fact I started the weekend off in the farmers market.

A variety of vendors display their products throughout. I purchased $16 dollars worth. I bought Florida beefsteak tomatoes, one very healthy potted Gerber Daisy, one bunch of fat asparagus, two humongus Honeysweet apples from NY, ginger root, baby eggplant (just because they were sooo cute) and about six green tomatoes. It's a good thing I didn't bring my radio flyer with me. I would have also purchased a 10" pot of rosemary for $10 and a 15" potted assortment of herbs. The greenery was lusty in the least.

I was not able to identify any vendor as local or with organic produce. I'm sure they must be there and I will look closer next time.

Gusanito Factory of Worms

I am shopping for the next stage of my farm. My bin is almost full and it is apparent that I will now need a compact sized composter that will not take up much space on the patio. The one at the right sells for only $68 online. It looks like it would work well for my needs.

First Planting

I had to drill holes for drainage in the bottom of my containers. I then added the soil, wet the soil, then planted two rows of "Evergreen Long White Bunching" onions in the swifter container and three seeds each "Brandywine Red" Tomato in the 2LT containers. The tray for drainage capture is the lid to storage containers that I have in ample supply.

Worm Poop

I purchased a sprayable plant food that is made by the most amazing American company I have ever heard of. Their name is TERRACYCLE. This nutrient is sprayed directly onto the plant's leaves and soil surrounding the plant once a week. The company packages their product in reused plastic containers. I bought mine in a reused 20 oz soda bottle. What's more, there is no way this will burn your plants in the process. The ingredients are simply worm poop that has been made into a liquid.
Meanwhile, back at the farm, I have been fashioning the equivalent of 4"inch pots by cutting off the top 3/4 of 2 liter soda bottles. They are too tough to simply cut drainage holes in the bottom, so I am considering tooling a hot iron to make them. I am following HARRIS' Farmer's Almanac recommendation and waiting until January 6 to plant. I also purchased a 3-tier shelf for this first planting. Unfortunately, the shelf is made in China.


http://www.terracycle.net/index.htm

Pine Needles and Plant Trimmings

The tree came down today and it sits bundled in a sheet in the corner. It's kinda like having a corpse in the room only it's scent is pleasant. The scent of my compost bin is aromatic as well since it received the cast off dry needles I swept together. Christmas is over for another year. I will definitely have a fresh tree whenever I can in the future. Even undressing the branches of the bulbs, ornaments, garlands, and lights was an enjoyable task.
I live in an apartment that does not recycle, so today I will make arrangements with a friend to leave the tree curbside for recycling. I understand that Orange County recycles yard trash per their website:
http://cityoforlando.net/public_works/solidwaste/swmfaq.htm#holidays