I love watching things grow. I didn't really notice that about myself until this year. I think maybe that's why I ended up growing my hair out so long. I enjoy witnessing slow, gradual change.

Gardening requires two virtues, initiative and patience. I've got patience down pat. Initiative on the other hand . . . Regardless, for a first attempt, my garden is doing relatively well. Many of the seedlings I started indoors either didn't get watered enough and dried up or were eaten by mice; half the seeds I sowed outdoors apparently did not sprout at all, but half did. And a few of the plants I started inside did make it. It's been a learning experience to say the least. I tried square-foot gardening (or my version of it), Grow Biointensive (R) spacing, and some cobbled together wisdom of companion planting. And since it's my first year, I can't really compare all of that to anything else, but it seems to be working!

I have an annual vegetable bed in a community garden (about 15'x5') where I am growing (or have grown) radishes, peas, okra, watermelon, bok choi, arugula, swiss chard, beets, onions, leeks, carrots, basil, tomatoes, sweet peppers, and borage. I also attempted to grow broccoli, artichoke, collards, spinach, and squash but they either didn't even sprout or were nibbled to death by bunnies.

In the backyard, I've got mostly fruit (which I realize is the reverse of permaculture zones - having the annual veggies, which need more attention, farther away. oh well.): blueberry bushes, blackberry, strawberries, grapes, a peach tree, two apple trees (Cox's Orange Pippin and Ashmead's Kernel), and an almond tree. I've also got garlic, cucumbers, and cantaloupe growing in the backyard. The sunflowers I planted either didn't come up or were too tasty for someone to pass up. Oh!, but I spread shitty city compost over the whole garden area in the backyard, and I've got amazing volunteer tomatoes and lamb's quarters as a result!

That initiative thing I mentioned earlier. . . I haven't started any herbs growing yet. I've got the seeds. I just need to go out and plant 'em.

I will. Soon.

So, to update since my last post, I found a place, a community, to move into: New Roots Urban Farm. It's in north city, about a mile north of downtown, and a twenty minute bike ride from my parent's house. It's a CSA, growing all kinds of veggies. Their overall mission is food security - more specifically, providing quality food to a neighborhood who's only "supermarket" is a glorified candy store, and doing so on a sliding scale, meaning everyone pays what they can. That's all fine and good - it's not what I'm interested in doing in the long term (which is a more personal version of food security), but it's fine and good, for now. I fit very well, culturally, there, and that's the most important thing. This past month or so that I've been there has probably been the most socially stimulating month I've ever experienced. It's thrilling and exhausting at the same time. Also, as the farm acquires more land in the future, they'd like me to start up a forest garden!

I'm continuing to homeschool with my brother in some capacity. Right now, we're set up for me to be at my parent's house with the express purpose of learning with my bro two days out of the week, which has turned into a great balance for me because where ever I'm headed next is someplace I want to be.


I'll see what I can do about making posts here more regular and interesting. No promises, though.