Garden of Eatin
Earth is alive with water falling and moving in all directions. A time for gathering together with friends, gathering thoughts, and planning for what I hope to create in the coming year. Do I expand or simplify?
I look at my yard and street, mostly void of trees and vegetation and am inspired to expand. I want to plant my yard and street with the fruits and vegetables that will paint the coming months with beautiful colors that will nurture myself, family and street. I begin by transforming the grass which lies there green and serene into a sea of wood chips 6 inches deep (delivered free by the PGE tree pruners).
Next I plant the larger trees persimmons, figs, chestnuts, magnolia, an olive tree (hope it makes it), elderberry, mulberry, madrone, gingko, ironwood, cascara, kiwis and a few clumps of bamboo for utilitarian purposes. Each speaks to me, of where it would like to grow. Around each we plant garlic and faba beans. As a family we plant a little edible forest. So happy to again have my hands soiled with earth.
Now I watch as the wood chip mulch settles. The squirrel and jay cache their winter food always forgetting enough of them to add to this urban forest. I begin to see where the strawberries will spread, where I will trellis the grapes and where I will line the sidewalk with raspberries and blueberries. I begin to see the whole city connected in a beautiful food web that fills every street in our city. Please join in! It excites the taste buds, tones the body and you make friends with your neighbors as they ask in curiousity what you are doing.