Feminine

 

Back aches. Thighs burn. Sweat drips down my jawline. The sledgehammer in my hands rises and falls in a slow rhythm, pounding a wooden stake into the earth. As the hammer rises, the muscles in my back contract from lumbar spine to shoulder blade. I uncoil and let the tool fly, watching it drop earthward with all the urgency of gravity unchecked. My forearms shudder with the force of each blow: potential converted to kinetic energy, and back again.

There is a meditative quality to this. As I lift and drop the hammer, my eyes fix on the boots protecting my wide-planted feet. I take in their well-worn leather, and trace up the tall white socks wrapping my sturdy, hairy calves. How long has it been since I've shaved? Three weeks, maybe longer? "Gosh, you're a delicate flower" I chuckle to myself, and hurl the hammer once more.

Project Season

You will need: a planter, trowel, soil, gloves, flowers, and about 30 minutes

Heading into the second week of February, we're just past winter's halfway mark. Here in Southern California, spring is peeking through. When the sun comes out, it's time to revive the garden. Ornate candle holders and old birdhouses make beautiful planters with minimal effort. For this project, I used the lovely box above.

Uniform drainage. Made with a drill press.

First, make a few evenly-spaced holes in the bottom of the box. Without proper drainage, the planter will become a swampy, smelly mess very quickly.

 

Next, select your plant. When potting store-bought flowers, be sure to loosen the root bundle (gently pull roots into a less-tightly packed clump) before potting. Fill the planter with about 2 inches of potting soil, place your flower, and then add soil up around the plant until it is level with the stem base. Do not press down or compact the soil.

It's important to give transplants a big drink of water as soon as they're in new soil. After planting, thoroughly douse the planter and then let the water completely drain. Repeat once more. To keep annual flowers blooming throughout the season, be sure to keep the soil moist (usually water daily for potted varieties). I find that water-soluble fertilizers work best for potted plants, but should be applied sparingly.

Here's hoping for an early spring, and a lovely end to winter.

Plant City

 

 It was another botanic fantastic weekend, with a Saturday picnic at The LA Arboretum. Kate and I headed to the farmer's market early, sampled cheeses for the better part of an hour, and arrived at the arboretum just as the morning chill lifted. Perfection. 

We started at the newly-renovated vegetable gardens, and salivated over fantasies of homegrown produce. For now my transience precludes a real garden, but there is a potted rosemary on the porch. That's something at least. 

For cold-sensitive plants, a bell jar makes an attractive cloche. The cover will temporarily warm the soil to protect from frost. These can also be used to speed germination for seeds sewn outdoors, and will deter some pests too.

Leaving the veggies, we headed into the tropical greenhouse. Tucked away in the northern corner of the grounds, this is a humid paradise. It's a little hard to find, but boasts orchids for days.

 From the tropics, we wandered into Madagascar's spiny forest, and then set out our picnic next to a grove of blooming magnolias.

 A pair of Canada geese shared the lawn with us. It was a tenuous relationship at first. Between us, Kate and I have more than a few traumatic childhood memories involving territorial poultry, but bread was broken, and we all made nice.

Wandering the Foothills

    Los Angeles was in rare form today. The air was heavy with January rain, but the clouds refused to unlock. It was blustery and crisp, chilling noses and fingertips. The weather was perfect for a daytime walk, so I bundled up in a cozy sweater and headed for Claremont. 
There, in the shadow of the San Gabriel Mountains, is the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. The garden is dedicated exclusively to native California plants, and has several short trails (about a mile each) that wrap around the grounds. 

There are striking Joshua Trees and graceful Manzanitas in addition to more subtly beautiful flora from California's chaparral communities. Having evolved to tolerate long periods of drought, many plants have thick, woody stems and tough little leaves. Flowers are small, but worth a second look. These are not the verdant green lianas of wetter, warmer climes. They are equally lovely, but more reserved in their splendor.

Sprouting at Home

Sprouts! 

Humans eat seeds- it's our thing. Beans and grains are dietary staples globally because they are nutrient-rich and contain complex sugars for metabolism. However, these foods can also be difficult to digest. Why?

Before a seed begins to develop into a mature plant, it contains enzyme inhibitors to maintain dormancy and stores phosphorus in the form of phytic acid. These compounds are bad news in the human gut. Enzyme inhibitors inactivate human digestive enzymes. They prevent  us from fully processing our food, and limit our ability for nutrient uptake. Phytic acid inhibits uptake of calcium, zinc, iron, and magnesium. 

Now, given a few days in water beans and grains become much easier to digest. As they germinate, seeds turn off their enzyme inhibitors and make a whole new suite of nutritious proteins. Soaking also neutralizes phytic acid, making sprouts a healthy, tasty snack. Black-eyed pea sprouts are a great addition to garden salad, and chickpea sprouts are awesome with avocado and lemon...mmm.

To make sprouts at home: 

1. Soak beans or grains in a mason jar covered with cloth (secured with a rubber band). Seeds should be completely submerged. Set them on the counter overnight.

2. Pour the water off, and allow the seeds to drain completely. Leave the jar on the counter for a day.

3. Rinse and drain your seeds daily. After 3 to 4 days they're ready to eat!