Green Enchantment

  Today was a good day to start planting seeds. I have collected seeds from last year’s plants and from the seed library. Starting them in a fresh, sterile seed-starting mix that is light and fluffy is an advantage. Then, I set them out in the light spring rain for a little while, just to get the soil moist. They come in the house to begin the process of growth as creation designed it. I don’t have the luxury of a potting bench or gardening table used for small gardening tasks so I have created my own idea. We came across a paper pallet last fall that was to be recycled. We grabbed it with interest, since my husband’s sawmill used to cut boards that were transported to a pallet production company. We had never seen a cardboard one before! Here are a few facts about paper pallets…94 percent of transported goods are moved using pallets. Paper pallets are mostly from recycled fiber content. They are lightweight, recyclable, don’t use nails or staples as fasteners and never splinter! I...

I ’m in the house browsing through seed catalogs and thinking about my garden to come. I still don’t have the motivation to be out in the rain and cold temps to prep the tiny yard. And I have not heard about a plot in the community garden.  Having just celebrated George Washington’s Birthday this past week, my internet searches took me from crafts for the grand kids to cherry recipes. We ended up making 3-cornered hats and making little cherry turnovers, thinking of Washington and the “cannot tell a lie” story. As I was searching the internet, I came across the beginnings of the cherry. Bing, perhaps the most famous and highly regarded sweet cherry in the world, had its origin in Oregon. Who knew! A pioneer nurseryman named Henderson Luelling came across country with his wife, 8 children and over 700 fruit tree sprouts in a covered wagon. After setting up a nursery in Milwaukie, Oregon, his brother came out west, in 1847, to help him. Seth Luelling created a sweet cherry cultivar ...

As I glanced at the ‘tiny yard’ this morning, it looked so bleak. Even with small sprouts from the bulbs starting to grow in the ground, everything looks so empty and exposed. I can only contemplate what the summer will bring…color, freshness, warmth and cheer.  A walk around the neighborhood on a rare sunny afternoon is invigorating. But, the frosty cold season is still upon us.  I took a good look at our Paperbark Maple tree this week. The peeling copper-orange bark will continue this unusual papery appearance for the rest of its life. Acer griseum is the only maple species with this type of peeling bark. The dark green leaves will come for the summer and then turn a bright fall color. This nice,  small landscape tree adds interest to the tiny front yard. For now, wintertide continues and I stay snuggled under my throw, reading, waiting for seeds to germinate, sprout, bud and grow!

Yesterday the hubs and I went for coffee at one of our favorite coffee shops. As we parked the car in pursuit of our destination, I noticed an old horse ring embedded at the edge of the sidewalk. I couldn’t find any others along the way. I’m sure the sidewalk is not as old as the horse ring, as sidewalks started to be installed in downtown Milwaukie around 1915. But, then I found an interesting gem... The Portland Horse Project. “In addition to adding a fun touch of equine whimsy to the streets, this project also preserves an often overlooked part of the city’s heritage. The horse rings date to the 19th and early 20th centuries and hark back to a time when horse-drawn carriages were the main method of transportation.” Toy horse tied to a sidewalk ring in Portland, Oregon.  PIDDIX So people are tying their horse to the ring. I love this! Scott Wayne Indiana, a Portland resident, began tethering toy steeds to the horse rings in 2005. His quirky personal art project soon took off....

I came up with the perfect formula for my gardening. Saving money + Fitness + Socializing = Good Life Growing your own food helps you eat better and may be cheaper. It certainly helps you get exercise. And, you can spend quality time outside with friends and family. The community garden has all of these components wrapped up into one. So, with this equation in mind, I have started thinking about a plan on what to grow in the garden. Choosing seeds is an overwhelming task. Did you know there are over 10,000 varieties of tomatoes available? Yikes…too many for me to choose. So I will go with recommendations of those who have great success growing specific varieties. After asking my family gardeners and friends who have good success with gardens, I had a list of a few special seeds I wanted to pick up. Before ordering online, I went to the library in my neighborhood to check the seed library. What an amazing idea to share seeds with dedicated local gardeners. Kay Everts is the founder of ...

 In November 2021 I was thinking about my life and how to fulfill some of my goals. I had finished writing my memoirs for my grandchildren. That was a major undertaking and filled up much of the year. What comes next? What will inspire me in the coming days?  I have been thinking about expanding my garden, but how? My ‘tiny yard’, as I have named my condo patio and green space, was too small. Talking with my neighbor, Kody, a professional agriculturist, as he shared produce from his garden plot, made me wish I could grow more produce. Inspired by watching Monty Don, famed British gardener, during the Covid lockdown, also got my mind to think about having an allotment of my own. So, I have requested a plot at the Gladstone Community Garden at Meldrum Park. Anxious to find out if I get a garden spot.     I want to do this to reap some mental, physical and emotional benefits.   Today, the second week in January, I am starting my first blog post. I want to keep a pe...