Eat your Greens!

Purple Mustard and little cleavers underneath

Lots of cleavers and a few dandelions in the compost pile

Don't forget to eat your greens! They provide valuable vitamins and if you grow them yourself, you can just add a few leaves at a time to each dish, or even add a leaf to your sandwich for a nice digestive stimulant. Here is a picture of some kind of purple mustard green with a few  little cleaver plants coming up underneath. This picture was taken in early December! At least in the Pacific Northwest we can find a little bit of nutrition in our own backyards all year long.

Fall Food & Beverage from the garden

 We have been enjoying our home made beer- We actually grew the hops and our friend came over to brew and we cut the hops, measured and bloosh! right into the hot wort!






Here's a view into the hoop house- the last of calendula & tomato land. The calendulas are going to seed or are coming back from being cut way back, and I already have a few lettuce seeds sprouting up! I also have lots of chard seeds, onions, and pak choi to plant.

Sister Sage Landscaping Services

Landscaping Services

Specializing in design, installation, and maintenance of Northwest Native, edible and medicinal gardens.

Whether you want to enjoy fruit from your backyard orchard or attract hummingbirds to your window, we work with your goals in mind to create spaces you and your family can enjoy throughout the year.

We do the hard work; you enjoy the healthful benefits. Phone: 206-898-2101 email: jayne@sistersageherbs.com

Wangari Maathai- RIP you will be missed

I went to see Wangari Mathaai in 2007 at the Paramount Theater in Seattle with a friend who served some time in the Peace Corps in Africa. I was so impressed with what she was able to accomplish with the help of women and plants (and a little money). She basically educated the women in plant propagation and set up small edible plant nurseries for each woman. She was required to raise the trees and also to teach the next woman how to do the same.  They used grey water from cooking and washing to feed the plants, and eventually the trees got big enough to plant and harvest from. The women were able to harvest the fruits and provide more nutritious food for their families as well as sell the excess and buy other supplies for their household. It is such an easy plan, but it took time and education and lots of people. The trees also provided much needed shade for the people and animals of the household, and the soil started to become more workable between the trees. 

Seriously, she was a genius and her Noble Prize was much deserved! After the speech, in the afterglow of good will that happens after a great person has moved you, we all were just smiling at each other with hope. The woman next to me told me that her mom had been one of the recipients of some of those trees! Wangari Maathai had literally changed her life. She felt like her family had been raised up from this movement, and that was the reason she was able to go to school in the US. It was amazing to be in the presence of such hope and greatness. I am eternally grateful for her work. May she rest in peace and may we continue with the forward thinking projects that would make her proud!

Urban Ag Business Forum

I am off to the Seattle Urban Ag Business Forum (today at City Hall from 4-6) to see what new policies and opportunities for support with growing food in the city.
Sorry for the late notice (It starts in a few hours), but I will take notes and update the blog later.
Hope to see you there.

(http://frontporch.seattle.gov/2011/08/30/urban-agriculture-business-forum-at-city-hall-monday-919-at-400pm/)
Update:

Well, I went to the Ag Business Forum and learned a few things from each of the speakers... I saw a bunch of urban farm friends I hadn't seen in awhile, and met a few more at the event. It was great to see city officials thinking about this urban agriculture trend as a business trend and not just some dirty hippies! It seems like they have lots of enthusiasm for helping facilitate teaching kids about food, bringing healthy food to corner stores, helping with business plans and even permitting issues pertaining to growing food on private or City/ Parks property.

I am grateful for the effort and thought that went into the forum and hope the City of Seattle (and Richard Conlin) will continue to support programs that promote food security.  I look forward to finding out what this group of activist- business owners & policy makers can do together to help more people get access to great fresh food from their own backyards!

I came home and opened my email from Rodale Reporting on their 30 year Farm Systems Trial. They have run 4-5 different farms with the same food, but different inputs. Two completely organic, one with manure & the other legume compost, a conventional with chemical based fertilizers and gmo crops, and one more recent no-till project. Check out the results!

FEED THE SOIL!!!!! (she will feed you back!)

How to make comfrey compost tea

Here is a video explanation of making Compost Tea from Comfrey plants.  You can put the leaves in a bucket to ferment for up to 2 weeks, then dilute the mixture 1 part fert to 4 parts water (you can guess). I just dip my watering can in and scoop some up then add water to the top of the can. It does get quite funky, and you want to use it quickly so mosquitoes don't hatch in the standing water. If they are unwieldy and you have more than you need for the fertilizer, you can cut the leaves and use them as mulch (just put the leaves on the ground to dry). Be careful not to let them root at the joining stems or you will have extra plants soon enough.
I know the quality of the video is not the best and I need to speak louder; I was using a tripod and since I cut the plant down to talk about it, I couldn't do a re-take!
I hope to make more videos about growing and making products from herbs soon, so subscribe to my channel on youtube if you would like to learn more. Enjoy!

Happy Summer Solstace

Yay Sunshine! My plants are happy you are here to grace us for at least this day in your honor...

Edible Calendula flowers

Echinacea on Sister Sage Herb Farm

In honor of fathers

I wanted to thank all the great fathers I know for being kind, giving and loving. I do know some gems! (You know who you are). They listen to their kids, read to them, ecourage them in their pursuits of happiness and support their kids as they learn to ride a bike! They make up stories about lost kitties and dogs on long adventures, and funny songs and rituals for bath and bedtime, & eat the burnt toast, too!

My own father is so sweet and gentle, and is always ready to listen to and encourage me in my various projects.  I remember learning to ride the training wheeled schwinn that we all learned on down the ever so slight hill in our front yard. Dad was running down along side me holding the bike and then letting it go- over and over all day saying "you got it, you got it!" until I got it. I also remember the time I went to his office  when I was in high school for some reason and was waiting out in the main office. (He was a probation officer, and sometimes we would sit on the bench next to hi office, but sometimes not- depending on who was waiting already...) The secretary of the office said the "He sure brags about you girls, I tell you what". I was amazed., I mean I knew dad loved us, but bragging about us? cool!
He came to visit with a cold & cough shortly after I made my first cough syrup. and he took it the whole time he was here and claimed it helped him quite a bit. Whether it did or not, it sure bolstered my confidence... I love you dad- Thanks for all you are and thanks for being the great father you are!

Edible Landscaping Services

Specializing in design, installation, and maintenance of edible and medicinal gardens.

•  Pick luscious strawberries in your slippers
•  Eat fresh vegetables from your kitchen garden
• Treat yourself to an herbal tea garden
•  Teach your children how to grow food
•  Make your own home remedies
•  Enjoy an Edible Oasis in your own back yard!

We do the hard work, and you enjoy the healthful benefits.

 For more info email Jayne.

jayne@sistersageherbs.com

Hops Are going crazy!

We dug up these hops last year from friends who have cables running up to a 3rd story balcony to support theirs! They did ok last year in my garden, but this year they are showing real vigor! It seems like each year you could dig out the peripheral roots and plant yourself a new patch. My housemates are particularly excited about these hops and plan to make a beer with them when they ripen.

Edible Landscaping Services

Specializing in design, installation, and 

maintenance of edible and medicinal gardens.

• Pick luscious strawberries in your slippers
• Eat fresh vegetables from your kitchen garden
• Treat yourself to an herbal tea garden
• Teach your children how to grow food
• Make your own home remedies
• Enjoy an Edible Oasis in your own back yard!

We do the hard work, and you enjoy the healthful benefits.

 For more info email Jayne.

jayne@sistersageherbs.com

Vegetable Plant Sale in West Seattle

Hurray, It’s Spring, Finally!!!!!

Backyard Greenhouse 

7939 28th Ave. SW

(between Holden & Thistle in West Seattle / 98126)

Cool Weather Veggies  /  Perennials  /  Herbs

Organically Grown

Sat., March 26, 9:00-4:00   /   Sun., March 27, 10:00-3:00

Bring neighbors, friends and family!—Come rain or shine!!

Early Spring Edible Plant Sales

If you plan out your garden well, you can figure out how many plants to purchase before hand at the Seattle Tilth Early Edible Plant Sale - March 19th!  check it out at  http://seattletilth.org/. The good thing about buying plants there is that you can get plants that should be grown this season  in our area such as peas, kale, chard, spinach, broccoli, chives, etc. Pretty much anything you buy at this sale, you will be able to put in the ground now or very soon, then you can go back in May to the next edible plant sale and purchase your next round of plants for the hot weather as well as more lettuces, etc.

A few things to consider:

1) How much can you or your family eat of a particular crop in a week? Ok, after you decide,  plant a few for the slugs, etc. For head forming lettuces that are all going to be mature at the same time, I usually try to buy at least one kind of lettuce seeds that I like (or a lettuce mix) each season. I plant most unique lettuces I  can find at the sale, then buy a reliable seed lettuce to sow in between the plantings so those plants that come up will replace the older ones. I make my lettuce seeds last a long time by putting only a small pinch exactly in the spot between the bigger plants and I have less thinning to do in the end.

2) How much space do you have? If you have good soil to start with you can put more plants than you think in the bed, especially when you can harvest lettuce at any age. If you do not, amend it with compost and/or amend with a nitrogen rich natural fertilizer. Make sure the leaves are not touching each other or especially the ground. If you stagger the plants by height so tall growing plants are in the back (North side) of the row, and short plants are positioned in front the plants will stay healthier, and there will be less chance of rotting leaves. I have grown kale really close together and it stays small and spindly, but makes a good tender stir fry mix, and also I have grown a few dino kales for three years (and they really did look like dinosaur chicken legs!

3) Leave space for your summer crops! You can grow things like peas where you will eventually grow tomatoes because they will probably be done by the time the tomatoes get big enough to matter (depending on the year, of course). You can also get creative with it and put food crops in containers with your spring flowers  or herb containers, and you can also plant seeds indoors on a window to get them started, but use a cool part of the house so they are not too dependent on the heat- seeds like warm moist medium to sprout, but they usually do fine outdoors soon afterwards.

4) Watch the watering- We usually have a short time in the spring when we have a mini drought, so make sure the bed in moist and the seeds don't dry out before they sprout. But, do not water other areas until you check the soil. Dig a shovel in the ground nearby and see if there is moisture where you want it. If the seeds have sprouted, chances are the roots go way farther than you would think. Most roots have small hairs that extend way down. the more they have to reach for water, the deeper (and usually stronger) the roots will be. To check the soil easily, grab a handful and squeeze it in your hand. If it sticks together it doesn't need water (and may need compost added) and if it falls apart, you need to water.

I plan on making a couple more raised beds fitted with old windows to help the sun warm the plants and grow faster. During the spring I will use it as a seed starting bed, then transfer the plants out to grow in the regular beds or in a warmer hoop house in the case of my tomatoes and eggplants. Then, in August or so I will start more lettuces, spinach, and kale to hopefully last the winter.If it is hot, I may need to use shade cloth to start the seeds. I live in a low area with plenty of moisture, so I haven't had much luck with carrots, but I plan on starting a just slightly raised bed to grow yellow carrots in the spring and see if I can over winter some carrots, too.

Create Health Right In Your Yard!

If you want me to come give you a quote, call soon, my Spring is starting to fill in! I can offer a free quote, or a 1/2 price consultation if you book before April 1st- get to it Gardening Fool!

I create edible gardens and use herbs to create a living medicine chest in your yard. You decide what you want to eat this year, and I will plan your menus to come from the garden. Kale, chard, spinach, and other greens can live and be harvested from in the winter, and you can be the first on your block with peas for dinner! I once planned a solstice dinner backwards- deciding what we would need for the dinner and counting the days it would take for each vegetable to be harvested.

I can tend the plants for you, weekly-as much as harvesting, washing and putting them in your fridge, or as little as once a month to help with the more difficult gardening tasks. I even have one client who leaves me piles to clean up in the garden- she can weed, but not lift much. Each garden is custom to the location, and the time is variable and controlled by how much time you and your family can spend in your garden.  I will leave you with a garden map of your new plants and how to care for them. I use organic seeds and plant starts, and use heirloom varieties of vegetables almost exclusively.  I can even give you recipes on how to process the herbs into medicines, teas, and refreshing beverages through the year.

I have an herb farm on Vashon Island and own a natural remedies company (sistersageherbs.com). I am a former board member of Seattle Tilth, a non-profit teaching people to grow food sustainably, and WA Tilth Producers, the state farmers association.

Happy Re- Birthday Egypt!