Spade & Trowel

Took a trip back in time this week, visiting one of my favorite...

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:57:29 -0400

Took a trip back in time this week, visiting one of my favorite childhood spots — the Rose Garden in Allentown, PA. A great for the senses.

flowersgardenlove: Fresh fruit Flowers Garden Love Perfection

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:36:26 -0400

flowersgardenlove:

Fresh fruit Flowers Garden Love

Perfection

Beets! And carrots! I am so freakin’ excited, it’s...

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 23:47:45 -0400

Beets! And carrots! I am so freakin’ excited, it’s pathetic. Of course no one in my family likes beets, which is okay by me since these are baby beets and I don’t expect to harvest more than a mouthful. The carrots are also minis, making them sweet and tasty. I kept the root veggies to myself and dropped bags of the greens off to the local soup kitchen. We are starting to feel like rabbits.

Fast and furious…that’s how I would describe the pace of growth...

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 21:29:56 -0400

Fast and furious…that’s how I would describe the pace of growth at my #community #garden plot. The bouts of rain followed by longer periods of sun have produced an abundance of salad greens. My plot runneth over. I harvested most of the mustard greens, radishes, red leafed lettuce and arugula. Much more than I could eat. (The folks at work were grateful for the excess.) I took the greens up from the root rather than cut the leaves. I don’t know if that’s the correct way to do it, but I needed to make room for my tomato and pepper plants which are beginning to bud. I am particularly exited for these to bloom as I planted them from seed! Farmer Mo here!

#Sunrise in the #community garden. Good morning world! (at...

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 05:56:43 -0400

#Sunrise in the #community garden. Good morning world! (at Shrewsbury Community Garden)

On a whim , I planted strawberries in my flower bed that sits...

Thu, 30 May 2013 22:27:44 -0400

On a whim , I planted strawberries in my flower bed that sits alongside our pool. The ground is wet. Not moist , wet. And almost entirely clay. I was pretty sure they wouldn’t take, but lo and behold, I wandered out today and there it was — my first strawberry. Sweet and delicious. Growing in spite of my neglect and pessimism. Mother Nature is a prankster.

My #weigela wine & roses. I just love when it’s in...

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:36:48 -0400

My #weigela wine & roses. I just love when it’s in bloom! #gardening #flowers

Plant. Add sun & rain. Watch it grow!

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:32:49 -0400

Plant. Add sun & rain. Watch it grow!

Graduation Day for my daughter and her classmates at Mount...

Sun, 19 May 2013 08:56:41 -0400

Graduation Day for my daughter and her classmates at Mount Holyoke College, the oldest women’s college in the US.
And so, i am sharing the words of their anthem, Bread and Roses.
“As we go marching, marching, in the beauty of the day,
A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill lofts gray,
Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses,
For the people hear us singing: Bread and Roses! Bread and Roses!
As we go marching, marching, we battle too for men,
For they are women’s children, and we mother them again.
Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes;
Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses.
As we go marching, marching, unnumbered women dead
Go crying through our singing their ancient call for bread.
Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew.
Yes, it is bread we fight for, but we fight for roses too.
As we go marching, marching, we bring the greater days,
The rising of the women means the rising of the race.
No more the drudge and idler, ten that toil where one reposes,
But a sharing of life’s glories: Bread and roses, bread and roses.
Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes;
Hearts starve as well as bodies; bread and roses, bread and roses.”
Congratulations Class of 2013!

Eight weeks after opening, our community garden is looking good!...

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:43:31 -0400

Eight weeks after opening, our community garden is looking good! Those of us who planted seeds are now harvesting lettuces and radishes. Time for a salad party!

I adore spring! Is there anything more thrilling than...

Fri, 03 May 2013 21:21:42 -0400

I adore spring! Is there anything more thrilling than discovering a tiny egg hidden among the leaves in the garden? Or more captivating than the sweet, inviting smell of a new baby? I spent the day in the presence of miracles.

World Naked Gardening Day (WNGD) - First Saturday of May!

Fri, 03 May 2013 07:50:09 -0400

World Naked Gardening Day (WNGD) - First Saturday of May!:

Are you kidding me?! Couldn’t they at least have made it in July when we are all a bit more sun kissed? Good thing my garden is fenced.

Give kids a choice between cookies or dirt and dirt wins every...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 20:19:07 -0400

Give kids a choice between cookies or dirt and dirt wins every time (Well, maybe not every time, but it did this time!) Our garden club’s make-your-own seed pot station was the hit of the Earth Day Fair. They were lining up to plant morning glories and carrots. I mean, who doesn’t love to dig in the dirt?

Our Garden Club travelled to Philadelphia yesterday to visit a...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:56:47 -0400

Our Garden Club travelled to Philadelphia yesterday to visit a farm. That’s right. There’s a farm smack dab in the center of urban Philly. Greensgrow Farm used to be a toxic, industrial wasteland. Today it grows food for hundreds of people with its 800-member CSA, a farm stand, traveling food trucks and nursery. Everything is sustainable - from the composting toilets to the converted cargo container refrigerator. My favorite part — the salad spinner. It’s an old washing machine!

flowersgardenlove: Garden Tool Trellise Flowers Garden...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:48:30 -0400

flowersgardenlove:

Garden Tool Trellise Flowers Garden Love

Love this idea

whyhungerconnect: Happy Earth Day! What are you going to do to...

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:20:46 -0400

whyhungerconnect:

Happy Earth Day!

What are you going to do to help the Earth?

Back on the farm tonight! It’s very cool and the wind is...

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:15:07 -0400

Back on the farm tonight! It’s very cool and the wind is making it feel more like winter than spring, but my community garden plot is starting to sprout. Radishes are always the first to make an appearance, but lettuces, kale and even peas are coming through. My portable greenhouse (Christmas gift from my mother!) keeps the temps about 20-degrees warmer during the day. Since it only covers a few rows, I am anxious to compare and contrast with other rows to see if it makes a difference. The race is on!

I has the pleasure of attending the 2013 Senior Symposium at...

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 11:44:23 -0400

I has the pleasure of attending the 2013 Senior Symposium at Mount Holyoke College this week. My daughter was one of many talented young women who presented the results of their college research projects to faculty, family and friends. The sessions I attended covered topics ranging from sustainable urban redevelopment and the fight for food justice, to climate change and the politics of water. I was so impressed. And I was comforted. These women really get it. Keep the faith everyone. We’re in good hands.

awelltraveledwoman: hipnerd63: “Nowadays, people are so...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:19:36 -0400

awelltraveledwoman:

hipnerd63:

“Nowadays, people are so jeezled up. If they took some chamomile tea and spent more time rocking on the porch in the evening listening to the liquid song of the hermit thrush, they might enjoy life more.” —Tasha Tudor (via thankfulsagefarmschool)

treeporn: Australian artist Konstantin Dimopoulos paints urban...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:17:32 -0400

treeporn:

Australian artist Konstantin Dimopoulos paints urban trees blue (with environmentally safe paint) to raise awareness of global deforestation. Melbourne, Richmond, Vancouver and Virginia have all hosted his Blue Trees project and next week it’s going to be in Seattle. More info on 4Culture and Treehugger.