Podcast appearances and mentions of mel bartholomew

Today's episode is sponsored by LMNT, an electrolyte drink mix free of sugar, artificial colors, and other dodgy ingredients. Receive a free LMNT Sample Pack with your order at http://drinklmnt.com/Beet Episode Description: In this episode of the Beet Podcast, Rick Bickling shares the secrets to building a square foot garden! This efficient, space-maximizing method is a game-changer for gardeners. As a Master Gardener and Certified Instructor, Rick's got all the tips and tricks to help you grow more in less space. Connect with Rick Bickling: Rick Bickling, a Texas Master Gardener and Square Foot Gardening Certified Instructor, pulled off a miracle by transforming a concrete basketball court into thriving Square Foot Gardens! When he's not gardening, Rick works with the Square Foot Gardening Foundation, creating "Essentials" video tutorials alongside the foundation's directors. Find more from Rick at the Square Foot Gardening Web Site: https://squarefootgardening.org/author/rick_b/ Find more from Rick at the Square Foot Gardening YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SquareFootGardeningFoundationOFFICIAL Learn more about the 4th Edition of Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening: https://squarefootgardening.org/product/all-new-square-foot-gardening-4th-edition/   Support The Beet: → Shop: https://growepic.co/shop  → Seeds: https://growepic.co/botanicalinterests  Learn More: → All Our Channels: https://growepic.co/youtube  → Blog: https://growepic.co/blog  → Podcast: https://growepic.co/podcasts  → Discord: https://growepic.co/discord  → Instagram: https://growepic.co/insta  → TikTok: https://growepic.co/tiktok  → Pinterest: https://growepic.co/pinterest  → Twitter: https://growepic.co/twitter  → Facebook: https://growepic.co/facebook  → Facebook Group: https://growepic.co/fbgroup  → Love our products? Become an Epic affiliate! https://growepic.co/3FjQXqV Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our guest on Bob Tanem In The Garden with Edie Tanem is Rick Bickling of the Square Foot Gardening Foundation. The Foundation recently published a 4th edition of the Square Foot Gardening book, which originally was Mel Bartholomew's book. Mel -- who was a guest on this program has passed on, but the Foundation he left behind continues to spread the Square Foot Gardening method to a back yard near you. The Square Foot Gardening technique is a raised bed with specialized soil and a divider marking out the square foot plots. You can read more about it on the Foundations' web site at Square Foot Gardening Dot Org. This Podcast is a replay of the original broadcast hour on 810 KSFO; we have extricated most of the advertising and all of the musical interludes for podcast publication.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest on Bob Tanem In The Garden with Edie Tanem is Rick Bickling of the Square Foot Gardening Foundation. The Foundation recently published a 4th edition of the Square Foot Gardening book, which originally was Mel Bartholomew's book. Mel -- who was a guest on this program has passed on, but the Foundation he left behind continues to spread the Square Foot Gardening method to a back yard near you. The Square Foot Gardening technique is a raised bed with specialized soil and a divider marking out the square foot plots. You can read more about it on the Foundations' web site at Square Foot Gardening Dot Org. This Podcast is a replay of the original broadcast hour on 810 KSFO; we have extricated most of the advertising and all of the musical interludes for podcast publication.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For 40 years the Square Foot Gardening method has been transforming traditional gardening practice around the world. It is known as a highly efficient method of growing food in small spaces.In this episode of The Garden Question Podcast, we talk with Steve and Laura Bartholomew. They continue to spread the gardening legacy of Steve's father, Mel Bartholomew, the creator of Square Foot Gardening.We learn how Mel's vision continues through the Square Foot Gardening Foundation. We also discover how the foundation helps all gardeners learn to create their own sustainable, sufficient, and reliable food source.From the beginning Mel's book captured how to “Grow more food with less space”. This simple and highly productive message led it to becoming the world's number one selling gardening book of all time. Let's dive into the successful knowledge-filled conversation that unfolds in Episode 148 - Square Foot Gardening: Growing More Food with Less Space with Steve and Laura Bartholomew on the Garden Question Podcast.The Square Foot Gardening Foundation has given us a 20% off coupon for their online comprehensive Square Foot Gardening Methods Course. If you're interested go to episode page 148 and get the 20% off Coupon. This is not an affiliate link and we are not being compensated for you using the coupon.

The gardening with Joey and Holly Radio Show heard weekly March - Oct our 2021 anonymous Survey Garden survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/11zLBO6dluGFLbLYqDUw6C3GA88Co39xbOCbOiUy7hVc/edit?gxids=7628 Email your questions to Gardentalkradio@gmail.com Or call 24/7 leave your question at 1-800 927-SHOW https://thewisconsinvegetablegardener.com/ In segment four Joey and Holly answer gardeners questions 1.Q: I have rhubarb seeds. Is it too late to plant them? A:Yes you can start it from seed normally you would want to start in 10 weeks before your last frost date indoors. But it you start it now it will be fine 2.Q: I'm in Zone 4 and hoping there are edibles that can be started from seed at this late date? Thank you for sharing your wisdom A: At this point of time in mid May You can start tomatoes indoors and plant them out in 4 or 6 weeks. Other than that in Zone 4 it is best to direct sow them from seed. bean, cucumbers at the right time yes pepper and tomatoes from seed outside Holly did it when she was younger. 3 Q: For two years I have bought chive and bunching onions seeds from different places. They will not germinate. I wait 4 weeks and them try planting more seeds. I use Miracle Grow soil and purchased garden dirt. I have them under grow lights. Everything else I plant grows well, flowers, peppers, squash, tomatoes, etc. Why will my chives and bunching onions not grow? Thank you for any suggestions you can give me. A:The only thing we can think of is the seeds might be too old. It sounds like you have the right conditions, so it really could be the seeds. Onion seeds lose germination quickly after 1 year. It usually only takes them 4 - 10 days to sprout. You may want to buy starts now or make sure you purchase seeds fresh next year. 4. David listent the show via podcast out of maine and whats to knowWhat books would you recommend on square foot gardening? A:Thank you for your email and listening to The Gardening with Joey and Holly Radio Show podcast formerly known as The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener radio show To answer your question the best book for square foot gardening would be All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew 5.What temperature will shock a tomato plant? I heard that it's too cold can "shock" them? A:Any temperature 50 degrees, it can show significant problems to the plant. They can survive down to 33 degrees, but that would be for an established plant. Smaller seedlings would likely die. 6.Q: Stacy from North suburbs, Illinois Hello, love the show, I have learned so much! I decided to grow San Marzano tomatoes this year, but did not realize until I received my seeds in the mail that they are semi-determinate. I am a new gardener and only grew one indeterminate variety last year which I tried to prune to a single stem to keep it from bushing out too much. Should I be doing the same this year with the semi-determinate variety? Or will pruning this variety lessen the harvest? Any tips on pruning would be helpful! A: no do not trim it done let it grow normally The companies that make the show possible Proplugger of https://proplugger.com/ Rootmaker of https://myrootmaker.com/ Us coupon code Radio21 at checkout and save 15% of your order Chapin Manufacturing Inc. of https://chapinmfg.com/ Pomona pectin of https://pomonapectin.com/ Iv organics of https://ivorganics.com/ Dr. JimZ of https://drjimz.com/ Seed Savers Exchange of https://www.seedsavers.org/ Waterhoop of https://waterhoop.com/ Phyllom BioProducts of http://www.phyllombioproducts.com/home.html Happy leaf led of https://happyleafled.com/ Dripworks of https://www.dripworks.com/ Deer defeat https://deerdefeat.com/ use code Radio at check out to save 10% on your order Blue ribbon organics http://blueribbonorganics.com/ Chip Drop of https://getchipdrop.com/ Walton's Inc of https://www.waltonsinc.com/ Tree Diaper of http://www.treediaper.com/ Janie's Mill of https://www.janiesmill.com/ Nature's Lawn and Garden Inc of https://www.natureslawn.com/gardentalk can get 10% off on Aerify Plus by using this link Simply Earth of https://simplyearth.com/ Quick Snap Sprinklers of https://www.quick-snap.com/ Timber Pro Coatings of https://timberprocoatingsusa.com/products/internal-wood-stabilizer/ Bloomin easy plants of https://bloomineasyplants.com/ Tiger Torch of https://www.tigertorchltd.com/ Seedlinked of https://www.seedlinked.com/ Iron Wood Tool Company of https://www.ironwoodtools.com/ Natural green products of https://www.natgreenproducts.com/ EZ Step Products of https://ezstepproducts.com/ Rinsekit Of https://rinsekit.com/ Rincon Vitova of https://www.rinconvitova.com/ Wild Delight of https://www.wilddelight.com/ Bale buster of https://strawbalegardens-com.myshopify.com/collections/balebuster-bale-preparation-formula Soul brew kombucha of https://mysoulbrew.com/ Rescue of https://rescue.com/ Yard Glider of https://yardglider.com/ Piper and leaf of https://tinyurl.com/44rzt5sj Heard on Joy 1340 AM & 98.7 FM Milwaukee, WI Saturdays 7-8 AM CST Replay Saturdays 7-8 PM CST https://tunein.com/radio/Joy-1340-s30042/ Heard on WCRN 830 AM Westborough/Boston, MA Saturdays 8-9 AM EST Replay Sundays 5-6 AM EST https://tunein.com/radio/WCRN-AM-830-Full-Service-Radio-s1112/ Heard on KYAH 540 AM Delta/Salt Lake City, UT Saturdays 1-2 PM MST Reply Sundays 1-2 PM MST https://tunein.com/radio/KYAH-540-s34223/ Heard on KDIZ 1570 AM Minneapolis, MN Saturdays 4-5 PM and replay Sundays 2-3 PM CST http://player.listenlive.co/57071 Heard on WAAM 1600 AM & 92.7 FM Ann Arbor, MI Sundays 7-8 AM EST https://tinyurl.com/p68cvft Heard on WOGO 680 AM & 103.1 FM Chippewa Falls, WI Sundays 9-10 AM CST https://onlineradiobox.com/us/wogo/ Heard on KFEQ 680 AM & 107.9 FM St. Joseph/Kansas City, MO Saturdays 6-7 AM replay Sundays 10-11 AM CST http://www.680kfeq.com/live-stream/ Heard on WNAX 570 AM Yankton SD Sundays 10-11 AM CST bonus play Saturdays 2-3 PM CST (when twins baseball is not on) https://wnax.com/ Heard on WMBS 590 AM & 101.1 FM Uniontown/Pittsburgh/Morgantown PA. Saturday 6-7 AM EST replay Mondays 6-7 PM https://www.radio.net/s/wmbshttps://www.radio.net/s/wmbs Heard on KHNC 1360 AM Johnstown/Denver, CO Cheyenne, WY Saturdays 7-8 AM MST Replay Sundays 5-6 PM MST https://1360khnc.com/

The gardening with Joey and Holly Radio Show heard weekly March - Oct our 2021 anonymous Survey Garden survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/11zLBO6dluGFLbLYqDUw6C3GA88Co39xbOCbOiUy7hVc/edit?gxids=7628 Email your questions to Gardentalkradio@gmail.com Or call 24/7 leave your question at 1-800 927-SHOW https://thewisconsinvegetablegardener.com/ In segment 1 Joey and Holly talk about Edible flowers - do not eat if sprayed with pesticides - do not eat flowers found on the side of the road - use sparingly - can cause digestive issues if consumed in large quantities - adds pop of color, flavor, uniqueness to meal - not typically consumed for nutrients Clover (Trifolium species) – Sweet, anise-like, licorice. White and red clover blossoms were used in folk medicine against gout, rheumatism, and leucorrhea. It was also believed that the texture of fingernails and toenails would improve after drinking clover blossom tea. Native Americans used whole clover plants in salads, and made a white clover leaf tea for coughs and colds. Avoid bitter flowers that are turning brown, and choose those with the brightest color, which are tastiest. Raw flower heads can be difficult to digest. Dandelions (Taraxacum officinalis) – Member of the Daisy family. Flowers are sweetest when picked young. They have a sweet, honey-like flavor. Mature flowers are bitter. Dandelion buds are tastier than the flowers: best to pick these when they are very close to the ground, tightly bunched in the center, and about the size of a small gumball. Good raw or steamed. Also made into wine. Young leaves taste good steamed, or tossed in salads. When serving a rice dish use dandelion petals like confetti over the rice. Impatiens (Impatiens wallerana) – The flowers have a sweet flavor. They can be used as a garnish in salads or floated in drinks. Marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia – aka T. signata) – The marigold can be used as a substitute for saffron. Also great in salads as they have a citrus flavor. Nasturtiums Tropaeolum majus) – Comes in varieties ranging from trailing to upright and in brilliant sunset colors with peppery flavors. Nasturtiums rank among most common edible flowers. Blossoms have a sweet,spicy flavor similar to watercress. Stuff whole flowers with savory mousse. Leaves add peppery tang to salads. Pickled seed pods are less expensive substitute for capers. Use entire flowers to garnish platters, salads, cheese tortas, open-faced sandwiches, and savory appetizers. Pansy (Viola X wittrockiana) – Pansies have a slightly sweet green or grassy flavor. If you eat only the petals, the flavor is extremely mild, but if you eat the whole flower, there is a winter, green overtone. Use them as garnishes, in fruit salads, green salad, desserts or in soups. Tulip Petals (Tulipa) – Flavor varies from tulip to tulip, but generally the petals taste like sweet lettuce, fresh baby peas, or a cucumber-like texture and flavor. NOTE: Some people have had strong allergic reactions to them. If touching them causes a rash, numbness etc. Don’t eat them! Don’t eat the bulbs ever. If you have any doubts, don’t eat the flower. Violets (Viola species) – Sweet, perfumed flavor. Related flowers, Johnny jump-ups or violas, and pansies now come in colorful purples and yellows to apricot and pastel hues. I like to eat the tender leaves and flowers in salads. I also use the flowers to beautifully embellish desserts and iced drinks. Freeze them in punches to delight children and adults alike. All of these flowers make pretty adornments for frosted cakes, sorbets, or any other desserts, and they may be crystallized as well. Heart-shaped leaves are edible, and tasty when cooked like spinach. In segment two Joey and Holly got over Container gardening What do you want to grow Size of container Drainage holes Refresh soil or new soil? What kind of soil? Water everyday You can still mulch Many things can be a container You can trellis with containers Move them around if needed In segment three Joey and Holly welcome their guest. Susan Mulvihill is a columnist, passionate gardener, author, and has a new book out called The Vegetable Garden Pest hand Book. https://www.susansinthegarden.com/ 1. We often get asked, what is this insect on my X plant - what are some great ways people can identify a pest in their garden most efficiently? 2. What are some tips to determine if damage to a plant is from a pest vs something else? 3. Your book is The Vegetable Garden Pest book - what is something unique or noteworthy in your book that would encourage our listeners to check it out? 4. Why is organic pest control important? 5. What is integrated pest control management and how does it work? 6. How can we find out more about you? In segment four Joey and Holly answer gardeners questions 1.Q: I have rhubarb seeds. Is it too late to plant them? A:Yes you can start it from seed normally you would want to start in 10 weeks before your last frost date indoors. But it you start it now it will be fine 2.Q: I'm in Zone 4 and hoping there are edibles that can be started from seed at this late date? Thank you for sharing your wisdom A: At this point of time in mid May You can start tomatoes indoors and plant them out in 4 or 6 weeks. Other than that in Zone 4 it is best to direct sow them from seed. bean, cucumbers at the right time yes pepper and tomatoes from seed outside Holly did it when she was younger. 3 Q: For two years I have bought chive and bunching onions seeds from different places. They will not germinate. I wait 4 weeks and them try planting more seeds. I use Miracle Grow soil and purchased garden dirt. I have them under grow lights. Everything else I plant grows well, flowers, peppers, squash, tomatoes, etc. Why will my chives and bunching onions not grow? Thank you for any suggestions you can give me. A:The only thing we can think of is the seeds might be too old. It sounds like you have the right conditions, so it really could be the seeds. Onion seeds lose germination quickly after 1 year. It usually only takes them 4 - 10 days to sprout. You may want to buy starts now or make sure you purchase seeds fresh next year. 4. David listent the show via podcast out of maine and whats to knowWhat books would you recommend on square foot gardening? A:Thank you for your email and listening to The Gardening with Joey and Holly Radio Show podcast formerly known as The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener radio show To answer your question the best book for square foot gardening would be All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew 5.What temperature will shock a tomato plant? I heard that it's too cold can "shock" them? A:Any temperature 50 degrees, it can show significant problems to the plant. They can survive down to 33 degrees, but that would be for an established plant. Smaller seedlings would likely die. 6.Q: Stacy from North suburbs, Illinois Hello, love the show, I have learned so much! I decided to grow San Marzano tomatoes this year, but did not realize until I received my seeds in the mail that they are semi-determinate. I am a new gardener and only grew one indeterminate variety last year which I tried to prune to a single stem to keep it from bushing out too much. Should I be doing the same this year with the semi-determinate variety? Or will pruning this variety lessen the harvest? Any tips on pruning would be helpful! A: no do not trim it done let it grow normally The companies that make the show possible Proplugger of https://proplugger.com/ Rootmaker of https://myrootmaker.com/ Us coupon code Radio21 at checkout and save 15% of your order Chapin Manufacturing Inc. of https://chapinmfg.com/ Pomona pectin of https://pomonapectin.com/ Iv organics of https://ivorganics.com/ Dr. JimZ of https://drjimz.com/ Seed Savers Exchange of https://www.seedsavers.org/ Waterhoop of https://waterhoop.com/ Phyllom BioProducts of http://www.phyllombioproducts.com/home.html Happy leaf led of https://happyleafled.com/ Dripworks of https://www.dripworks.com/ Deer defeat https://deerdefeat.com/ use code Radio at check out to save 10% on your order Blue ribbon organics http://blueribbonorganics.com/ Chip Drop of https://getchipdrop.com/ Walton's Inc of https://www.waltonsinc.com/ Tree Diaper of http://www.treediaper.com/ Janie's Mill of https://www.janiesmill.com/ Nature's Lawn and Garden Inc of https://www.natureslawn.com/gardentalk can get 10% off on Aerify Plus by using this link Simply Earth of https://simplyearth.com/ Quick Snap Sprinklers of https://www.quick-snap.com/ Timber Pro Coatings of https://timberprocoatingsusa.com/products/internal-wood-stabilizer/ Bloomin easy plants of https://bloomineasyplants.com/ Tiger Torch of https://www.tigertorchltd.com/ Seedlinked of https://www.seedlinked.com/ Iron Wood Tool Company of https://www.ironwoodtools.com/ Natural green products of https://www.natgreenproducts.com/ EZ Step Products of https://ezstepproducts.com/ Rinsekit Of https://rinsekit.com/ Rincon Vitova of https://www.rinconvitova.com/ Wild Delight of https://www.wilddelight.com/ Bale buster of https://strawbalegardens-com.myshopify.com/collections/balebuster-bale-preparation-formula Soul brew kombucha of https://mysoulbrew.com/ Rescue of https://rescue.com/ Yard Glider of https://yardglider.com/ Piper and leaf of https://tinyurl.com/44rzt5sj Heard on Joy 1340 AM & 98.7 FM Milwaukee, WI Saturdays 7-8 AM CST Replay Saturdays 7-8 PM CST https://tunein.com/radio/Joy-1340-s30042/ Heard on WCRN 830 AM Westborough/Boston, MA Saturdays 8-9 AM EST Replay Sundays 5-6 AM EST https://tunein.com/radio/WCRN-AM-830-Full-Service-Radio-s1112/ Heard on KYAH 540 AM Delta/Salt Lake City, UT Saturdays 1-2 PM MST Reply Sundays 1-2 PM MST https://tunein.com/radio/KYAH-540-s34223/ Heard on KDIZ 1570 AM Minneapolis, MN Saturdays 4-5 PM and replay Sundays 2-3 PM CST http://player.listenlive.co/57071 Heard on WAAM 1600 AM & 92.7 FM Ann Arbor, MI Sundays 7-8 AM EST https://tinyurl.com/p68cvft Heard on WOGO 680 AM & 103.1 FM Chippewa Falls, WI Sundays 9-10 AM CST https://onlineradiobox.com/us/wogo/ Heard on KFEQ 680 AM & 107.9 FM St. Joseph/Kansas City, MO Saturdays 6-7 AM replay Sundays 10-11 AM CST http://www.680kfeq.com/live-stream/ Heard on WNAX 570 AM Yankton SD Sundays 10-11 AM CST bonus play Saturdays 2-3 PM CST (when twins baseball is not on) https://wnax.com/ Heard on WMBS 590 AM & 101.1 FM Uniontown/Pittsburgh/Morgantown PA. Saturday 6-7 AM EST replay Mondays 6-7 PM https://www.radio.net/s/wmbshttps://www.radio.net/s/wmbs Heard on KHNC 1360 AM Johnstown/Denver, CO Cheyenne, WY Saturdays 7-8 AM MST Replay Sundays 5-6 PM MST https://1360khnc.com/

Today we are delving into the world of square foot gardening originally popularised in Mel Bartholomew’s book by the same name. Join us on Facebook- Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/235726027726637/?ref=share Contact us via email - SelfSufficientContact@gmail.com Find us on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC33RtwynPm1s7xP709KMQcQ Support the Show - https://www.patreon.com/SelfSufficientHub Find the podcast - Apple podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/self-sufficient-hub/id1506405294 Google podcasts - https://podcasts.google.com?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8xYWM3M2JkOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw%3D%3D Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1xeCGY3Ba0tlAxJqEf8jjP?si=8MJdUFfuS-C1p5E_pyJXOA --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/self-sufficient-hub/message

Today we celebrate the German artist who painted botanicals with extraordinary detail. We'll also learn about the botanist who left his mark on the anatomy of the human eye. We celebrate the Spanish botanist who spent his life in Columbia, where, among other things, he studied the cinchona tree and used the quinine to treat malaria. Today's Unearthed Words feature words about April. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that will help you become more self-sufficient one square foot at a time. And then we'll wrap things up with a celebration of the California State Flower. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy.   Curated News Vegetable Seeds Are the New Toilet Paper by Alex Robinson | Modern Farmer  "...Home gardeners are preparing to grow their own vegetables in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting around March 16, online seed stores saw a huge spike in orders for vegetable seeds, as fears emerged that the pandemic could threaten food security. The increase in demand was so dramatic for Wayne Gale and his Canada-based business, Stokes Seeds, that they temporarily closed down their online store for home gardeners, in order to ensure they could fill all of their requests for commercial growers. Gale's business received around 1,000 orders from home gardeners during the weekend before March 16, a period of time it would usually receive around 350 such orders. "And this is not our peak season. Usually, our peak season is the second week of February," Gale says. Ken Wasnock, the CEO of Harris Seeds, says that the majority of his company's new demand has come from urban areas. The company has seen high volumes of sales to neighborhoods in New York City, where historically it hasn't sold much seed. Wasnock says earlier in the spike, a lot of the orders were coming from doomsday preppers, who purchased sprouting kits that don't require natural light. In the weeks since, he's seen an increase in children's gardening products, as parents try to plan activities and projects. Wasnock says that a high percentage of seeds people are buying are organic. Some of the more popular types of vegetable seeds ordered have included squash, zucchini, tomatoes, and beans."   Dreams For Your 2020 Garden It's decision time in the garden. What will your projects be this year? Often, we have no idea if our dreams for our gardens will come true. Gardeners may dream bigger dreams than emperors, but we can often get stuck, too. We put plants in the wrong spot. We buy the wrong thing. We spend too much money. We overdo. But, every now and then we get it completely right. I waited for years to put paths in around my front garden. Why did I wait so long? No reason, really. But, once it was in, I knew it was the perfect thing my garden had been missing. Up at the cabin, we had a sprinkler system installed. The soil here is sandy, and without regular watering, the plants would really struggle. After getting some ¼" tubing stubbed up to the deck, I've waited a year to install a kitchen garden on my deck. This spring, that's my big dream. I'll share the elevated bed system I selected and the evolution of this garden in upcoming Episodes. Whatever you're dreaming of and planning for your garden this season, I hope you get it completely right and that your dream comes true.   Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events 1528  Today is the anniversary of the death of the German painter, engraver, printmaker, mathematician, and theorist from Nuremberg, Albrecht Dürer. Dürer's work was extraordinary, and by the time he was in his 20's, he was already quite famous. While he was known for his calm demeanor and introversion, his work conveyed profound emotion. During Dürer's lifetime, explorers were collected exotic plants and bulbs and bringing them home to the Old World, where they caused a sensation. The botanical focus began to shift away from plants as medicine to plants as ornamentation and beauty. Dürer was not immune to the artistic perspective on plants, and his work captured plants with an incredible amount of detail that was unmatched by previous drawings. If you're looking for bunny art, you should check out Dürer's watercolor called Young Hare. It's a beautiful piece, remarkable for its accuracy and realism. One of Dürer's most famous pieces is called The Great Piece of Turf (German: Das große Rasenstück), which he created in 1503. This watercolor shows a grouping of natural plants as Dürer had observed them in nature. There is a grass that has gone to seed, plantain, and dandelion. From a botanical art standpoint, Dürer's Turf is a masterpiece, highly regarded for the realistic depiction of plants living together in community.   1759  Today is the anniversary of the death of Johann Zinn, who died young at the age of 32. Still, Zinn accomplished much in his short life, and he focused on two areas of science: human anatomy and botany. From an anatomy standpoint, in his early twenties, Zinn wrote an eye anatomy book and became the first person to describe the anatomy of the Iris in the human eye. There are several parts of the eye named in his honor, including the Zinn zonule, the Zinn membrane, and the Zinn artery. It's fitting that Zinn wrote about the Iris - which of course, is also the name of a flower - and so there's some charming coincidental connection between his two passions of anatomy and botany. In Greek mythology, Iris was a beautiful messenger - a one-woman pony express - between the Olympian gods and humans. Iris was the personification of the rainbow. She had golden wings and would travel along the rainbow carrying messages from the gods to mortals. In the plant world, the Iris is a genus with hundreds of species and is represented by the fleur-de-lis. When Zinn was 26 years old, he became director of the University Botanic Garden in Göttingen (pronounced "Gert-ing-en"). He thought the University was going to put him to work as a professor of anatomy, but that job was filled, and so botany was his second choice. Nonetheless, he threw himself into his work. When Zinn received an envelope of seeds from the German Ambassador to Mexico, he described the blossom in detail, and he published the first botanical illustration of the Zinnia. He also shared the seeds with other botanists throughout Europe. Like most botanists in the 1700s, Zinn corresponded with Linnaeus. No doubt Zinn's work as a bright, young garden Director and the fact that he tragically died young from tuberculosis, spurred Linnaeus to name the flower Zinn received from Mexico in his honor. And so, Zinn lives on in the name Zinnia - a favorite flower of gardeners, and for good reasons: They come in a variety of vivid colors, they can be direct sown into the garden, they attract pollinators like butterflies, and they couldn't be easier to grow. And, if meditation is something you struggle with, you can still become a Zinn Master, if you enjoy growing Zinnias. :) And, I'd like to think Zinn would be pleased to be remembered by the Zinnia because, like the Iris, the Zinnia has a connection to the eyes. We've all heard the phrase beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Well... in the case of the Zinnia, the Aztecs were clearly not a fan. In fact, the Aztecs had a word for Zinnia, which basically translated to the evil eye or eyesore. The Aztecs didn't care for the zinnia flower - but don't judge them because it was not the hybridized dazzling version we've grown accustomed to in today's gardens. (You can thank the French for that!) The original plants were weedy-looking with an uninspired, dull purple blossom. This is why the blossom was initially called the crassina, which means "somewhat corse" before Linnaeus changed the name to remember Zinn. Over time, the gradual transformation of zinnias from eyesores to beauties gave Zinnias the common name Cinderella Flower. And here's a little factoid: the Zinnia is Indiana's state flower. I like to imagine when it came time for Indiana legislators to vote in favor of the Zinnia, Zinn was looking down from heaven and smiling as he heard these words: "All in favor of the zinnia, say aye."   1732  Today is the birthday of the Spanish priest, botanist, and mathematician José Celestino Mutis. Recognized as a distinguished botanist in his home country of Spain, Mutis was the architect of the Royal Botanical Expedition of the N. Kingdom of Granada (what is now Columbia) in 1783. For almost 50 years, Mutis worked to collect and illustrate the plants in Colombian lands. Given that he spent most of his lifetime in Colombia, it's not surprising that Mutis was able to leave a lasting legacy. He created an impressive library complete with thousands of books on botany and the natural world. He also built a herbarium with over 24,000 species. At the time, only Joseph Banks had a herbarium that rivaled Mutis, and Banks had more resources and more support from the English government. One of the most important aspects of Mutis' work was studying the Cinchona tree (Cinchona officinalis), which became an effective cure for yellow fever or malaria. The Cinchona tree grows in the cloud forests of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru. The Bogota Botanical Garden became Mutis' base of operations, and it was the place where the Cinchona was studied. The bark of the cinchona tree contains quinine, which became the basis for a number of medicines that are used to treat malaria. During Mutis's lifetime, it was thought that Cinchona had the potential to cure all diseases. Naturally, the Spanish crown was highly motivated to develop their understanding of the Cinchona, and they encouraged Mutis to continue to collect and study it. In fact, Mutis used his medical knowledge to establish inoculation as a means of preventing smallpox, and he is credited with one of the first smallpox vaccination campaigns in Colombia in 1782. In addition to his medicinal work, Mutis founded the Bogota Astronomical Observatory and supported the work of Carl Linnaeus. He sent thousands of specimens back to Spain, where they remain at the Madrid Botanical Garden. During his time in Columbia, Mutis collected over 24,000 plant specimens. Mutis approached the job of documenting the flora of Granada in a unique way; he accomplished his mission by enlisting others. He skillfully set up a large studio as a space to get the plants captured through art. During his time in Columbia, Mutis worked with over 40 local Creole artists. He recruited them and trained them. He brought them to the studio where they could work all day long in silence. In short, Mutis set up a botanical production machine that was unsurpassed in terms of the output and the level of excellence for the times. At one point, Mutis had up to twenty artisans working all at one time. One artist would work on the plant habit while another would work on specific aspects or features. The Mutis machine created over 6,500 pieces of art - including botanical sketches and watercolors painted with pigments made from local dyes, which heightened their realism. On the top of the Mutis bucket-list was the dream of a Flora of Bogata. Sadly it never happened. Mutis died in Columbia in 1808. He is buried at the University of Rosario in Santa Fe, Argentina, where he taught as a professor. Eight years after his death, the King of Spain ordered all of the output from the Mutis expedition to be shipped back home. All the work created by the Creole artisans and the entire herbarium were packed into 105 shipping crates and sent to Spain where they sat and sat and sat and waited... until 1952 when a handful was used in a large folio series. Then the Mutis collection waited another 60 years until 2010 when they were finally exhibited at Kew. Today, the thousands of pieces that make up the Mutis collection are housed at the Botanical Garden in Madrid, Spain. The pieces are significant - mostly folio size - and since they haven't seen much daylight over the past two centuries, they are in immaculate condition. The old 200 pesos banknote in Colombia bears the portrait of Mutis, and the Bogota Botanical Garden honors the work of Mutis with his name. And, the plant genus Mutisia was created by the son of Carl Linnaeus and is dedicated to José Celestino Mutis along with other flora species, such as Aegiphila mutisi and Duranta mutisii (Verbenaceae), Aetanthus mutisii (Loranthaceae), among others.   Unearthed Words Here are some thoughts on spring.   The roofs are shining from the rain, The sparrows twitter as they fly, And with a windy April grace The little clouds go by. Yet the back yards are bare and brown With only one unchanging tree-- I could not be so sure of spring Save that it sings in me. — Sara Teasdale, American lyric poet, April    If spring came but once a century instead of once a year, or burst forth with the sound of an earthquake and not in silence, what wonder and expectation there would be in all hearts to behold the miraculous change. — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet & educator   "The seasons, like greater tides, ebb, and flow across the continents. Spring advances up the United States at the average rate of about fifteen miles a day. It ascends mountainsides at the rate of about a hundred feet a day. It sweeps ahead like a flood of water, racing down the long valleys, creeping up hillsides in a rising tide. Most of us, like the man who lives on the bank of a river and watches the stream flow by, see only one phase of the movement of spring. Each year the season advances toward us out of the south, sweeps around us, goes flooding away to the north." — Edwin Way Teale, naturalist, and author, North With the Spring    Grow That Garden Library Square Foot Gardening Third Edition by Mel Bartholomew In All-New Square Food Gardening, 3rd Edition, the best-selling gardening book in North America is relaunched and updated for the next generation of gardeners and beyond. As you might imagine, Mel's book is very popular right now with the COVID-19 pandemic causing a resurgence in gardening and self-sufficiency. Since Square Foot Gardening was first introduced in 1981, the revolutionary new way to garden developed by Mel Bartholomew has helped millions of home gardeners grow more fresh produce in less space and with less work. Now, based mostly on the input and experience of these millions, the system has been even further refined and improved to fully meet today's changing resources, needs, and challenges. With over 150 new photos and illustrations, this new edition makes it easier than ever to achieve nearly-foolproof results in virtually any situation: 100% of the produce; 20% of the water; 5% of the work. Perfect for experienced Square-Foot-Gardeners or beginners, the original method created by Mel has not changed in any significant way with this new 3rd Edition of All New Square Foot Gardening. It remains: build a box; fill it with Mel's Mix; add a grid. But along with the classic steps, you will find some exciting and compelling new information, such as: Adding trellises and archways Substituting with new materials Adding automatic watering systems "Thinking Outside the Box" with creative configurations and shapes Square Foot Gardening in dense urban areas with little or no yard Square Foot Gardening with kids You can get a used copy of Square Foot Gardening Third Edition by Mel Bartholomew and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $25.   Today's Botanic Spark Every year since 2010, April 6 is California Poppy Day celebrating the California State Flower. Poppy Day is celebrated in California schools, where activities are planned to showcase the flower along with other native plants. The botanist Sara Allen Plummer Lemmon created the 1903 piece of legislation that nominated the golden poppy (Eschscholzia californica) as the state flower of California. The botanical name honors Johann Friedrich Von Eschscholz, who served as a doctor and surgeon onboard the Rurik world expedition in 1815. In 1817, when the Rurik ended up in the San Francisco Bay area, the ship's botanist Adelbert von Chamisso ("Sha-ME-So") discovered the California poppy, which he named Eschscholzia californica after his friend Johanns Friedrich Von Eschscholz. Finally, in an article in the San Francisco Call, May 15, 1898, called "The Prettiest Wild Flowers," Ettie C. Alexander shared her magnificent experiences collecting wildflowers around San Francisco before the turn-of-the-century. The article said that Ettie's wildflower collection was the best in the state of California. Incredibly, Ettie had teamed up with a neighbor who was a chemist, and together they had worked to refine a process – a preservative – that would help her fresh-picked wildflowers retain their fresh-picked, original color. Ettie's process worked remarkably well. Yet, she was never able to find a process to preserve the brilliant orange color of the poppy.

I got an email recently that said… I have not had much success the past few years in growing food. I tried Mel Bartholomew’s square foot gardening last year without luck, problems with bugs, too little or too much water … Continue reading →

I got an email recently that said… I have not had much success the past few years in growing food. I tried Mel Bartholomew’s square foot gardening last year without luck, problems with bugs, too little or too much water … Continue reading →

Today we celebrate the writer who dedicated his book called A Child's Garden of Verses to his childhood nurse and the German botanist who lost all of his work in the Columbia River. We'll learn about the big chrysanthemum show of 1916 in our Nation's capital and the botanist who was one with Agaves. We'll hear some November poetry. We Grow That Garden Library with a book now in its 3rd edition from the man who loved to say "Happy Gardening, friends." I'll talk about setting up a regular spa day for your Houseplants, and then we'll wrap things up with a little something Jane Powers wrote back in 2010 that I think was just so incredibly cool and memorable.   But first, let's catch up on a few recent events.       Coleus Cuttings | @WDCGardener I can't think of anyone I'd rather learn to take Coleus Cuttings from than @WDCGardener and her cat Santino - who is THE master when it comes to supervising cuttings. btw Santino means "little saint" Aw....    Recommended Air Plants | HEIRLOOM GARDENER Know Thy Air Plants - Here's a nice little post from Heirloom Gardener to help you Tell Your Air Plants Apart.   My favorite? Tillandsia xerographica - “Queen of Tillandsias.” I recently saw one in a wedding bouquet. Long Live the Queen!         Make a Christmas seedhead wreath| @GardensIllustrated I. Cannot. Stand. How. Adorable. This. IS! Just when I thought I was out of the garden... you pull me back in! @GardensIllustrated came up with this adorable project - Make a Christmas seedhead wreath. I love this idea for the She Shed at the cabin. Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck - because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So there’s no need to take notes or track down links - the next time you're on Facebook, just search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Brevities       #OTD   Today is the birthday of Scottish-born writer and poet Robert Louis Stevenson, who was born on this day in 1850. Stevenson sickly little boy with no brothers or sisters. When he was just a toddler, a woman named Alison Cunningham was brought into the Stevenson home to help care for Robert. When Stevenson wrote a collection of poems called "A Child's Garden of Verses," he dedicated the book to Alison. Gardeners will be surprised to learn that Herbert Jekyll and Robert Louis Stevenson were friends.  Herbert was the brother of the  British horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll. Jekyll's last name was used in Stevenson's most famous work Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but of course, the popular pronunciation of the Jekyll name became Jekyll thanks to the book. It was Robert Louis Stevenson who said, "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant” And, here's an excerpt from Stevenson's The Gardener The gardener does not love to talk. He makes me keep the gravel walk; And when he puts his tools away, He locks the door and takes the key. Silly gardener! summer goes, And winter comes with pinching toes, When in the garden bare and brown You must lay your barrow down.     #OTD  Today is the 76th anniversary of the day that the German botanist, Frederick Lueders, lost all of his botanical work. On November 13, 1843, Lueders was botanizing along the Columbia River in Oregon. He'd been collecting specimens for three years. He had just encountered the explorer John Freemont, when all of his work, which was secured in a canoe nearby, was drawn into the rapids. Lueders plunged into the river and managed to retrieve only a copy of the Flora by Torrey and Gray. The devastating loss was recorded in Freemont's journal who wrote: "In the natural concern I felt for his misfortune, I gave to the little cove the name of Lueders' Bay." For Lueder's part, the loss of his specimens was devastating. However, the loss of his instruments and his correspondence with Asa Gray and Dr. Englemann was almost too great. Lueders determined his best course of action was to return home. He traveled south around the tip of Chile and then onto England. It took him a year to return to Hamburg a year after his mishap on the Columbia. Lueders didn't stay in Germany long. In fact,  he returned to America within the next year. By 1851, he had made his way to Wisconsin; he spent the rest of his life in Sauk City, and he dabbled in astronomy.  A biographical sketch said that in his old age, Lueders was mainly devoted to his flowers.       #OTD On this day in 1916, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette shared a sweet little article about the 16th annual chrysanthemum flower show that had just been held in Washington DC. It began this way: "If you ever get the idea that people aren't interested in flowers, just give a flower show." said one of the guards at the government chrysanthemum show last week.  All morning he had been repeating "Keep to the right!" to the mass of visitors streaming into the greenhouse.  There had been a couple of disastrous jams that injured some valuable specimens, and he was quite bitter about it. "Sometimes people take entirely too much interest in flowers. If you don't watch them they break them off and take them home as souvenirs," he said.  One of the most noticeable features of this annual chrysanthemum show of the Department of Agriculture and of similar shows held in large cities throughout the country is the growing interest in chrysanthemum culture.  "Where can I buy seeds of such varieties as this?" is the question everybody asks, pointing to a big white "Queen Mary" or to a small lavender pompon.   At the show this year over 250 varieties of chrysanthemums were exhibited... The whole greenhouse was a riot of color, with yellow and lavender predominating. Interest in chrysanthemums is increasing every year. National shows have been held every season for the last 16 years, but there has never been such large attendance before."         #OTD  On this day in 1982, the newspaper shared a great story about the author of "Agaves of Continental North America," Howard Scott Gentry. "This elder statesman of the botanical world [is] a first-class charmer when you get .... to his subject;... his love for the wilds of Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico; [and] about the years he spent overseas as an agricultural explorer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and about how he gradually came to know more about agaves "than any other human being." "I don't like to start things and not finish them," Gentry said concerning the hectic pace of his agave research after his retirement from the USDA in 1971. Several times a year he would plunge into the rugged interior of Mexico perched atop a mule, just as he'd been during his first collecting trips nearly half a century earlier. [Gentry graduated college with a degree in] vertebrate biology from the University of California at Berkeley [and he] concocted the notion of becoming a freelance biologist. To pay for his first field trip into Mexico, he sent 300 letters around the country to scientific institutions, to naturalists, to anybody he could think of, soliciting collection orders. "I came up with $3,000 worth of orders. For anything and everything, for an embryo of a white-tailed deer, which I did collect, for birds' eggs, for ticks, for plant specimens. I really got fascinated with that southern Sonoran and Chihuahuan country.  Gentry tackled it... producing the book "Rio Mayo Plants." "After that book came out, I became somewhat known as a botanist, which I wasn't. I was a zoologist doing exceptionally well writing as a botanist." Gentry completed a doctorate in botany at the University of Michigan, where the well-known botanist Harvey Harris Bartlet taught.  In 1950, Gentry became an agricultural explorer for the USDA. Based in Maryland, he traveled the world locating, researching and collecting plants for the government. [Gentry was involved in a] spurt of postwar agave work when it was discovered that plants in the agave family and plants in the wild yam family contained compounds that seemed effective in treating arthritis. Because of his far-flung collecting (he traveled in 24 foreign countries), Gentry was constantly introducing new plants to the United States and writing about their possible uses. It was high-profile work in the botanical community. "I refused several times to become a desk man for USDA," Gentry said. "It was a chance to cut out all the travel, but I told them, 'No, not me. I want to work with plants, not people. People are problems."       Unearthed Words "When the bold branches Bid farewell to rainbow leaves - Welcome wool sweaters." - B. Cybrill     "The wild November come at last Beneath a veil of rain; The night wind blows its folds aside - Her face is full of pain. The latest of her race, she takes The Autumn's vacant throne: She has but one short moon to live, And she must live alone. A barren realm of withered fields, Bleak woods, and falling leaves, The palest morns that ever dawned; The dreariest of eves. It is no wonder that she comes, Poor month! With tears of pain; For what can one so hopeless do But weep, and weep again? - Richard Henry Stoddard, poet, November     Today's book recommendation: Square Foot Gardening Third Edition by Mel Bartholomew In All-New Square Food Gardening, 3rd Edition, the best-selling gardening book in North America is re-launched and updated for the next generation of gardeners and beyond. Since Square Foot Gardening was first introduced in 1981, the revolutionary new way to garden developed by Mel Bartholomew has helped millions of home gardeners grow more fresh produce in less space and with less work. Now, based mostly on the input and experience of these millions, the system has been even further refined and improved to fully meet today's changing resources, needs, and challenges. With over 150 new photos and illustrations, this new edition makes it easier than ever to achieve nearly-foolproof results in virtually any situation: 100% of the produce; 20% of the water; 5% of the work. Perfect for experienced Square-Foot-Gardeners or beginners, the original method created by Mel has not changed in any significant way with this new 3rd edition of All New Square Foot Gardening. It remains: build a box; fill it with Mel's Mix; add a grid. But along with the classic steps, you will find some exciting and compelling new information, such as: Adding trellises and archways Substituting with new materials Adding automatic watering systems "Thinking Outside the Box" with creative configurations and shapes Square Foot Gardening in dense urban areas with little or no yard Square Foot Gardening with kids   Today's Garden Chore Set up a Houseplant Spa Day on your calendar every two weeks. During the winter, you can reduce the time between waterings as the days get shorter. A few weeks ago, I mentioned using a bar cart for staging your houseplants, and that sure comes in handy when it's time to wheel them all to the kitchen sink. Even a large tray can be of service if you prefer to shlep your plants over to the sink for a spray down instead of merely watering them with a watering can. Double potting, placing a smaller pot inside a larger pot, and insulating the plant with a double blanket of soil can help provide extra support to your plants in between waterings. Additionally, there is not much need to fertilize indoor houseplants until spring. So put the fertilizer down and concentrate on regular maintenance at the kitchen sink.     Something Sweet  Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart It was on this day in 2010 that Jane Powers wrote an excellent article for the Irish Times. What I especially loved about this article was Jane's correlation between the number of bedding plants a person ordered during the middle of the 19th century and their corresponding personal wealth. Here's what she wrote: In the heyday of bedding, the amount of plants that a person displayed was a gauge of their wealth and status. According to the head gardener at the Rothschild estate at Halton in Buckinghamshire, it was 10,000 plants for a squire, 20,000 for a baronet, 30,000 for an earl, and 40,000 for a duke.     Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

A review of the 2005 edition of The All New Square Foot Garden by Mel Bartholomew with a particular focus on using it to start community and school gardens. You can find more at his Square Foot Gardening Website. The Truth About Peat at In Defense of Plants breaks down the issues with Peat Moss.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/TJsGarden)

This is the DIY Garden Minute by Spoken Garden!  "Teaching you tips and tricks for your Garden in one minute!"     Today's topic is What is Square Foot Gardening?   Square-foot gardening is a simplified and efficient way to garden if you are short on space and on time developed and published by Mel Bartholomew. Listen to learn more!  

Every week we'll be releasing a bonus feature on Wednesdays with useful garden tips. This week is about garden basics. My Garden Basics Philosophy Gardening isn't farming. It's entirely different. My two goals of gardening are:  Have a continuous harvest of fresh veggies  Keep us in veggies all winter long  To do this, I follow the gardening basics. The gardening basics are:  Permanent Beds  Permanent Pathways  Perfect Soil  Grid Planting  Using a trellis as much as possible  By using these simple techniques, we can grow a lot more in a lot less space with a lot less work. With these you'll never have to break out the heavy equipment. This method of gardening began in Paris over a century ago and is known as the French Intensive Method. There are lots of books you can refer to on this method. My favorites are:  The Vegetable Gardener's Bible by Ed Smith  Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew  How Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons 

Making simplified gardening even easier. In This Podcast: New at gardening, the lackluster results of their first garden could have turned them off, but Jennifer Pratt and her husband decided there was an easier way.  Using their need for a simpler method of spacing seeds in the garden, they designed a guide to do the measuring for them.  This new tool is so easy to use that even Mel Bartholomew called to tell them how much he liked it. A kickstarter program has helped launched this simple idea into a new business for them. Don't miss an episode! Click here to sign up for podcast updates or visit www.urbanfarm.org/podcast Jen is an entrepreneur and inventor. After a frustrating first attempt at growing a family garden, she and her husband saw the need for a tool that would simplify the process of both planting and tending their vegetable garden - and felt that the proper spacing of seeds was the ticket.  And they were right! Now, after crowd funding, patents and a few more gardens under her belt, she's here to tell us her story and share more on the tool that is changing the way people grow food. Go to www.urbanfarm.org/seedingsquare for more information and links on this podcast, and to find our other great guests.

What is Square Foot Gardening? S2E13 Do you remember the days of old when your parents or grandparents had a garden in the backyard?  Do you remember how the weeds used to pop up and eventually overwhelm the garden?  Did you ever have to try to weed a garden like that (and how much you absolutely hated it)? What if you could create a garden that didn’t suffer from this weed problem?  What if you could create an organized garden that maximizes your yield? This is exactly what Square Foot Gardening does for you! LIVE FROM KANSAS CITY!  This is Season 2, Episode 13, and in this episode I talk about our experience with Square Foot Gardening and discuss the advantages of this gardening system. You don’t want to miss this one! This podcast is brought to you by Small Scale Life without any commercial interruptions!  Instead, I wanted to give you an update of our lives before I start talking about Square Foot Gardening! May is Gone; Hello to June Things are progressing at the house.  Julie and I are pushing forward to get us ready to move in mid-July.  That means we have been following the teachings of The Minimalists and getting rid of things using the following criteria: Does it bring us joy? Will we use it at the future condo or compound? Can we replace it quickly and for less than $20? We have been donating things at the Goodwill and selling items on consignment and on e-bay.  I can’t believe how much we have sold already!  It has been pretty amazing, really. That money is being used to pay off some credit card debt and replenish our emergency fund. Strange Graduation Why would we need to replenish that, you might ask?  Well, we recently had a number of activities and things going on that ended up being more expensive than we planned.  Our son Ryan recently graduated from high school (YAY!), and we had a graduation party for him on Memorial Day Weekend.  It went REALLY well!  I mean it went well at the party.  Graduation was a bit strange.  Between the 5 valedictorians that spoke, the near riot that broke out and an award-winning alumni talking about cervical cancer and pap smears, it was the STRANGEST graduation ceremony I have ever attended.  Yes, you did hear me correct: pap smears and riots at the graduation ceremony.  Good grief.  It makes a guy wonder what world we are living in these days? We had a great party, and we were blessed to have friends and family in town for it.  We really enjoyed their company and all the fun we had with them! Selling or Renting Houses Life has gone back to normal, and we have settled into the new normal: work and get ready for the Management company to show the house.  It seems that we have had a steady stream of showings, and we are all praying that someone rents it soon. Why, you ask? The simple answer is that getting the house, and the rooms of the young men that live with us, cleaned up does take its toll.  The house needs to be ready for showings on a 24-hour notice.  The same is true if you are looking for new renters or folks to buy your home.  Once the home goes on the market for sale or for rent, it is no longer your home.  Yes, you are paying the fees and the mortgage or rent, but it has become a model on the market. It needs to look AND smell good.  No one wants to buy or rent a house that smells like: A locker room Pet smells Cigarettes Mildew/Molds or Other nasty smells Here is a pro-tip for you: make your house SMELL good.  You can do this by using a Scensy wickless candle or even boiling a mixture of vanilla and water on the stove before the showing.  Just make sure the smell from the Scensy wickless candle is pleasing and not overwhelming. Probably the most powerful smell is chocolate chip cookies.  Ever notice how car dealers or home builders have chocolate chip cookies around?  That smell sells! I know because the architects I hired in Chicago used freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies to sell houses. Believe it or not: it worked!  Smell is a POWERFUL sense, so do not overlook this when trying to sell a product!   What is Square Foot Gardening? The Good Old Days Do you remember your grandparent’s, parent’s or even your gardens from years past?   Do you remember how they would devolve into chaos as weeds choked out your vegetables and herbs?  Can you remember how much you hated weeding those gardens? I do.  I remember it like yesterday.  My parents would be gung ho to plant in the Spring, and over the next few weeks, the plot would look like it had been invaded by every type of weed on the earth.  My dad would use grass clippings to mulch the paths and around the plants, but it usually ended up looking like a chaotic jungle towards mid to late summer.  It probably didn’t help that they were busy during the week with jobs and us kids, and on the weekend we would be gone at the cabin in Northwestern Wisconsin. There were times when my mom would assign us kids to go out into the garden and weed it.  It was the WORST job we could actually get.  We didn’t know what was a weed and what was something worth saving, and the cloud of mosquitoes coming out from the jungle would feast on us as we tried to work.  It was a horrendous experience, and frankly, that experience was a reason I never wanted to garden until I was much, much older.  Little did I know that I would return to gardening in my late 30’s. Epiphany My first Square Foot Gardens in Illinois – 2010 Back in 2008, we were living in our beige prairie palace in a far west suburb of Chicago, Illinois.  It was a stressful time in our lives: the Crash of 2008 was in full swing, and one-by-one my clients were telling me that they were pulling projects and keeping their own people employed. I was stressed out to the max. Meanwhile, Julie had gotten a set of the Little House on the Prairie books, and she was reading them to Ryan each night.  On more than one occasion, I had a chance to listen to the stories and marvel at how self-sufficient those people actually were.  They didn’t have material wealth, but they could survive in a number of horrendously harsh conditions. Skills and Self-Reliance Those stories made me think how soft and dependent modern people have really become.  I marveled and commented to Julie that we just don’t know how to do anything to sustain us if things REALLY got bad with the economy.  We couldn’t afford our house if I lost my job, and I wasn’t sure how we could even FEED ourselves if times got really bad. Trust me, folks, I lumped myself in with modern men.  I really didn’t know much about anything beyond my work in the office.  I felt a sense of sadness that my grandparents, who could forage for food, fish, hunt, garden, preserve food and make wine and alcohol from berries, had passed away without passing those skills on to my brother or me.  The old ways of my family and ancestors had lost, and we had become drones in cubicles, doing busy-work to create wealth for others. I knew I had to do something to change that, but I really didn’t know what to do about it. One day our neighbor was raving about the amount of veggies she was getting from her garden, and she was giving away extras to everyone on the block. Julie and I were stunned and asked her how she could grow that much produce in our terrible clay soils. Our neighbor replied that she was following Mel Bartholomew’s Square Foot Gardening book, and it was really easy to follow. She lent us her copy, and we had to give it a try! Square Foot Gardening Revolutions start one garden at a time – Square Foot Gardening book from 1981 Square Foot Gardening is a garden system that maximizes yields by meeting three basic criteria: Well-organized Easy to maintain Attractive all season long This system was developed by the late Mel Bartholomew.  He published his first book in 1981 and subsequently had a show on PBS.  Mel was focused on small garden beds, measuring 4 feet by 4 feet (4’x4′).  He would divide these small 4’x4′ beds into 12 inch by 12 inch (12″x12″) squares.  These would be intensively planted. Well-Organized The advantage of these smaller, organized beds was that the gardener could organize the garden to maximize growth.  Instead of planting a long, spindly row of seeds, the 12″x12″ square could be seeded with just a few seeds.  The strongest seedlings would be kept in the garden, and the smaller ones removed.  Instead of maintaining rows, the gardener could concentrate efforts on the plants in each 12″x12″ square.  By defining strict size limits for these beds, gardeners could maximize their efforts while limiting the time spent maintaining the beds. Easy Maintenance Speaking of maintenance, Square Foot Garden beds are easy to maintain.  This is a key advantage of the Square Foot Gardening method.  Mel knew from his experience at a community plot that people tend to get busy and have less time to maintain their larger plots.  By creating a new 4’x4′ raised bed with new, manufactured soil, there weren’t any weeds to worry about.  When you plant intensively in each 12″x12″ square, the flowers, vegetables and herbs will naturally crowd out any potential weeds.  Since we manufacture the soil using vermiculite, compost and peat moss, i is easy to pull any weeds that might grow.  In addition, watering plants with a hose is efficient since these gardens are very compact and intensively planted.  I will show you how I maintain these new Square Foot Garden beds in future posts. Attractive All Year Finally, Square Foot Gardens are really attractive all year long.  Since you have a smaller, organized space, you can really concentrate your efforts on that making that space shine. This is where you can dress up your planting area with a nice looking trellis, gravel in the walkways and fencing around the beds.  This is where I developed my ideas for going vertical with my plants. In addition, you can create hoops or cold frames for your beds to extend the season.  Because these beds are 4″x4″ you really can get creative with your systems and accessories to make these raised beds produce! Resources If you want to know more about this method, you should read Mel Bartholomew’s Square Foot Gardening Book. I have the 2005 edition, but he did publish the All New Square Foot Gardening book in 2013.  I do not own this version yet. Looking at Amazon, they are offering the 1981 version of the book.  I had a chance to look at this version at my mom’s cabin in late May of this year, and it was very interesting (the earlier picture was my mom’s copy).  I say that because Mel experimented with a lot of techniques that I have thought about or tried.  The saying is true: there is nothing new under the sun! What’s Next? As I mentioned in Season 2, Episode 11, I have completely removed my garden.  I just planted two 4″x6″ Square Foot Garden beds on Sunday of this week, and those are going to be my gardens this year.  There will be regular garden updates for you all, and I will show you the power of the Square Foot Garden this year.  Of course, I will be modifying the trellis systems to handle my 10 tomato and 10 pepper plants! Let me know how your gardening efforts are going.  Did you get everything planted in your garden?  Have you tried Square Foot Gardening?  How did they work out for you?  Feel free to ask questions, and we will get answers for you! Thanks for tuning in, and we’ll be back soon with another episode.  This is Tom from Small Scale Life; remember to learn, do and grow! The post What is Square Foot Gardening? S2E13 appeared first on Small Scale Life.

In this week's episode, we discuss growing our own food.  Tom Matott, who has a love for growing food, is the Urban Food Systems Coordinator for Fresno Metro Ministry. Is it hard, is it not?  You will soon find out.  I love this time of year.  This season gives me the opportunity to grow my own delicious vegetables.  Saving money, tasting succulent fruits, and alone time are some of the takeaways of food gardening.  Here are a few resources to help you on your way. Growingyourgreens.com with John Kohler, will give you all he motivation you will ever need. His love for healthy living has changed many lives, including my own.  Also pick up the book Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew.  His gives instructions on planting in confined spaces.      

My friend Mr. Tactical is back on the Small Scale Life Podcast!  We discuss a yuuuuge armada of Practical to Tactical Skills and Topics ranging from Hawaiian vacations (and engagements), gardening, hunt for rural property, minimalism, and tactical training (grappling and gunning) at Tim Kennedy’s Sheepdog Response class.  This is an information packed episode, so I hope you have as much fun as we did recording it! Podcast Topics and Links   In this podcast, Jay and I discuss the following topics and links: Practical Skills Hawaiian Adventure – Mr. Tactical is engaged! Health and Sleep Contrasting Showers – Wim Hof Benefits of getting more sleep – Kevin Michael Geary’s Rebooted Body Gardening Potting Soil Challenge Mason Jar Kitchen Gardens Mr Tactical’s Three Alarm Garden Soil Amendments Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew Direct Sowing vs. Buying Plant Starts Fencing a Garden Rural Property Jay’s Condo to Compound Blog Saving Plan Debt Reduction Spending Reduction Plan The Minimalists – Podcast and Website Tactical Skills Tim Kennedy’s Sheepdog Response Class Who is Tim Kennedy? Course Elements – Guns and Grappling Why Train?  Does this matter? Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman On Killing – Sheepdog philosophy Hard Times Creates Hard Men Training with the Best Hard Times = Strong Men Friends of Small Scale Life As I develop friendships in online communities and in real life, I have seen really great people doing great work.  For some, I will be setting up affiliates and memberships as this blog and podcasts grow.  Please check out these friends and take advantage of their offers below: Nature’s Image Farm – For a LIMITED TIME ONLY (until 4/24/17), Nature’s Image Farm is offering bundles of orchard products for your urban homesteaders, farmsteaders and preppers!  Check these links out for more details! Urban Homesteader Bundle  Farmsteader Bundle Remember: when you place orders using the code “SSL,” you will receive a 10% OFF all nursery stock plus FREE shipping.  It is time to plant, so why not order something from Nature’s Image Farm?  Even if you do not buy anything, this is a going to be a great resource for new homesteaders like me.  Check out the Homestead How-To Page for more hillbilly homesteading information. Join the Small Scale Life Facebook Community today! Small Scale Life Facebook Group – This group will get you a backstage pass and access to other members of the Small Scale Life Community.  We will discuss gardening, healthy lifestyle, frugal living and having adventures along the way! This is also your chance to see what is coming up on Small Scale Life, see some content not shared on the blog, and ask questions of future guests.   Subscribe and Rate on iTunes If you are a subscriber to the Small Scale Life iTunes Channel, please provide a review for the podcast, consider giving a few stars (not going to lie: I want five stars) for the Podcast.  I really appreciate you as a listener and your feedback. To leave a review, simply follow these simple steps: Click on this link or the image above. Go to ratings and reviews. Click on the number stars (five would be awesome) Subscribe to the podcast (optional, but appreciated)! You can also write a quick review or some words of encouragement (optional, but appreciated) You can also write a longer review, though it’s not necessary. Again, thank you for listening and your review! The post Mr. Tactical: Practical to Tactical Skills – S2E9 appeared first on Small Scale Life.

Donate to The Permaculture Podcast Online: via PayPal Venmo: @permaculturepodcast Today's interview is with Jesse Peterson and Penny Livingston-Stark about how to make permaculture education more accessible and provides different ways to do so for families and couples, as well as for those whom the more traditional two week intensive is burdensome. We also discuss different class formats beyond the design course, and what age is appropriate for a student to receive a certificate. Penny also delves into what it means to being a certified permaculture designer. You can find out more about Jesse and her work at insideedgedesign.com, and Penny is at regenerativedesign.org. The upcoming permaculture design course they are co-teaching together is in Bozeman, Montana, from July 15 - 27, 2016, and integrates many of the ideas we discussed here. [caption id="attachment_3417" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Jesse and her daughter[/caption] Permaculture accessibility is of ongoing importance to me, as well as those of us who call Seppi's Place home. Though my work on the podcast continues to push the edges of social, economic, and community permaculture, the core corpus of knowledge that comes with designing a series of permacultures rests in the Permaculture Design Course, which requires steeping one's self in the language of the land, food, and gardens; water, clothing, work, and shelter. Through that one gains a core understanding of the language and lexicon of practicing permaculture. It isn't the destination of the journey, but the starting point, a place too often one cannot start down because of barriers of time, cost, or burden to family. That is changing, however, as more permaculture teachers, such as Penny and Jesse, see this problem and try different solutions. In their case, they provide child care and couples discounts. In others, the format is broken up and spread out over a series of weekends. Some are even being offered in the gift-economy. As time and needs change, so does our approach to permaculture. I remember a time speaking of permaculture beyond the landscape seemed completely foreign and antithetical to the work, but more books and articles emerge on social and economic permaculture each day. The more teachers and students who take up the mantle to teach and learn this material, the more options we have in sharing it with others, and in continue to make it more accessible and affordable. Whether you are a student looking for an alternative to the traditional design course intensive, or are a teacher who is offering something different, I'd like to hear from you. My phone number is and the email address is . If digital means are not your preferred way to reach me, you can also drop something in the mail. That address is: The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast From here, coming up is the Mid-Atlantic Permaculture Convergence outside of Charles Town, West Virginia, at The Riverside Project. The keynote speaker for this day is Michael Judd, talking about his experiences as a permaculture practitioner, with opening remarks by Joel Glanzberg. Classes and workshops are scheduled on Living in the Gift, Animals in Permaculture, Broadacre permaculture, whole systems learning, plant walks, and tree ID sessions. If you do plan on attending, please consider carpooling. If you haven't picked up your tickets yet, get them today at midatlanticpermacultureconvergence.eventbrite.com. Until the next time, take care of Earth, yourself, and each other. Sponsors This interview is possible because of listeners like you who sign up as ongoing members at Patreon.com, by those who make one time contributions via the PayPal link on the side bar of the podcast website at thepermaculturepodcast.com, and by the show sponsors. Today's sponsors are Your Garden Solution and Good Seed Company. Your Garden Solution is a Pennsylvania company run by a permaculture practitioner and their business partner that helps people to garden using the techniques developed by Mel Bartholomew and popularized in his book Square Foot Gardening. In addition to garden installation and education, they also have an excellent soil mix and compost ready for your raised beds. Find out more at yourgardensolution.org. Good Seed Company has been in business for over 40 years and believes we have an inalienable right to open pollinated, non-GMO seeds for common use. These are the seeds saved by our ancestors for thousands of years that can sustain us today, and contribute to a bountiful future for the generations yet to come. Find out more about the rich history of this company and the importance of seed saving at goodseedco.net, or shop the catalog of ecologically grown organic seeds online. Store.goodseedco.net. Your Garden Solution Good Seed Co. Inside Edge Design PermieKids Resources Permaculture Design Course with Broken Ground Inside Edge Design Regenerative Design Institute Institute of Permaculture Education for Children Jen Mendez of PermieKids Sarah Wolbert David Sobel David's Books Connect with the Podcast Support the Podcast (PayPal.Me) On Patreon On Instagram On Facebook On Twitter  

Donate to The Permaculture Podcast Online: via PayPal Venmo: @permaculturepodcast This is the first of two in-person conversation recorded early in 2016, and is a follow-up to the interview recorded last year with Erik and Victoria. Today the focus on Victoria and The Forager's Apprentice program. During this course she provides a foundation to her students in botany, wild foods, and herbal medicine. The class starts the conversation, but where we wind up is deeper into the personal change that comes from a connection with nature; to know that nature is us and we are it; that we create our lives and the resulting yields from the system; and that each of us can choose to take action out of fear or out of love. Just as we hold that choice, Victoria shares how her studies of healing lead to an understanding that trusting ourselves, one another, and the mystery of life leads to abundance and true, lasting security. We become free. Find out more about Victoria and The Forager's Apprentice program at charmcityfarms.org, and via the links in the resource section below.There is a parable, sometimes called “The Wolves Within” and attributed to the Cherokee, that came to mind when Victoria spoke about fear and love. A grandfather is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside of me,” he says to the boy. “This terrible fight is between two wolves. One is evil, full of anger, envy, sorrow, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good, full of joy peace, love, hope, serenity, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going inside of you, and everyone else.” The grandson thought about this and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old man replied, “The one you feed.” I've read or heard a version of that lesson dozens of times. For years, though a person of faith, I trusted the results that came largely from the security of a full-time job, often working more than 60 hours a week. It was the only way I knew to live. Even now there are times when it is incomprehensible, but a mystery arises by feeding your personal abundance, that wolf of joy, that brings more abundance into the world and sets you free, opening unimaginable doors. Whichever wolf you currently find yourself feeding, if I can help you tend it, get in touch. My phone number is and email is . If digital means are not your preferred way to reach me, you can also drop something in the mail. That address is: The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast From here, coming up is the Mid-Atlantic Permaculture Convergence outside of Charles Town, West Virginia, at The Riverside Project. The keynote speaker for this day is Michael Judd, talking about his experiences as a permaculture practitioner, with opening remarks by Joel Glanzberg. Classes and workshops are scheduled on Living in the Gift, Animals in Permaculture, Broadacre permaculture, whole systems learning, plant walks, and tree ID sessions. If you do plan on attending, please consider carpooling. If you haven't picked up your tickets yet, get them today at midatlanticpermacultureconvergence.eventbrite.com. Until the next time, embrace the mystery of life and take care of Earth, yourself, and each other. Sponsors PermieKids, created by permaculture practitioner and educator Jen Mendez, is a resource to inspire and nurture those teachers, parents, and families interested in incorporating permaculture education into the lives of children in the community or at home. Through the site Jen offers a free ongoing podcast where you can learn about transitioning to a rich, ecologically sound life that includes children and learning at every step of the way. If you want to dive deeper you may be interested in her Community Experiential Education by Design program, or Edge Alliances. Find out more at PermieKids.com. Your Garden Solution is a Pennsylvania company run by a permaculture practitioner and their business partner that helps people to garden using the techniques developed by Mel Bartholomew and popularized in his book Square Foot Gardening. In addition to garden installation and education, they also have an excellent soil mix and compost ready for your raised beds. Find out more at yourgardensolution.org. Inside Edge Design Good Seed Co. Resources The Forager's Apprentice Charm City Farms Urban Permaculture in Baltimore (The first interview with Eric and Victoria) Aldo Leopold Barbara Brennan Henry David Thoreau Gary Strauss Jack Kornfield Connect with the Podcast Support the Podcast (PayPal.Me) On Patreon On Instagram On Facebook On Twitter  

Donate to The Permaculture Podcast Online: via PayPal Venmo: @permaculturepodcast How would you like to have more peaceful relationships with others? You can, and though the work is not easy, the process is simple, and today Ethan Hughes shares with us how he and others put this idea into practice day to day at the The Possibility Alliance, as well as in the Permaculture Design Courses held at the Peace and Permaculture Center. This audio comes from the first video session with Ethan, recorded while I was at The Possibility Alliance. For those of you on mobile, if you'd like to watch this video, I've included a direct link to the YouTube page in the resource section. If you'd like to see the rest of the videos, as well as hear all the conversations rather than just the excerpts like this one, then pledge towards the creation of The Possibility Handbook. These conversations with Ethan, a beautiful synthesis of the wisdom of others with his own experiences of living in community, continue to change and transform my life and lead to new discoveries. As I apply the lessons learned along the way I find that they work. There is less strife and more understanding of others, while also decreasing the sense of other or enemy identity. I won't say it is perfect, and we call these things practices for a reason, but the improvement is there. By changing ourselves, we change the world. Now imagine all the possibilities. If there is anyway I can assist you on your road, wherever you are in that journey, get in touch. Email: or call: , or you can drop something in the mail: The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast If you are in a place to help me, I would really appreciate it, as this podcast stays on the air thanks to generous listeners like you. In the notes you'll find a PayPal.me link where you can make a onetime donation to the show, and any amount helps. If you'd like to become an ongoing member, then sign up at Patreon.com/permaculturepodcast where for as little as $5 per month you can receive a range of benefits including exclusive content, such as a recent exclusive video tour of the systems at Seppi's Place, my new community home, and early access to advertisement free episodes. Thank you for your time and support. As this episode comes out, I'm on my way to Berea, Kentucky and the Clear Creek Community. Check out the podcast instagram feed, instagram.com/permaculturepodcast for updates throughout the trip. On Saturday, April 23, 2016 is Spring into Permaculture hosted by Clear Creek Schoolhouse. Come and hang out with us starting at noon, stay for a mead making workshop with Jereme Zimmerman, author of Make Mead Like a Viking, from 1-3pm, and in the evening we're having a potluck and live recording of the podcast. Find out more at clearcreekschoolhouse.org. On June 18, 2016, is the Mid-Atlantic Permaculture Convergence outside of Charles Town, West Virginia, hosted by Emma Huvos of The Riverside Project. The keynote speaker for this day is Michael Judd. Other guests include Shawn Walker of Trees101, Diane Blust of Chicory Hill Farm, Nicole Luttrell of Deeply Rooted Design, Seppi Garrett of Seppi's Place, forager and rewilder Nathan Rupley, and we'll be ending the day with a live recording of the podcast with all the guests and attendees. Lots of great folks doing good work are here to meet and learn from.  As this event is limited to 100 tickets, pick yours up today at midatlanticpermacultureconvergence.eventbrite.com.   Sponsors A thank you to the podcast sponsors, PermieKids, Your Garden Solution and Good Seed Company. Your Garden Solution is a Pennsylvania company run by a permaculture practitioner and their business partner that helps people to garden using the techniques developed by Mel Bartholomew and popularized in his book Square Foot Gardening. In addition to garden installation and education, they also have an excellent soil mix and compost ready for your raised beds. Find out more at yourgardensolution.org. Good Seed Company has been in business for over 40 years and believes we have an inalienable right to open pollinated, non-GMO seeds for common use. These are the seeds saved by our ancestors for thousands of years that can sustain us today, and contribute to a bountiful future for the generations yet to come. Find out more about the rich history of this company and the importance of seed saving at goodseedco.net, or shop the catalog of ecologically grown organic seeds online. Store.goodseedco.net. Resources Conflict Transformation video (YouTube) The Possibility Handbook Necessary Simplicity with Ethan Hughes Support the Podcast!  (PayPal.Me)

Donate to The Permaculture Podcast Online: via PayPal Venmo: @permaculturepodcast Chris is a peace activist from Chico, California, who serves with the Christian Peacemaker Teams, recently returning from Palestine,  and is the producer of the radio documentary series "Bringing Down the New Jim Crow," which explores the movement to end the system of mass incarceration in the United States. Our conversation today is based on his forthcoming book The Gandhian Iceberg: A Nonviolence Manifesto for the Age of the Great Turning. Today we talk about nonviolence and the three parts to the Gandhian model: self-purification, constructive programs, and satyagraha. I became aware of Chris and his work through conversations with Ethan Hughes, who gave me a rough copy of The Gandhian Iceberg. Through that, and time spent at The Possibility Alliance, meeting with members of the Catholic Worker Movement, and those practicing nonviolence and building egalitarian communities, a light went off in my thoughts on how nonviolence is a required component of creating the world espoused by permaculture. That lead to this conversation with Chris on how to move from a place of anger and fear, to one of compassion and love. As discussions emerge about how the third ethic of permaculture is the least discussed and most confusing to understand and implement, nonviolence and the Gandhian model provide a way to return this ethic to a proper place in our practice. Before we begin I'd like to thank the sponsors, Good Seed Company, and the sponsors of the day, PermieKids and Your Garden Solution. PermieKids, created by permaculture practitioner and educator Jen Mendez, is a resource to inspire and nurture those teachers, parents, and families interested in incorporating permaculture education into the lives of children in the community or at home. Though the site Jen offers a free ongoing podcast where you can learn about transitioning to a rich, ecologically sound life that includes children and learning at every step of the way. If you want to dive deeper you may be interested in her Community Experiential Education by Design program, or Edge Alliances. Find out more at PermieKids.com. Your Garden Solution is a Pennsylvania company run by a permaculture practitioner and their business partner that helps people to garden using the techniques developed by Mel Bartholomew and popularized in his book Square Foot Gardening. In addition to garden installation and education, they also have an excellent soil mix and compost ready for your raised beds. Find out more at yourgardensolution.org. You can contact Chris at moorebackman@gmail.com and find more about his work via the links in the resource section in the show notes. Creating a more bountiful world requires peace and nonviolence. To continue to exist under old methods and modes that create feelings of scarcity and result in violence and oppression don't fit within the ethics of permaculture. A new revolution is required, lead by the practice self-purification, constructive programs, and satyagraha. Should you choose to embrace this path, and I suggest you explore it further at the very least, there are additional resources in the notes for this episode that include links to the Metta Center for Nonviolence, a series of free books on nonviolence from the Albert Einstein Institute, and further articles on satyagraha and the power of nonviolence. Along the way if I can assist you, wherever you are, get in touch. My phone number is and email is . If digital means are not your preferred way to reach me, you can also drop something in the mail. That address is: The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast To connect with the show and other listeners, you can become a sustaining member at Patreon.com/permaculturepodcast, on Facebook as The Permaculture Podcast with Scott Mann, and on Twitter where I am @permaculturecst. I'm also using Instagram quite a bit, and you can find me there as PermaculturePodcast. From here I'll be on the road in April, returning to Berea Kentucky and the Clear Creek Community. While there on April 23, 2016 we're holding Spring into Permaculture hosted by Clear Creek Schoolhouse. The day starts at noon and heads on into the evening with a potluck and in-person recording of the podcast, and Jereme Zimmerman, author of Make Mead Like a Viking, will be there teaching a meadmaking workshop from 1 - 3pm. Find out more at clearcreekschoolhouse.org. After that, on June 18, 2016, is the Mid-Atlantic Permaculture Convergence outside of Charles Town, West Virginia, hosted by Emma Huvos of The Riverside Project. The keynote speaker for this day is Michael Judd, talking about his experiences as a permaculture practitioner, and there will be classes and workshops on Living in the Gift, Animals in Permaculture, Broadacre permaculture, whole systems learning, as well as plant walks and tree ID sessions. As this event is limited to 100 tickets, pick yours up today at midatlanticpermacultureconvergence.eventbrite.com.   Sponsors The Good Seed Company PermieKids Your Garden Solution Resources Chris's Email: moorebackman (at) gmail.com Bringing Down the New Jim Crow Chris's Articles at Truth-Out Dr. Michael Nagler, author of The Search for a Nonviolent Future Martin Luther King, The Inconvenient Hero by Vincent Harding Brene Brown Gene Sharp Michael Brown “The Presence Process” Charles Eisenstein Peace Projects Be the Change Reno, Nevada The New Community Project Harrisonburg, Virginia Canticle Farm Oakland, California Additional Resources Nonviolence: Working Definitions (Metta Center for Nonviolence) Satyagraha (Wikipedia) Non-violence, the appropriate and effective response to human conflicts Collection of free books on nonviolence (Albert Einstein Institute) The Power of Nonviolence /r/nonviolence (reddit)

Kim began gardening using the original Square Foot Gardening method in the late 1980s. She learned the All New Square food gardening method and became a square foot gardening Certified Instructor, taught by Mel Bartholomew, in 2010. She teaches the next generation of Certified Instructors and serves as one of Mel's assistants. Along with her daughter-in-law and Mel, Kim is working on children's versions of the All New Square food gardening book. She is the owner of Square Foot Gardening 4 U, a woman veteran-owned business in Glen Burnie, Maryland where she teaches. She can be reached at sfg4u.com.

Donate to The Permaculture Podcast Online: via PayPal Venmo: @permaculturepodcast My guest for this episode is Erik Ohlsen, founder of Permaculture Artisans and co-founder and executive director of Permaculture Skills Center in Sebastopol, California. A previous guest on the show, he joins me today to examine the idea of what it means to gain a permaculture rooted education that takes our practices beyond an introductory level. This leads us to talk about the Ecological Landscape Immersion program taught at PSC, the role of mentoring, the results of Miriam Volat at The Farm School, and we eventually touch on the shortcomings of a Permaculture Design Course for anyone wanting to practice as a professional. Before we begin I'd like to thank the sponsors who, along with listeners, help keep this show going and growing. In addition to Permiekids, the sponsors of the day are Your Garden Solution and Good Seed Company. Your Garden Solution is a Pennsylvania company run by a permaculture practitioner and their business partner that helps people to garden using the techniques developed by Mel Bartholomew and popularized in his book Square Foot Gardening. In addition to garden installation and education, they also have an excellent soil mix and compost ready for your raised beds. Find out more at yourgardensolution.org. Good Seed Company has been in business for over 40 years and believes we have an inalienable right to open pollinated, non-GMO seeds for common use. These are the seeds saved by our ancestors for thousands of years that can sustain us today, and contribute to a bountiful future for the generations yet to come. Find out more about the rich history of this company and the importance of seed saving at goodseedco.net, or shop the catalog of ecologically grown organic seeds online. store.goodseedco.net. As I continue to navigate social permaculture and living in community, the work of Erik, his colleagues, and others like him are important for creating the next generation of landscape oriented permaculture practitioners. The Permaculture Skills Center offers a variety of trainings focused on creating a career for students whether that involves ecologically focused landscaping, regenerative agriculture, or permaculture education. If you are near Sebastopol, California and considering any of these path, these programs are definitely worth investigation. Permaculture Artisans and The Permaculture Skills Center continue to raise the bar of what it means to practice permaculture professionally. Find our more about Erik and his work at permacultureartisans.com and the numerous education offerings, as well as their own blog and podcast, at permacultureskillscenter.org. Along the way if I can assist you, wherever you call home and whatever leg of the journey you are on, get in touch. My phone number is and email is . That email address is also the PayPal address for the show, so if you like what you hear and want to shoot something my way, you can send it to there. Though there are now some sponsors for the show I still couldn't do this without your direct and ongoing support as listener. If digital means are not your preferred way to reach me, you can also drop something in the mail. That address is: The Permaculture Podcast The Permaculture Podcast If you'd like to connect with the show and other listeners, you can also a sustaining member at Patreon.com/permaculturepodcast, on Facebook as The Permaculture Podcast with Scott Mann, and on Twitter where I am @permaculturecst. I'm going on a family vacation soon to explore the beaches of Rehobeth, Delaware, and will also be posting pictures of the plants, animals, and other interests from that bioregion on Instragram as PermaculturePodcast. From here I'll be on the road in April, returning to Berea Kentucky and the Clear Creek Community. While there on April 23, 2016 is Spring into Permaculture. Clear Creek Schoolhouse is hosting this event. The day starts at noon and heads on into the evening with a potluck and in-person recording of the podcast, and Jereme Zimmerman, author of Make Mead Like a Viking, will be there teaching a meadmaking workshop from 1 - 3pm. Find out more at clearcreekschoolhouse.org. After that, on June 18, 2016, is the Mid-Atlantic Permaculture Convergence outside of Charles Town, West Virginia, hosted by Emma Huvos of The Riverside Project. The keynote speaker for this day is Michael Judd, talking about his experiences as a permaculture practitioner, and there will be classes and workshops on Living in the Gift, Animals in Permaculture, Broadacre permaculture, whole systems learning, as well as plant walks and tree ID sessions. As this event is limited to 100 tickets, pick yours up today at midatlanticpermacultureconvergence.eventbrite.com. Also, unrelated to all things Permaculture, are you a Steampunk? If so I'll be at the Steampunk Worlds Faire May 13-15, 2016, and may be presenting a class on The History of the Sword, focusing on the Renaissance period, or you can probably find me or Photographer John at the Canes Enabled tent in the courtyard of the main hotel. Next up on the docket is the first of the Philadelphia Round Table recordings, followed by an interview on Ghandian Nonviolence with Chris Moore-Backman. Until then, take care of Earth, Your Self, and each other. Sponsors: Your Garden Solution The Good Seed Company PermieKids Resources: Permaculture Skills Center Permaculture Artisans Clear Creek Schoolhouse Mid-Atlantic Permaculture Convergence (Information and Tickets) Connect with the Podcast: On Patreon On Instagram On Facebook On Twitter

Donate to The Permaculture Podcast Online: via PayPal Venmo: @permaculturepodcast My guest today is Robyn Mello, the program director for Philadelphia Orchard Project, and is a deeper look at her life, work, and thoughts within and beyond that project, which she provided a brief overview to in Episode 1609: An Introduction to the Philadelphia Orchard Project. Give that episode a listen to learn more about how this non-profit installs orchards throughout the city of Philadelphia. I've known Robyn for many years, after meeting in Philadelphia during a presentation given by Peter Bane at the Awbury Arboretum alongside the executive director of POP, Phil Forsyth. Along the way we've kept in touch as I continue to follower her work in Urban Permaculture. Not only is Robyn an amazing permaculturist, she is also a musician with The Radicans and an organizer for BeardFest. Before we begin I'd like to thank the sponsors who, along with listeners, help keep this show going and growing. In addition to The Good Seed Company, the sponsors of the day are PermieKids, and Your Garden Solution. PermieKids, run by the incredible Jen Mendez, is a resource to inspire and nurture those teachers, parents, and families interested in incorporating permaculture education into the lives of children in the community or at home. Though the site Jen offers a free ongoing podcast where you can learn about transitioning to a rich, ecologically sound life that includes children and learning at every step of the way. If you want to dive deeper you may be interested in her Community Experiential Education by Design program, or Edge Alliances. Find out more at PermieKids.com. Your Garden Solution is a Pennsylvania company run by a permaculture pratitioner and their business partner that helps people to garden using the techniques developed by Mel Bartholomew and popularized in his book Square Foot Gardening. In addition to garden installation and education, they also have an excellent soil mix and compost ready for your raised beds. Find out more at yourgardensolution.org. If you'd like to get involved in the podcast, become a listener-member on Patreon, follow the show on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Share your favorite episodes with your friends, family, and fellow practitioners, or, better yet, listen to a show with them. Find out more about Robyn and her permaculture work at PhillyOrchards.org, and via the links below. Sponsors: PermieKids Your Garden Solution The Good Seed Company Resources: Philadelphia Orchard Project The Radicans BeardFest Connect with the Podcast: On Patreon On Instagram On Facebook On Twitter

  Square Foot Gardening....the next generation...Mel Bartholomew and Walter Jahncke.  Senator Chuck Grassley says he'll vote no on higher oil taxes to pay for oil spill clean-ups.  Then,  welfare raccoons take over parks...the rest of the story.