"Great oaks from tiny acorns grow." This is a quote I'd get as a word tattoo, something that resonates with me. Today I planted some vegetable seeds nearly a month earlier than I usually do, normally having to wait until the Spring equinox to start and then waiting until after the first full moon in May to move or plant anything outside (and even then a late frost in June can mess up everything!) It's amazing how fast the Wheel turns here on the wet coast; there are crocuses on the front lawn, bulbs bursting out of the sandy soil in the beds at the front of the house where I didn't think ANYTHING was going to grow, seeds hanging from the maples and a blush of red where their leaves are starting, and tiny pink buds on the apple trees. A cold front has rolled in so it's not as warm as I'd like but it's still way better than what my family and friends are dealing with back home.
I planted my seeds in rinsed out paper coffee cups and some toilet paper rolls (without the toilet paper), propping up a couple that want to fall over with the chopped rim of another, too large cup. The seeds were some I'd kept from food from the farmer's market, and the tomatoes and peppers were bought from a local organic farm. In about 65 days I should have a bounteous harvest but for now the 'checking the pots every day to see if they've sprouted yet' game begins. I love the concept of urban agriculture; I've always wanted my own land and thought that I'd never get it. Farmland is expensive! But you can have a good harvest right off your patio, or from your lawn, if you know how. There's another reason that I plant food though; Small, strong, local economies are our future. Free trade, global economics, and capitalism have so completely failed us as a species it's terrifying to contemplate, so instead I sow seeds, literally and figuratively. Small changes, teaspoons against an ocean of 'this is how it is', makes ripples and creates ongoing effects. My little pots on the counter are a symbol of my defiance-the systems in place can't make me buy ALL of their food. I'm still free to grown at least some of my own. I can collect rainwater, reuse things from around the house instead of buying more and more and more. Reduce, reuse, recycle, right? Fat acceptance is a part of this the radical idea that ALL bodies deserve respect and love, and so is feminism, my faith, the way I raise my son (or try too), where I shop, what I eat, and more. Today was about planting literal seeds. The blog is for figurative ones.
"I love the idea of urban argiculture."
So do I. I don't fancy the country much, but I like nature in the city. The only things that have put me off are worries about vehicle fumes.
And doubts about the greeness of my fingers!
Yay for planting seeds! What all did you plant?
You know I'm all for it, since I do a lot of home gardening as well. That's ironic because I used to have the Black Thumb of Doom for plants. And I still do....for indoor plants. But the outdoor ones I seem to be able to make grow.
I need to get out and plant my peas and my garlic soon. It's too soon for anything else outside, but it won't be long now.
Due to my Indoor Black Thumb, I don't usually start my own seeds. I do buy locally grown starts for those things that don't seed well on their own or which get a boost from someone else's greenhouse first. Every year I think about starting my own, but this is a busy time of year for me so they often get neglected. Easier to just do starts. Works for me, but I applaud people doing their own starts too.
E-Yeah, that's why I wouldn't plant too close to the road and would amend the soil anywhere on the property with compost and earth brought in from elsewhere.
In the biggest cups are bell peppers and beefsteak tomatos, and in the cardboard tubes are cucumbers and squash. Not too many of each because I'm not sure if I'm moving soon, but if I am I can easily give them away or move them as they'll be moving into pots on the patio. Luckily I've always had a green thumb, from the first year I just sort of took over my one of mom's flower beds and planted herbs in it, to my own larger gardens back at the old place. I hope the strawberries and other things are doing well there and that my sister in law is enjoying them.