Gung hay fat choy!

Happy belated lunar new year! I planted some more Lincoln Peas in celebration, and the radishes are coming along nicely. Roommate Sam had the foresight to cover the sprouts with plastic wrap for the cold nights and I think it made a huge difference. The first round of peas aren't doing so well, probably because they were not covered initially.

I'm working on a few projects but am feeling a bit under the weather the past few days so don't have any photos yet. I am making some art to hang around the house, some campy crafty dried flower collages and owl cut-n-paste watercolors. I never imagined how being a Kindergarden teacher would affect my aesthetics.

Three years ago I was living with Noelle in Tampa, dreaming about how to get laid and how to pass my Marxism class.

Two years ago I was living with Matt in the woods, pissing outside and tending wild grown bromeliads. In this photo is my friend Clay.

Planting Calendar: January, February

This is the planting calendar I concocted using a myriad of resources and a bit of divine intuition and I want to share it because growing shit is awesome and important. I used the Farmer's Almanac to determine patterns in moon phases, this lunar calendar, and another planting guide. I'm still working on planning the rest of the year, but it will initially all be an experiment with sprouting.

JANUARY:

Cabbage Jan 8
Peas Jan 8
Radish Jan 14-16
Carrots Jan 17-18
Chard Jan 17-18
Collards Jan 17-18
Kale Jan 17-18
Lettuce Jan 17-18
Peas Jan 25-27
Peppers Jan 25-27

FEB:

Chard Feb 6
Chives Feb 6
Spinach Feb 6
Beets Feb 9
Brocolli Feb 13
Celery Feb 13
Leek Feb 13

General Tendencies:

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• Full Moon good for above ground crops - day before full moon
• Waning moon barren days
• Last day of waning moon good for roots
• 6 days after full moon excellent planting, transplanting,
• 10 days after full moon bad planting
• New moon good for root crops

Farmer's Almanac and East Lake

Newly discovered tin canisters full of hundreds of little seeds begging for germination has led to me track daily the best times for planting using the Farmer's Almanac website. The Farmer's Almanac has been in constant publication since 1818 and is a beautiful resource - I think it would be great to get a copy for my classroom and teach the kids more about naturalist living. This guide put out by the Community Gardening Program is also very useful as a seasonal planting guide for the East Bay.

Three summers ago I stayed and worked at Acorn Community Farm, which runs Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, a nerd bank of heirloom, mostly organic and open-pollinated, plants-in-waiting. 

Some photos of my block, round the corner, juxtapositions of plants, dog shit, Victorian sheds, and barred up windows.