About Me
- Zoy
- Aurora, Canada
- Holistic lover, enjoy biodynamic gardening, natural life style and herbal medicine.
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Family-garden is garden of life
The need for the family garden is greater today than ever before. It seems that in the modern day rush of life that many have begun to feel that something is missing. The more we run, the deeper the aching grows. To spite the incredible benefits of all our time saving devices and programs, we find that we are busier than ever, and to spite long hours of focused work, we feel that we are contributing little that is of intrinsic value.
In many instances, our children are discontent and feel that something is owed them. They seek for pleasure through video games and for a sense of self-esteem through sports, academic pursuits or other interests. Still, it seems that there is an overall feeling that it isn't quite enough. Those who are motivated, seek for higher and higher levels of achievement until they finally arrive where we hoped they would all along, a good job with good benefits making a descent salary. And yet, when all is said and done, they find themselves in the same boat -- feeling that something is missing -- feeling that they are contributing little that is of intrinsic value.
Over the years, I have pondered over this dilemma as I have watched it play out in myself and those that I love. The question arises: With all of our time saving, value enhancing, pleasure providing, self-esteem building programs and technology, what could we be missing that would leave us so devoid of the feeling of intrinsic worth?
I do not pretend to have a blanket solution to this modern enigma but I will draw a comparison that I think will shed light on one aspect of it.
One hundred and fifty years ago, our great, great grandparents arose early in the morning to go out and put their hands in the earth. Their hard days work was in direct contact with the soil and the fruit of their labors was the basic building blocks of life. As children sat around the table and gazed on a home cooked meal, they saw the potatoes, carrots, yams and tomatoes that they had planted, carefully nourished and harvested. The wheat in the bread was from last years harvest and the meat was from the cow they had raised from the time it was a calf. Children felt needed because they were needed.
Today, most of us run through our busy days with little to no contact with the soil that gives us life. In fact, we make sure to wash our hands with anti-bacterial soap just in case we might have come in contact with mother earth. We sit at our tables, assuming that we take the time to sit, and gaze on processed food that was grown by people we do not know. Once finished with our hurried meals, we rush off to slay our dragons -- to make and sell more things that people do not really need (at least in the intrinsic sense of the word) so that we can pay for our over-sized homes and all of the technology that keeps the whole thing going. But, not before we send our children off to school with words of encouragement that if they work hard and learn all they can, some day they will be able to be just like us.
Put in this way, it seems a little cynical but I am not a cynic. I believe that we can change our direction in a way that will begin to fill in the gaps that our modern society leaves out. We need to put our hands in the soil and our children need to feel the joy of contributing something of intrinsic worth to their families. I know of no better way to do this than the family garden. If you speak to people who garden, they will tell you that it is healing. By participating in the process of growing our own food, we may find that we feed more than our bodies but our whole souls too.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_McCormick
Add a dash of flavor and elegance to your foods
Without a doubt, Chives are the absolute easiest herb to grow. They are native to Siberia and Southeast Asia. A member of the onion family, Chive plants have narrow, tubular leaves that are delicious snipped fresh into any dish where onions are used. If you let them grow too long, they will produce pretty lavender blooms. Hardy plants need just a little care and love indoors.
Most people recognize them as those little, jade-green sprinkles on their baked potatoes in restaurants. Chives are a common sight in gardens or along walkways; they are cultivated for both their ornamental and culinary properties.
Chives go where the others are unwelcome. No onion or garlic breath from this lovely cousin. No tearful chopping or tedious peeling, just snip away at the deep green grass-like fronds. Yet you still get a mild onion flavor that goes so well with eggs, potatoes and fish.
CulturePot size 6-12 inches wide x 6-10 inches deep.
Seed Spacing Sow seeds just below soil surface and water
Plant Spacing Chives should be spaced 6 to 9 inches (15 - 22cm) apart.
Seed Germination Period 15 to 21 days.
Soil Requirements Well drained, fertile and rich in humus.
Growing Mix Mix two parts potting soil and one part coarse sand or perlite.
Fertilizer Water in an organic fertilizer such as compost tea or manure tea once a month
Sun & Lighting Chives prefer full sun. They need 5 to 8 hours of sunlight daily.
Water Requirements Water on a regular schedule, taking care to not over-water.
Uses
Chives add a dash of flavor and elegance to many different foods. Chives are best used fresh, but may be frozen. Fresh, they can be chopped fine and added to butters (great for corn on the cob), soft cheeses, and salads.
Chives are often used as part of "Fines Herbs". This blend of finely chopped fresh herbs is usually made up of equal parts of three or four of the following: Basil, Chervil, Chives, Marjoram, Mint, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Savory, Tarragon, or Thyme; and is usually added at the end of cooking so that the delicate flavors are not lost.
Bright purple Chive flowers make an eye catching and flavorful garnish sprinkled on salads, omelettes, chicken and vegetable dishes.
The medical properties of chives are similar to those of garlic, but weaker; the faint effects in comparison with garlic are probably the main reason for its limited use as a medicinal herb. Chives are also rich in vitamins A and C and contain trace amounts of sulfur and are rich in calcium and iron. They have been used in alternative medicine as a cure for colds and flu, and as an appetite stimulant.
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