From 10 commandments to "factor inputs and externalities"

Just after I finished writing the previous post, I visited my favourite urban gardener's blog (she's my inspiration to keep trying to grow my own, albeit on a much smaller scale) and read a complementary post that also really challenges my thinking and way of doing things.

Please do check out Gayla's thoughtful analysis. I agree all gardeners need to consider these "factor inputs and externalities" -- they really are the key part of the equation. I myself admit to being more focused on the ouput.

10 Commandments of Eco-Gardening

Photo credit: MEC's Green Roof

Today, via Treehugger, always an abundant source of green advice, I discovered the Times Online's 10 Commandments for Eco-Gardeners. Here is the short form of the list:

1. Thou shalt conserve water.
2. Thou shalt put the right plant in the right place
3. Thou shalt not use peat.
4. Thou shalt recycle garden waste.
5. Thou shalt reuse non-biodegradable products.
6. Thou shalt minimise the use of chemicals.
7. Thou shalt leave a messy bit.
8. Thou shalt use hard landscaping with sensitivity.
9. Thou shalt use lighting responsibly.
10. Thou shalt teach thy children where food comes from.

Easiest commandment for me to keep: #6.
I don't use any chemicals and I don't mind delight in squishing aphids between my thumb and finger (eeeewwww) and am thrilled when ladybugs take up residence on my balcony.

Hardest for me to keep: #2.
I have a south-facing balcony but my favourite plants are ones that thrive in shady, moist conditions. I wish I had this view from my balcony window.

Most rewarding commandment to keep: #4
There's nothing to compare with the black gold created by vermicomposting. Harvesting this compost is a bit labour intensive and keeping the worms warm (and therefore alive) in the winter months is challenging on the balcony, but I think the results are worth the efforts. I'm going to share my personal experience with "red wigglers" in a future post.

Commandment in which I have a special interest and therefore am pleased to see: #10.
(Disclosure statement: I am a dietitian and want to learn more about how I can support school gardening in my community.)

British Columbia Day, August 6th, 2007

Because there is no national holiday to celebrate gardening (how can this be?), I've decided to post garden or plant-related themes related to the Canadian stat holidays.

Today was British Columbia (BC) Day. Here are links to photos of edible berries of coastal BC:

Alaskan blueberry Vaccinium alaskaense

Dwarf blueberry Vaccinium caespitosum

Bog cranberry Oxycoccus oxycoccos

Salmonberry Rubus spectabilis

Black raspberry Rubus leucodermis

Thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus

Himalayan blackberry Rubus discolor

Trailing blackberry Rubus ursinus

Saskatoon Amelanchier alnifolia

To learn more about how these plants were traditionally used by the aboriginal peoples as well as how to identify the plants in the wild, I highly recommend the field guide Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, BC and Alaska (2004) or the original edition (I have this one), Plants of Coastal British Columbia including Washington, Oregon & Alaska (1994).

Vegetables with a sense of humour

This evening I did a Google search to learn more about Asian vegetables -- I'm planning on sowing pac choi this weekend -- and came across Love Carrots and Other Vegetables, the source of this photo of pac choi carp. I think I'll allow myself to be distracted by this quirky site and leave the serious reading and writing until tomorrow.

The ethics of eating (interview with Barbara Kingsolver)

I think the subject of food seems daunting because there are so many different questions, so many different problems. And that's something that really compelled me about writing this book. I love to start with a huge unanswerable boggling kind of question and see if I can whittle it down into the shape of a really good yarn. You know, I just love to see if I can give it a plot and make you laugh all along the way and maybe make you cry at the end, and create something that will invite you in. And then when you're finished and you close the book, maybe you'll step out into the world in a slightly different way and ask your own questions and answer the questions in your own way.
- Barbara Kingsolver in an interview with Krista Tippet, host of Speaking of Faith

Ever since I read The Poisonwood Bible seven years ago, Barbara Kingsolver has been one of my favourite writers. Her latest book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is on my "to read" list and today after listening to the podcast of a recent American public media program, this book has now moved to the #1 spot on the list.

Here is the link to the web page with all your listening and reading options for this episode of Speaking of Faith.

I downloaded this podcast and listened to it on my ipod while walking this afternoon, but it's so engaging you may want to just sit and listen. I'm going to replay it later and do just this.