Image from a corner of Sandra Knauf’s compost pile, August 2017, featuring a surprise potato plant.
From the Compost Pile
Voluptuous vines mix in
with basil stems and potatoes,
sprouting from last winter’s seeds.
We come from something, some egg,
virus, dirt, but in my vegetable bed
this vigorous survivor fittest
tangling-with-everything
does not look like any melon
I ate last summer. Its squashes
are blander orange butternuts.
The what I grew is not what I knew.
—Tricia Knoll
Tricia Knoll is a contented gardener come late August. Four harvests of basil mixed up as pesto. The Romas about to explode bright red very soon. Her most recent book is Broadfork Farm, a series of love poems for the creatures, family, and gardens at a small organic farm in Trout Lake, Washington. In a time of urban disturbance, retreating to the farm brings a measure of peace.
Also known as The World’s Pure Food Fair. Check it out.
It’s here again—and how I wish I could attend this event! So many other responsibilities have taken precedence this year, but next year . . . I am going to make it happen!
Here’s the lineup:
Over 4,000 varieties of heirloom vegetables showcased – and the farmers will be there!
Over 80 nationally and internationally acclaimed speakers, including Dr. Vandana Shiva and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.!
Their 3rd annual dahlia show, with “THE most magnificent spectacular colossal blooms EVER seen on display”. (To dahlia lovers, this is so exciting.)
Tickets are available at the gate on September 5, 6 & 7, 2017.
Gates are open 9 AM to 9 PM.
One Day Ticket $10 or Three Day Pass $25 (Purchased at the gate) and Children are Free!
I hope you can attend. If and when you do, please leave a comment and let us know how you liked it, your favorite activities and lectures. (Pretty please?)
“Lunar Libration” by Tomruen, via Wikimedia Commons
Each moon (month) I receive a local newsletter packed with inspiring quotes and links to fascinating topics. Last week, I asked the wise woman who shares it if I could have permission to pass it on to Flora’s Forum readers. She said yes, humbly stating that she was only sharing what she has gleaned from others!
So, here it is: A list of goodies with a focus on the soulful, the beautiful, the green. I’m looking forward to making this a regular feature. Thank you so very much, dear Karla, for sharing! —SK
P. S. If you’re local (Colorado Springs) and would like Karla’s full newsletter that includes local events, you can write her at karlaann45 @ gmail.com.
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My favorite Rumi passage:
“Every day the garden on this side of the fence erupts with new growth. Runners shoot out in all directions. Vines climb gnarled witch’s poles. Ripe fruit dangles like breasts full of milk. Stems and leaves and stalks and flowers tangle wildly over each other—30 different shades of green. A madwoman’s tapestry with all the threads hanging loose, this garden is lush and damp and fertile as the Goddess’ own crotch.” —Jennifer Weston
Could our utility company build a Janicki Omni Processor for our next sewage/water/electricity facility?—YES! Backed by the Gates Foundation, it turns sewage into clean water, steam & electricity to run itself, and surplus energy to sell (a win/win/win!)
“Unity is diversity embraced, protected, and maintained by an infinitely generous love.” —Richard Rohr
How do these Russian women do “the Floating Dance”? Check it out and see!
“It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work, and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.” —Wendell Berry
“Women are like teabags—you never know how strong they are until they get in hot water.” —Eleanor Roosevelt.
TURNING GUNS INTO GARDEN TOOLS . . . RawToolsinc , started by Mennonite minister here in Colorado Springs, Colorado!
“When you find people who not only tolerate your quirks but celebrate them, be sure to cherish them. Those weirdos are your tribe.” —WildWomanSisterhood on facebook.com
Need a little Beauty boost ? Check out Faith Nolton’s shamanic art.
ACT FAST! If you’re 62+, you can get a lifetime Golden Age Passport to national parks & monuments for only $10. At this end of August the price is going up to $80 so the time to do this is NOW! Click here for details. (Comment from SK: This eight-fold increase for those of us under age 62 is infuriating! If anyone knows of a petition protesting this increase, or where to register a complaint, please let me know and I’ll post the link/s here.) Our wise woman contributor noted that locals could get one at Florissant Fossil Beds, but I would call to make sure before making the trip out as there has been very high demand everywhere.
Japanese architect builds cathedrals, concert halls, and shelters with paper & cardboard! Check his work out here.
And last, but not least, don’t forget about the total solar eclipse on August 21!
“The Work of Kew Gardens in Wartime”, 1943, via Wikimedia Commons
From Wikimedia Commons:
“A young member of staff tends the ‘Victoria Regia’, a giant water lily from Guiana, in the tropical house at Kew Gardens. According to the original caption, the lily is very popular with visitors: ‘Grown from a seed the size of a pea in February, it develops leaves up to seven foot six in diameter by July. Underside of leaf is ribbed to help it float, and covered with prickles to keep off fish. Flowers appear in July and August, changing from white to pink on their second day’.”
(My first thought is, What an incredible vascular system on this lily pad! Then I imagine what it must have been like to live in England during that terrible war. –SK)
". . . Knauf 's powers of description are marvelous, as is her ability to create original, funny characters and terrific, punchy dialogue. . . . will leave readers hoping for a sequel." --BlueInk Review
Check it out! Home of "We Dig Plants" and MANY other wonderful "green" programs on heritage foods, cooking . . . the list goes on! Shows are archived/streamable/ downloadable, too!
