Saccharum sp.
POACEAE, The grass family
Boy does the grass family cause a lot of trouble. And make us who we are right now: Corn (monoculture, destruction of the North American prairie and 10,000 years of topsoil, genetic modification, ethanol, Monarch butterfly decline, grillin’ out, high fructose corn syrup, corn bread, obesity, factory farming, tortillas, etc.), the […]

Beta vulgaris
AMARANTHACEAE, The Amaranth family or CHENOPODIACEAE, The Goosefoot family
What do we know about the sugar we eat every day?
The majority of sugar produced is from sugar cane, the rest, roughly 30 - 40%, is from sugar beets. Sugar cane is tropical, so in the US if you were looking for a domestic, regional […]

I cleared enough space under the cloche to put in some seeds:
Radish ‘Easter Egg’ (Raphanus sativus) These will pop up in no time.
Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) Starting cilantro and parsley early when the weather is cool means a long season of harvest.
Lettuce ‘Salad Bowl’ (Lactuca sativa) A bright green variety with large, ruffled leafs […]

“At the end of the first month of spring, the yang ethers of heaven are said to waft down while the yin ethers of earth rise. They commingle harmoniously, and as a result the grasses and trees begin to sprout.”

— Lisa Dalby, East Wind Melts the Ice: A Memoir through the Seasons

Rhubarb

Originally uploaded by […]

Cornelian Cherry
Cornus mas
CORNACEAE, the Dogwood family
Cornelian cherry gelato?! This is not an opportunity to ponder for long while in line at Staccato Gelato. Or a time to start explaining to your cohorts how Cornelian cherries are not really cherries but they just came into bloom and they are not really super hardy in Minnesota but […]

Lucky

Originally uploaded by mulysa_may

A piece of plastic has changed my usual late winter habit. How can one have cabin fever when fresh greens are available for dinner? By February I am usually sick of food and longing for something fresh to eat. Produce in the stores is unappealing and road-weary. And I’m so over […]

If you can believe it

Originally uploaded by mulysa_may

Plum branches are ready for forcing. I brought an armful into the house first thing this morning and put them in a tall vase with warm water. Spring ethers are rising and it is Making Things time.

Citrus x meyeri
RUTACEAE, The Rue or Citrus family
..or hope to be at least.
The Meyer lemon tree I rescued from the compost heap last summer is living in the studio happily and blooming its heart out. I stopped in when I got back from my TC/DC odyssey and was almost overwhelmed by the scent. I […]

Diospyros kaki
EBENACEAE, The Ebony wood family
Happy new year.
Persimmons are a beautiful aspect of Portland’s abundance. When friends were giving them away by the bagful weeks ago I had no time to do anything with them. So instead of leaving them on the counter where, as gorgeous as they are, they eventually start giving me […]

or bee spiderflower
Cleome serrulata
CAPPARACEAE, The Caper family or
CLEOMACAEAE, The Cleome family, depending on how forward-thinking or backwards you want to be.
This North American annual is a great attractor of beneficial insects! Despite it’s name, it’s widespread across the midwest and west including most of Canada. It can reseed itself and is sometimes considered a […]