May 2012 Almanac
April was a busy month for Priscillawoolworth.com: I have just started being a monthly contributor to one of my most favorite blogs: Peaceful Daily. Their mantra is just wonderful: Think Good. Eat Whole. Walk Far. Love being part of the Peaceful Living community. Thank you Sandy.
Skype invited me to participate in an Earth Day panel discussion http://youtu.be/jzmmuv3G2c0. It was great fun to chat with such lovely, smart and like-minded greenies: Andy of brighterplanet.com, Shawna of shawnacoronado.com and Stephanie of goodgirlgonegreen.com.
Earth Day is every day for me! Read what I did on April 22nd: blog.priscillawoolworth.com
I added a new board on Pinterest: Products I carry in my store that are made by Women's cooperatives around the world: http://pinterest.com/pwoolworth/in-my-store-products-made-by-women-s-cooperatives/
I'm a film producer! You can be one too by making a donation towards Annie Leonard's new movie, "The Story of Change." Can't wait to see her latest movie. storyofstuff.org
My dear friend Euva Anderson-Murphy reminded me to share this article which I read recently about the plight of the very precious bees. Each of us can help them. Learn how: mercola.com
Plant bee loving flowers and herbs in your garden such as Purple and White Coneflowers, Penstemon, Lavender, Borage, and Sweet Alyssum and don't use pesticides. Check my garden section this month for a more complete list of flowers.
The month of May is one of the most beautiful months of the year. The trees and grasses have turned a juicy shade of green, birds have built their nests and flower shoots are coming up in the garden…
Don't forget Mother's Day on May 13th in the USA. Mother's Day was first observed in 1908 and was designated so by Presidential proclamation, and recognized by Congress and the President in 1914. Mother's rock! Happy Mother's Day to all you amazing moms out there!
Wishing you a beautiful month of May
All the best
Priscilla Woolworth
Officina Roma
Officina Roma: A Villa Entirely Built Out Of Trash
I originally read this story back in April in one of my favorite news sites for all things green and eco: treehugger.com
The visuals were what first caught my eye and I wondered about the barrels in the ceiling in the photo. Great colors! Turns out that this very cool looking building is made entirely from scrap, and was part of recent RE-cycle exhibition in Rome, Italy. Officina Roma is an experimental building concept put together by 24 high school students and was meant to show that with a little imagination and creativity a building can be designed and built using trash like recycled oil drums, old bottles, old windows, used car doors, and used dry wall. I love to read about creative sustainable ways we can re-purpose things and turn a negative such as trash into something positive like an affordable home to live in. No matter where we live there is the very present and growing problem of what to do with all our trash and deal with it in a way that it doesn't end up in our massive landfills or our precious oceans. Re-cycling, re-purposing and re-using whatever we can, sounds really good to me.
Born to Be Wild
Born to Be Wild
To help orphaned baby Orangutans: http://www.orangutan.org/
Read more about Dr.Birut Mary Galdikas: http://www.orangutan.org/dr-galdikas-bio
To help orphaned baby Elephants: http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/asp/orphans.asp
Read more about Dame Daphne M. Sheldrick: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne_Sheldrick
Alastair Mackie
Alastair Mackie grew up on a farm in Cornwall, England and the materials he uses often bear the mark of his countryside upbringing. House 2008, wasp and hornets nests, steel and glass, made from wasp nests pulp, makes me wonder if he's been inspired by some of his first encounters with the nature. "Alastair Mackie's work draws on ideas to do with primal urges, science, belief systems, and time while pointing to a broader exploration in to the rich relationship between man and nature-challenging our awareness and convictions about the boundaries that separate the two."-Contemporary Art Society.
I would love to see this piece up close. I'm amazed that he used 300 pulped paper wasp and hornet nests to make this replica of a wooden dolls house. I love when artists use natural materials to make their work, but I never ever thought that wasp nests could be used as material for making paper!
Eco Garden - May 2012
Moon Gardening by Priscilla Woolworth |
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Please check out my blog about Gardening according to the phases of the Moon, where I explain it in more detail: MAY "MILK" MOON PHASE SCHEDULE: April 21st till May 4th: Waxing Moon May 5th: Full Moon May 6th to 19th: Waning Moon May 20th: New Moon May 21st till June 3rd: Waxing Moon Jobs to be done during the month of May are: Buy Tomato seedlings- Go to tomatomania.com and find out where you can buy seedlings in your area up till the end of May. A favorite tomato is the 'Better Bush,' if you want to plant just one variety. When you plant tomatoes, do not add extra nitrogen to the soil as tomatoes don't like it and won't produce fruit. PLANT PLANT PLANT all your vegetables by the end of May so the plants can establish deep roots before the heat of the summer. We should all plant as many of these as possible! I am including a link to a list of bee loving flowers: nature.berkeley.edu/urbanbeegardens The month of May is a great time to feed actively growing plants with fish emulsion, and especially the ones that are container grown will appreciate this. You can dilute it in your watering can even more than the bottle says to. Deadhead, pinch and prune for bushier growth, especially hibiscus, which can get too leggy. Thin out the peaches and nectarines and allow 4 to 6 inches between each fruit. In your flower garden: Plant alyssum, calendula, carnation, chrysanthemum, columbine, coneflower, cosmos, cockscomb, cornflower, delphinium, foxglove, geranium, globe amaranth, hollyhock, impatiens, larkspur, lavender, morning glory, marigold, nasturtium, nigella, penstemon, poppy, rudbeckia, salvia, statice, sticky monkey flower, sunflower, yarrow, zinnia. In your vegetable garden, plant tomato, beans, pepper, eggplant, squash, cucumber, lettuce, leeks, corn, okra, pumpkin, spinach, basil, melon, chard, celery, turnips, carrots, beets, parsnip, radish, and cilantro. This is the best time to plant bananas, cherimoyas and other subtropical fruit such as avocados, and citrus, such as the gorgeous and delicious Meyer Lemon. Thin out your carrots, beets, green onions and lettuce seedlings now. Make sure tomatoes and peas have tall support. Wash aphids off tender new growth by filling a spray bottle with water and spray the aphids right off the plant. You can also buy Ladybugs and release them at dusk. They love to eat aphids. Following is a Moon Gardening calendar for May and which days are best for specific chores: Up till May 5th ( and from May 21st till June 3rd): the Moon is in the Waxing phase, when the lunar gravitational pull brings the water up, which makes it a good time of the month to encourage plant growth and proliferation. Plant seeds, transplant, re-pot, trim and prune for growth. Also, fruits and vegetables that are tender and should be eaten immediately are at their best when gathered at the Waxing Moon, because the water content is higher, salads are crunchier, and fruits are juicier. Recommended days for these garden chores: May 1st: Plant sweet peas and flowering vines May 3rd and 4th: Plant above ground annuals, and herbs May 4th and 5th: Plant above ground annuals May 5th: Full Moon. The Full Moon day and also 2 days after the 5th is the best time to prune, plant seeds (they germinate faster when planted at the full moon because they absorb more water) and fertilize plants as close to the Full Moon as possible. Cut bamboo and sow a lawn or put down sod. The Full Moon is when water is at the highest level in the month and is a really good time for planting and gathering any herbs to be used for their essential oils because oil content is more concentrated at this time. From May 6th till May 19th, the Moon is Waning, and the energy of the earth is drawn down but the gravitational pull is high, creating more moisture in the soil and this energy goes into the roots making it a good time of the month to sow crops that produce their yield below ground and control plant growth by pruning, weeding, and controlling garden pests, as well as dividing perennials. This is the best time for garden maintenance because the growth cycle of plants decreases. Fruit trees do best planted at this time of the month because the position of the moon encourages development of root growth and tree bark, essential to their success. This is also the best time to cut wood, because it resists parasites and cures better. Farmers pick their apples, cabbages, potatoes and onions at the Waning Moon, when water content is lowest and so the harvest stores better and keeps longer. Best time to dry herbs, flowers and fruit and the herbs are at their most potent. Recommended days for these garden chores: May 7th and 8th: Harvest and cultivate your garden, plant tubers and fruit trees May 9th and 10th: Plant for root growth May 11th and 12th: Water, cultivate, weed and control pests May 13th: Mother's Day! May 13th and 14th: Prune, water, compost and fertilize May 16th and 17th: Harvest, cultivate, weed, and control pests May 18th and 19th: Water, compost and fertilize, plant peas Mow your lawn to slow growth. First time composting enthusiasts, start your composter during this period because the Waning Moon phase helps aid in the decompositions of plant matter. May 20th: New Moon and starting of waxing phase again. May 21st and 22nd: Plant melons and vines May 23rd, 24th and 25th: Plant above ground annuals May 28th and 29th: Plant flowering vines May 30th and 31st: Plant above ground annuals and herbs Get ready for June 2012 Gardening according to the phases of the Moon! Subscribe to my Almanac and get your free monthly update. Happy gardening! Priscilla Woolworth |
The Valentina Composter appeared
Garden Cloches: 4 glass garden cloches- protects plants from the elements and accelerates the growth of young plants: Glass Cloches are available from Amazon |
.Eco Books - May 2012
Gardening Vertically: 24 Ideas for Creating Your Own Green Walls
Vertical gardening isn't about growing climbing roses and Jasmin on a wall or trellis anymore, and has been completely transformed over the years by Patrick Blanc, who invented the concept of the vertical garden, or green wall. In Gardening Vertically, Noemie Vialard presents many new techniques such as creating a wall of sweet smelling plants, a mosquito repellent wall, or a wall of vegetables. Step-by-step photographs guide you through the different stages in the development of a wall, where spades and rakes are needed, and where plants will no longer be crushed under foot. Enjoy!
Bees
In 1923 Rudolph Steiner predicted the dire state of the honeybee today. He said that within fifty to eighty years, we would see the consequences of mechanizing the forces that had previously operated organically in the beehive.
I haven't read this book yet but it seems like essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the true nature of the honeybee, as well as those who wish to heal the contemporary crisis of the beehive.
This is my favorite dish towel because it's attractive, durable, soft and you can use it as a placemat as well. I love the blue stripes and that the trim is made from colorful Nepalese fabric. It comes folded in a brightly colored gauze drawstring reusable bag.Sliced Raw Cabbage Salad
Given to me by Agnes Baddoo
I'm crazy about this cabbage salad! It's so good, so easy to make and so healthy. It's a meal in itself or great as a side dish. Cabbage is a health food store in an inexpensive compact edible package: raw cabbage cleans the waste from your stomach and upper bowels, which improves digestion and reduces constipation. Cabbage also stimulates the immune system, kills harmful bacteria, soothes ulcers and improves circulation. Raw cabbage contains as much vitamin C as lemon juice.
Portion is for 2 people as a meal or for more people as a side-dish
1 green cabbage, shredded
+ your favorite vegetables…
I added 1 tomato + half an avocado + 1 celery rib sliced + 1 carrot sliced
The dressing that goes with it is really important:
Put in a medium sized jar with a lid: 1/2 cup of virgin Olive oil+ juice from one medium size lemon + 2 minced garlic cloves + 2 pinches of salt. Shake it up and use 1/4 cup of it on your salad and save the rest for your next one. It will keep for a week at room temperature. I sometimes add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to it as well, but you have to keep the dressing in the fridge.
Team Work
Rot Riders and Pedal People make weekly rounds in their neighborhoods collecting people's kitchen waste, and adding it all to a large compost heap. The resulting compost is available to all local gardeners: http://www.good.is/post/the-rot-riders-bike-for-compost/ and the Pedal People.
Homemade Cleaner
In a large quart size glass jar, add orange peels from 2 oranges, cover with white vinegar and let it sit for 10 days. Strain out the liquid into a spray bottle, and add at least 2 cups of water to dilute the vinegar. I also added a ¼ teaspoon of orange essentials oil to make it smell even nicer. Use as a multi surface non-toxic cleaner.
Bees
Bees are in serious trouble and they need our help. To learn more and what you can do to help, watch: "Vanishing of the Bees
