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January 2012 Almanac
This past year has been an amazing year for me. I have done and seen so many cool things, which all inspire my work. Saw the beautiful Monarch butterfly sanctuary in Santa Barbara, visited the wonderful Academy of Science in San Francisco, enjoyed the abundant flora and fauna of Cuixmala, Mexico, lunched with fabulous artist Jamie Wyeth in Tenants Harbor, Maine, and had a wonderful visit to the studio of the fascinating artist Charles Fine, Los Angeles, stopped by the spectacular Harvard Museum of Natural History, stood inside artist Patrick Doherty's "3 Witches" in Norton, Mass., visited the magical Arboretum and Botanical Gardens in Eugene, Oregon, paid a visit to the coolest recycled bottle outsider art project: Bottle Tree Forest in the Mojave Desert, and loved every Farmer's Market I went to from Los Angeles, to Santa Barbara, to New York City and Brooklyn. I also enjoyed a bounty of activity in my own garden at home, with praying mantids, butterflies, hummingbirds, dragonflies, ever producing kale, tomatoes and sunflowers a plenty. It was all so beautiful and wonderful.
It's been a year now that I started doing only plant based recipes in my Almanac and I have enjoyed every single one of them, as I am learning to improve the way I eat as well as garden more efficiently with my year old "Gardening according to the phases of the moon" calendar. I hope these are helping you as much as they are me!
I am excited about 2012 and Priscillawoolworth.com starting it's fourth year. Thank you for your patronage of my store and your wonderful messages of appreciation for my Almanac and my work. I love your support and thank you so much.
To all the lovely friends in my life, and to the ones I have reconnected with this past year, your friendship, generosity, kindness and love mean the world to me.
Wishing everyone the best for 2012!
Peace, love and happiness
- Priscilla Woolworth
Bercy Chen Studio's Vertical Mixed-Use Project
In Austin, Texas, Bercy Chen Studio designed an attractive and fabulous Vertical Mixed-Use project in the East village. It's lo-tech but super sustainable with 11 retail stores, offices, 20 residential apartments, and 2 rooftop gardens planted with indigenous plants and a rainwater collection system. They used the most efficient building materials, and construction waste was recycled. The south and western facades boast very cool looking orange colored photovoltaic panels. Indoors, the walls are thoroughly insulated to reduce energy use, and no VOC paints were used. Sustainably designed buildings cost less to operate and have excellent energy performance, and the occupants of these buildings are happier living in them then typical commercial buildings.
Ashes and Snow
Ashes and Snow
The film captures extraordinary moments of contact between people and gorgeous animals such as Asian elephants, sperm whales, humpback whales, royal eagles, manatees, peregrine falcons, gyr falcons, elands, baboons, cheetahs, meerkats, African wild dogs, pilot whales, Harris hawks, sacred ibis, Antigone cranes, and caracal on more than 30 expeditions to some of the earth's most remote places. His footage fills me with wonder and awe, and moved me from the moment I saw his work in his traveling Nomadic Museum show.
David Nash
One of the things British sculptor David Nash is known for is shaping living trees. His "Ash Dome," a ring of trees he planted in 1977, is made up of 22 ash saplings, which he pruned and shaped over decades to slowly bring the branches together to form a swirling cupola. "Ash Dome" emphasized a long-term, hands-on relationship to environmental stewardship. "Part of the point was that nature actually gets on very well when a human being is caring for it and lives with it," Nash says. The location of "Ash Dome" remains a secret, and whenever it's filmed, crews are taken to it by a circuitous route in order to guard its whereabouts.
Eco Garden - January 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: Gardening according to the phases of the Moon. January "OLD MOON" Phase Schedule: January 1st to 8th: Waxing Moon Garden Chores to be done during the month of January are: The month of January is a great time to prune deciduous fruit trees such as fig, peach, almond, apricot, apple and nectarine, and before leaf buds form. You should also prune your roses, grape vine, wisteria, asparagus, artichoke, and rhubarb. Buy and plant flower bulbs, camellias, blueberries, and strawberries. Buy and plant grapes such as Vitis labrusca. Blueberries, cherries, and apples need to be pollinated, so it's best to buy a self-pollinating variety or plant two varieties that cross-pollinate. I did this for my blueberry bushes and so far so good. Order seeds from catalogs Clean up leaves to control slugs Plant in your flower garden: candytuft, columbine, coreopsis, delphinium, dianthus, dusty miller, foxglove, hollyhock, lobelia, lupine, lavender, nicotiana, penstemon, petunia, poppy, salvia, statice, stock, snapdragons, sweet peas, verbena, and yarrow. Plant in your vegetable garden: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, leeks, cabbage, spinach, and onions. Following is a Moon Gardening calendar for January and which days are best for specific chores: January 1st till January 8th: 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: January 2nd, 3rd and 4th: Plant above ground annuals January 7th: Plant above ground annuals January 8th, the day of the Full Moon and also 2 days after is the best time to prune, plant seeds (they germinate faster when planted at the full moon because they absorb more water) and also fertilize plants as close to the Full Moon as possible. Cut bamboo and sow a lawn or put down sod. The day of 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 January 10th till January 22nd, 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: January 12th and 13th: Harvest, cultivate, weed, and control pests January 14th, 15th and 16th: Plant for root growth and divide perennial flowers and herbs January 17th: Prune, water, compost, and fertilize January 19th and 20th: Harvest, cultivate, weed, and control garden pests January 21st and 22nd: Graft, prune, and control pests January 22nd: New Moon January 25th and 26th: Plant above ground annuals January 30th and 31st: Plant above ground annuals Mow your lawn to slow growth. First time Composters, start your composter during this period because the Waning Moon phase helps aid in the decomposing of plant matter. Get ready for February 2012 Gardening according to the phases of the Moon! Subscribe to my Almanac and get your free monthly update from me. Take care Priscilla Woolworth |
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Green Guide For Artists by Karen Michel
The Green Guide for Artists
Odacité Day Moisturizer
I just started carrying this really wonderful line of skin care products by Odacité. I love them because they make my skin feel and look nice, and are made with fresh organic ingredients. I have seen so many skin creams in stores over the past few years stating that they are made with all natural ingredients and I learned that "all natural" doesn't mean organic or that all the ingredients used are in fact "all natural." This confusing information lead me to search out a skin care line that is authentic and really does use all organic ingredients, as well as leaving out chemicals our bodies don't need like parabens, phtalates, and petrochemicals, which are still found in most beauty related products. Each product is prepared fresh for you, and the unique way the Odacité products are prepared guarantees that each ingredient maintains 100% of its antioxidants and vitamins.
I can't recommend this fantastic skin care line highly enough! It's just brilliant!
The Best Lentil Soup
given to me by Anthony Slayter-Ralph
This Lentil Soup is so delicious and easy to make. Next time I make it, I'm going to double the amounts because it's even better the next day, except there never is any left to have.
This recipe is full of vitamins and minerals, dietary fiber and cholesterol reducing fiber from the lentils, tomatoes, carrots, celery, olive oil, and iron from the cumin as well as the lowering blood sugar benefits of cilantro/coriander.
2 Tbs of Olive Oil
1/4 cup of Butter
1 medium Onion chopped
2 Carrots chopped
2 Celery ribs chopped
1 tsp ground Cumin
1/2 tsp ground Coriander/Cilantro
1 cup Beluga Lentils, rinsed and drained
1 Large 28 oz can of whole Tomatoes with basil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp Harissa
- Melt in a medium size pot: olive oil + butter
- Add and sauté onion over low heat until transparent and stir
- Add and cook for 5 mins over medium heat: carrots + celery and stir
- Add and cook for 1 minute: cumin + coriander + beluga lentils and stir
- Add the can of tomatoes, salt, pepper, harissa, and 3 cups of water.
Bring to a boil and then simmer for 45 mins to an hour.
Enjoy!
