January 26, 2022

Gosh. It's almost the end of January! Which means it's almost Imbolc: the half-way point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Some consider it the beginning of spring and the time when lambs are born. Definitely a cause for celebration!

Things are most definitely waking up. Today I saw the first rosy blush of a rhubarb bud poking up through the ground. The Cornelian cherry buds are starting to turn yellow, and the hazel catkins are lightening up. The birds see it, too. They just seem a little more lively lately. I also saw 4 eagles and a hawk today at different times, circling overhead or watching from tall trees.

It was great to have a day of sunshine and get outside. I picked up broken cottonwood branches from out in the field. They tend to be brittle; winter storms bring a windfall of sticky buds that I soak in olive oil for making healing salves.

I've spent several days recently sitting in a chair and working on the website, doing a little writing, perusing seed catalogs, and planning out the garden. Not entirely by choice...sometimes you gotta do what your body tells you.
 

My mind is telling me I need to get out there and prune the apple orchard. Or do I?  I am beginning to question a lot of things I thought were true.

I think the trees are telling me they need a break. I am noticing some leaf curl and also some areas where the bark doesn't look quite right. Anthracnose?

Every year, I cut back all the suckers in winter and every year the trees try to grow them back tenfold. What if I left them alone for now and give the tree a jumpstart into growing more leaves, which would then photosynthesize the energy the tree needs to fight disease?

True, it wouldn't have as much air flow, but we basically live in a wind tunnel - I think the trees get enough air.

This month and next, I am going to focus pruning the willows and berries and leave until summer the apple orchard pruning (and thinning - something I rarely get around to). I have read that the trees will not produce the heavy sucker growth when they are pruned later in the year.

And so I thought I'd ask you folks in the Fan Club, when do you usually prune: winter or summer? or at all? or maybe both?
 

Garden Planning Tools – Mapping Out Dye Plants for 2022 - A new post! I plan on growing more dye plants this year and playing with plant dyes - but where to put them all - that is the question! I'm pretty impressed with how many online garden planning apps there are now for gardeners (not just complex programs for professional landscapers). I came up with a slightly different approach - partly because I already have a database of my plants in Excel. If you love spreadsheets like I do, you will appreciate this method that uses Excel, Google Maps, XMind mind-mapping, and Inkscape for placing ideas in layers. This method can be applied to anything. It doesn't have to be that complicated. Truly.

Dye Plants Grown at Barbolian Fields - updated list! Also, at the bottom of the page, I added some of my favorite books on dye plants & how to dye yarn, fabric, paper. Good resources.

Great Books from Chelsea Green Publishing - independent publishing from a company that emphasizes ethics, a free-thinking humanitarian society, sustainability, homegrown goodness, and making this planet a better place.  Full disclosure: I like this company so much, I signed up to be an affiliate, so if you order from them by taking one of my links, I get a small kickback at no extra cost to you. Thanks for that support! And there is some good stuff on here. I have purchased quite a few of their books over the years.

Seeds 2022 - Went through my collected seeds and made a new list - maybe there is something on here you might want? Seeds to swap? I also have quite a few from last year that are probably still good. If interested, just send me an email. Nothing fancy, but the price is right. :-)

The 2022 Earth and Sky Phenology Calendar Wheel - I ordered more copies - they are back in stock. Thank you, friends, for all the positive feedback. I am looking forward to hearing more about the wheels You put together. Endless possibilities! A creative way to relate to the changing world around us.
 

New prices for 2022 and updated pages on the website.

You know what bugs me? It's when you go to a site and you're interested in finding out how much something costs - and you scroll and scroll to find it - and then you end up having to write to someone and give them your personal info to get the price.

I realized I had become one of "those" sites. Ugh. My excuses were that the prices kept changing and it was kind of a hassle and I like to give people deals when I can....

Hey. Price is an important factor. I get that. And I will still give people deals when I can. I updated all the Solexx pages and tried to make it easier to find info. At least now you can get a realistic idea from the get-go. Thanks for checking it out. 

I think more and more people are wanting to grow their own food during these "interesting" times. As with just about everything, there were supply-chain issues late last year, and Adapt8, the manufacturer, had a hard time getting enough raw material to make enough Solexx to meet the demand. As a consequence, prices did go up slightly. Hopefully things will settle down in 2022. All kits and materials are shipped directly to you from Salem, Oregon. I am happy to answer questions and help make that happen.
 

Do keep in touch - I appreciate your comments, feedback, and hearing about what is happening in your spot on this small planet. It's still a big world out there. Stay healthy and strong. Plant things and spread joy.

~*~
Blythe

 

 

Barbolian Fields: A menagerie of useful plants and things handmade
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