January 2, 2020
Greetings, Friends!
A New Year!
I am having a bit of an emotional moment - I have been sending out random newsletters and blogposts for over 10 years now. Many of you have been with me since the early days when I was trying to figure out how to build a website so I could sell garlic - which I did - all across the country and even occasionally outside the country. I admit, I didn't make a lot of money - but I did make a wealth of friends and met so very many interesting people.
An Identity Crisis of sorts…
Barbolian Fields has morphed over the years. We are no longer growing garlic on a commercial basis, although I still tuck it in here and there. Instead, we have a menagerie of mostly perennial plants that form a pollinator sanctuary / backyard apothecary / wildlife haven / horticultural experiment / permaculture food forest / invasive war zone…. whatever you want to call it (most people just say, “interesting”). I see it now as a series of overlapping mini-ecosystems, always evolving through the seasons and over the years. I originally thought it would take care of itself while I embarked on more creative adventures, and it has, indeed, taken on a life of its own. I finally came to the realization that the garden IS that creative adventure. It has become an extension of who I am.
But wait! We do so much more!
For without creativity and learning, we would not be breathing. We make stuff – all kinds of things, from homemade jams to kitchen cabinets. We play music. We like to get out in nature and study up close and from afar this amazing world we live in. We think about climate change, sustainable living, and what we can do to make the world a better place.
One thing I don’t want to do, however, is use the website as a forum for political and social rants. That can be found everywhere. We can still discuss issues in terms of what we can do to make a difference without falling into hate and anger rhetoric, right?
Perhaps I should just stick to gardening,
but few of us are so one-dimensional (as if the garden is EVER one-dimensional! Ha!)
And so the website has evolved into something more than just garlic. It is also about making stuff and making do; honing traditional skills; minimizing our environmental footprint and maximizing sustainable practices; honest, simple living. I like to try to make sense of things. I tend to ramble while I wander – or is it that I wander while I ramble… no matter.
This year of distancing has seemed to bring the home and garden even closer. I enjoy these rainy days when I can give myself permission to read and craft. Not that I have more time, but for some crazy reason I’ve signed up for 3 art courses and a language course (I am forever trying to learn Spanish). It must be a sign of the times. Knitting, writing, dyeing fabrics with plants, sewing, cleaning, organizing, making things with herbs, baking, puttering in my shop and greenhouse: I am enjoying our home. Finding creative ways to stay in contact and help elderly neighbors, friends, kids, and grandkids.
It has been a most difficult year…
True. This last year has been difficult on many different levels, and my heart goes out to all those who have lost loved ones. It has been difficult to write upbeat blog entries without sounding insensitive. Like many of you, we are doing what we can to stay healthy and strong and positive, even though we miss our friends and family terribly--especially our grandchildren, who are changing and growing so very quickly.
All the more reason for us to make that extra effort to stay connected. Maybe it is through social media, a phone call, or a text - but I have to say, getting something in the mail is pretty darn special. In this day of rapid-fire comments, a physical card that someone took the time to actually write - or maybe even make - feels closer to a long-distance hug. Perhaps this year has made a lot of us think about the simple things we enjoy - like receiving a letter – the smell of homemade bread - creating things with our hands - helping something grow.... tactile things that keep us grounded in the moment.
We hold on to hope…
Carrying into 2021, perhaps we can all slow down a wee bit and appreciate things beyond hitting the "like" button. I see this new year as a huge opportunity for helping others in our communities and even around the world. I am looking forward to using some of that relief money to sign up with the CSA program at the farm down the road. I know how much work goes into growing quality vegetables, and quite frankly, they do it better than I do. It frees up time for growing specialty items and other creative pursuits. It keeps us focused on eating lots of fresh veggies; and it is easy to share or preserve the surplus. I feel privileged to have so many good farms around us and to be in a position to support them and other small businesses in our area.
Endings and Beginnings
My hope is that 2021 will be a year of healing and an opportunity for all of us to unite together to help one another in our communities and around the world; that we may prioritize what is really important in life and emphasize the power of kindness and respect; that we may greet each day with humbleness and gratitude, and hold a child-like awe and reverence toward every living and non-living thing; that we may dedicate our time toward spreading love and joy, living simply, and creating beauty; that we work toward restoring air & water quality and life in the soil so creatures of this Earth may thrive; and that through all this, we can radiate peace and harmony that will ripple outward long beyond our time.
To all – thanks so much for your encouraging words and support this last year.
In closing, I must share this drawing by my friend, Sherri Lewis, Sundog Murals, who can usually be found either climbing rocks or shaping wood into intarsia murals of elephants, rhinos, and wild scenic places. In her spare time, she captures magic in drawings - in this case, inspired by our Willow Room and the many creatures that dwell there.
Thank you, Sherri!
* * *
We wish you peace and abundance in 2021
And of course, a bit of magic!
And to all – a Good Morning!
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Happenings at Barbolian Fields
And so - without further ado - here are a few things we've been up to the past couple of months. (Perhaps I can send out more newsletters next year and keep them short & sweet so there's not so much catching up to do! That would be a good resolution!)
Officially winter now, but it still feels good to get out, rake leaves, mulch the beds and shrubs, and prune trees when weather permits. The sun makes a low arc, rising late, and setting early, so we have to take advantage of it when we can. Yay for Solstice! Days will be noticeably longer soon. Better get out there & get pruning!
Harvest Highlights:
Medlar (
Mespilus germanica) – great crop! Making medlar vinegar and medlar "butter."
Passionfruit (
Passiflora incarnata, aka Maypop): Flowers & fruits from this medicinal variety. Lots of seeds for growing!
Mashua roots (
Troepaeolum tuberosum): a few volunteer plants renewed my supply! Other roots we’re storing: oca, ulluco, Chinese yam, and American groundnut.
Seeds – we collected quite a few this year. Check out our
seed page to see if any are on your wishlist.
Autumn Olives (
Elaeagnus umbellate): the birds ate most of these, but quite a few still lingered for a sweet treat now and then. They made a nice tart and also went into some jam with some quince .
American Highbush Cranberry – The birds have truly appreciated them this year.
Willows! Time to coppice!
Foraging:
Rose hips, Douglas fir (teas, wreaths, holiday potpourris), oak galls and acorns (for dyeing), Hawthorn berries (
Crataegus), and mushrooms.
Fall & Winter Crafting:
Plant Dyes: Dyeing linen with woad, passionflower vines, and the last of the sunflowers (we left the seeds for the birds). Also playing with mordanting paper, making various eco-prints and botanical inks. More to come on these experiments!
Herbs: had lots of ideas for Christmas, many of which did
not happen! Still, made some potpourris, tea blends, vinegars, seasonal medicinals, and a very concentrated ginger syrup!
Willow Works: Time to coppice! Wattle fences, sculptures, and trellises, of course, in the near future.
Woodworking! A tall elf has been at it again in the woodshop: shells and treasure chests! Arrrgh!
Fabrics & Fibers: Recent projects have included lots of masks and a few hospital gowns, bags & boxes, a doll tent out of the scraps of a bear-ripped North Face tent, and a knitted angora sweater...
Have I been spending too much time on the Internet during these times of self-quarantine and the gray days of the Pacific Northwest? So many good things happening out there despite all the difficult things in the world! It gives me hope for humanity. Below are a few places I like to follow - it's hard to pick out favorites, and I don't mean to slight anyone by not including them. Would be interested in hearing from you on places you like to visit. Thankful to be able to support some of these people working so hard to make a difference in these strange times we live in!
