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A Message to You from the
Barbolian Fields Fan Club Headquarters
December 22, 2022

Winter Greetings, Friends!

 

Once again, we enter winter and on this Winter Solstice, begin turning toward the light!

Hooray!

 

  • As the World Turns -- How about a New Phenology Wheel?

If you are a member of the Barbolian Fields Fan Club, you know that in joining, I made wild promises of magic decoder rings. Well, the Phenology Wheel is the closest I ever came, but I am still working on other ideas. I do not have any for sale this year, but I encourage you to make your own and customize it to your own location and observations. I have long considered the Winter Solstice as the beginning of the New Year, and it is the perfect time to start - but really, you can start any time. The spiral of time continues regardless. I like the idea of making it like a journal, rather than a star guide, which is what I will be doing this year; there is no wrong way. For some ideas, go to The 2022 Earth and Sky Phenology Wheel Calendar Revolution (I know, a ridiculously long name.)
 
  • Order of Business: Please note an important announcement at the end of this newsletter about Solexx greenhouses and material.
     

 

  • New Blogpost!

I wrote about this turning of the season, dedicated to my dear friend, Janet Watral, who passed from cancer in early November. Titled, "Winter Solstice: A time to stop, listen, give thanks, and move forward," this post is about dealing with grief, but also about joining forces with nature to save our planet. It was a deeply personal and very difficult thing for me to write. Hope you enjoy.

(You certainly don't have to worry about my bombarding your inbox with these blogpost announcements! This is the first one I've written since last April!)

New Year's Goals:  Share more about what is happening in the garden! 
Personally, I love the winter because it gives me more time to do assorted arts and crafts - so I hope to share some of that as well, particularly my ongoing passion with dye plant experiments.
 
  • Snowy Solstice Setting Records Across the Country

Yikes. Just 15 degrees here in Sequim, WA this morning. We are pretty close to sea level, and although not unheard of, this cold is Not Normal! It will be warming up and raining in a couple of days, so in between, we are facing glare ice on the roads. We had close to a foot of snow in some areas (a little less at our house, but still a lot!). Beautiful!
 
(No pruning of the orchard today!)
Uh oh. Didn't get around to picking all the medlars!
Usually they fall from the tree.
The varied thrushes have appreciated the winter treat.
 
  • Helping the Birds

However beautiful, all this snow and cold has been hard on our feathered friends. I've seen more backyard birds than ever desperately flocking to the feeders during this cold snap - and also frequenting the water dishes I put out for them.
 

It is fun to put out a variety of foods and see who goes for what first. The Steller's jays are very picky about choosing the heaviest peanut. The varied thrushes get a little pushy over the ground spill, and the northern flickers definitely dominate the suet block while the smaller downy woodpeckers wait by patiently. The smallest birds, juncos, sparrows, finches, and chickadees, all take turns. Quail come in family groups for the cracked corn and then go back under shrubbery to wait it out.
 
 
Tip from Audubon:
We have the Anna's hummingbirds here all year round. A tip from Audubon: wrap regular outdoor-rated incandescent Christmas lights around the hummingbird feeder to keep it from freezing. Works! (LEDs don't generate enough heat).


So cold out there!
For more winter photos, go to my December Garden page.
 
  • Seed Starting Time?

Ya gotta be kiddin' me. Actully, it's a great time to get started on seeds that need cold stratification, although I admit, I usually wait until after the holidays.  For some ideas, see "Cracking the Seed Germination Code" and "Seeds that Like Cold Stratification."
 
  • Solexx Announcement

And finally, Solexx. I love Solexx for greenhouses - also for coldframes, gazebos, patio roofs, windbreaks, outdoor living spaces, you name it. It is the best. It lasts a very long time (10 year warranty) and provides outstanding insulation. It has gained a reputation for increasing plant growth because of the way it diffuses the right spectrum of light without burning plants. When we built our greenhouse 7 years ago, I loved it so much, I signed up to be a distributor to help others get their growing rooms going, too.
 
The only kind of snow we get is wet and heavy.
Solexx is strong! Snow is a great insulator.

That is now coming to an end. As of the end of this year, I will no longer be a Solexx distributor. It was a difficult decision. My husband and I want to do more traveling and spending time with family. It is difficult for me to be as responsive to customers as I would like to be if I am without my computer or out of cell phone reception range.

I want to thank the many great people I have gotten to know through Solexx sales.
I truly appreciate your support. Thank you.

I will continue to write about greenhouse growing. It has been a journey! And a heck of a lot of fun. It has made a lot of things possible that I wouldn't have thought about - like growing indigo, paw paw, jujube, and loquat trees, and even a small rice paddy! I've also been able to consume copious quantities of tomatoes and have enough left over for 12 jars of green tomatoe chutney. I kid you not. Everything grows like bonkers in there. (I have not actually grown bonkers, though.)

** I still feel food security and food independence will be increasingly serious issues in the years ahead; growing our own food for our families and communities is all the more important. Supporting our local small farms is a cause I will always support - and wherever you are, I encourage you to do the same. **

Even without a greenhouse, though, we can all grow some of our own food and provide safe habitat for our wild visitors. And that is what my blog is all about, along with making stuff and seeking out remote places. I look forward to sharing more of that with you all.
 
  
 


Stay Warm! Be Safe!

As this arctic blast hammers much of the U.S. and those in the northern hemisphere, I hope everyone is staying safe and helping out those in need of food and shelter.

*Thank you for continuing to be a member of the Barbolian Fields Fan Club!*
We have evolved over the past 13 years and some of you have been with me since the beginning!  Thank you!
 

Hope you all had a Happy Solstice! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and abundance in the coming year!


With much gratitude,
Blythe


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Our mailing address is:
Barbolian Fields
3623 Woodcock Rd.
Sequim, WA 98382

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