Imagine Childhood : Magic & Memories That Last a Lifetime

... knowing green: jade plant saga

This photograph makes me a little sad... just a few short weeks ago this was a lovely Jade plant measuring about 1 and 1/2 feet high and 1 and 1 1/2 feet wide. As you can see, something went very very wrong. 

After the main trunk began to close itself off I cut it and tried to replant it in the dirt, this was a mistake and a blessing...

 ... you see if I had not done this, I would not have realized the issue plaguing my beloved plant, gnat larvae. I looked around, and the only reason I could find for this is over watering and the presence of fruit flies in my house, neither of which were the case were, at least to my knowledge. I was confused, and the only research I was coming up with was not fitting the bill.

Luckily, with in the depths of my house-plant-confusion/grief I remembered something I had heard about on our local public radio station, the CSU Extension Office. Each county in Colorado has one (as is the case with agricultural universities in many states) and luckily the day I called in, they had a master gardener on call. After speaking with her for a few minutes and describing my problem she asked if she could do a little research and call me back. I worried a bit that maybe I was getting the brush off, but no, with in an hour she called back with some answers and a solution! Yay!

 Indeed, as I thought, the larvae were the problem. The solution... replant in fresh soil. But there was a little more to it than that. Luckily I had read that if you plant a freshly cut segment of Jade straight into the dirt, you run a high risk of rot, and larvae once again. So before I replanted my cuttings I let them dry out a bit, and develop a bit of a callus on the cut end. Next I planted them in moist potting soil (you can use cactus/succulent specific soil too) about one inch down into the dirt. The information I read said to let them rest in a darker place with little water for a month before slowly reintroducing them to bright indoor sunlight and once weekly waterings.

I'm very much hoping this works. This much loved plant was a house-warming gift from my parents three years ago, and to loose it might just break my heart a little bit.

Crossing my fingers!

 

~Jordan

 

P.S. if anyone has any other tips I'm all ears!

 

*Last time in Nature: Sunflower Sprouts

. . . nature walk: wairarapa, new zealand

This week's beautiful nature walk comes to us all the way from Wairarapa, New Zealand.  There Jannelle and her family bundled up for a winter walk this past weekend at Lake Ferry.  Yet, instead of finding chilly winds they found warm still air and began to explore the beauty of the shore to the fullest extent.  Thank you Jannelle for sharing this lovely adventure!

If you would like to contribute to our weekly Nature Walk series, you can learn more about submitting photos here, or you can also visit our Nature Walk Group Pool on Flickr to add your adventures to the collection.

Thanks again Jannelle for sharing!

*Last time in Nature Walks: Flat Tops Wilderness, Colorado

 

. . . for the love of blueberries

Every week lately my farm share either has blueberries or plums, and I really can't complain.  But sometimes we don't get through them fast enough, so this week I decided to make blueberry, plum ginger jam and I am oh so happy I did.

After I pitted and chopped the plums I tossed them with sugar and let them sit for an hour or so to get their juices flowing. While I was waiting, I whipped up. . .

. . . these crispy confections. . .

. . . because I had a plan brewing. . .

. . . although this jam would be lovely for toast and scones. . .

. . . on this hot summer's day it was calling out for a little vanilla ice cream a cookie and a touch of basil to finish it all off.

Blueberry, Plum, Ginger Jam:

• 2 pints of fresh blueberries
• 6-8 plums (a little on the tart side)
• 2-3 tlb of grated fresh ginger
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbl fresh lemon juice

Pit an chop the plums into a half inch dice and place in a pot with the blueberries.  Add the sugar and toss everything together.  Set aside for an hour or so.

If you would like to make the wafer crisps I used this recipe here. 

After your fruit and sugar mixture has macerated for an hour or so, add the lemon and bring it to a medium/high boil for 10 minutes or so.  About 5 minutes in add your ginger.

At this point you can either follow your favorite canning methods, or if you're like me and you know this good stuff won't last long, you can simply put it in a jar and keep it in the fridge.

Adapted slightly from Kate Payne's lovely recipe here.

Bon Appétit!

~ Sarah

*Last time in Recipes: Bonbon S'mores with Orange Curls

 

... barn stories: new neighbors

Finally, after weeks of dancing the rain arrived, and with it flooding, fence damage, and my neighbors cows, 75 Black Angus! The fence line had been taken down by the rushing water. We first had to locate their owner, who immediately notified us that Colorado is a fence out state, which means this is more my problem than his. Lucky me!

That was the start of a long hard day. I usually do not wrangle cows. Cows do not behave like sheep. They do not have a strong flight instinct, which means I had to get out a lounging whip, which has never touched an animal, but is does make that sound your hear in cowboy movies and on cattle drives. Luckily it worked...

... well sort of. They would stand there and look at me, then move a little. Maybe the whip did not help as much as my jumping around and yelling at them to go home?  Their owner was not in a hurry to round them up, so this went on all day. They kept wanting to come over to the barn, and I had to keep shooing them away, they would then graze for a while, and then they were back again. Now why was I not on horse back starting a cattle drive? My horses have never worked cattle, they do a little dressage and jumping but they have never done a cattle drive.

My dear husband towards the end of the day arrived in the pickup and tried herding them back to their home... they came back just before dusk. Then finally their owners arrived on four wheelers herding them up and off to where they belong. Sunset was a welcome site that day.

 

~ Deb

 

*Last time in Barn Stories: Muddy Girl

... knowing green: sunflower sprouts

 I love greens, sprouts, salads and all things that go in them. Lately I have been particularly obsessed with a certain hearty sprout packed with lots of nutritional goodness...

 ... sunflower sprouts! These wonderful little sprouts are absolutely packed with protein, fiber, chlorophyll, vitamin E, and phytosterols, which help with bad cholesterol. I think it's pretty neat that that much goodness can come in something so yummy.

Don't get me wrong, I love sunflowers too, they are one of my favorite flowers and their presence is a welcome marker of summers in spent in the garden, but their sprouts are simply delicious! Until recently I have been purchasing them from the store, that is until I realized I should probably be growing them myself, so I am, well trying at least.

 I purchased a seed starting container with lots of little wells to plant the seeds in, some organic potting soil and a few packets of sunflower seeds.

If all goes well I should have my own sprouts in a few weeks... here's crossing my fingers! I'll keep you posted on the progress!

 

~ Jordan

 

P.S. Mix in some of these tasty sprouts with baby kale, avocado, tomato, red onion, roasted sweet potato, goat cheese and a chili pepper vinaigrette for a pretty mind blowing salad... enjoy!

 

*Last time in Nature: Summer Storms