Susan Mené

gardener

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since Sep 16, 2018

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Biography

      I'm a 60 year old adventurous, curious, retired nurse who lives on Long Island, NY. Married to a type A (husband) and I'm a type B. It works shockingly well. I have a grown daughter and son; we are a close family.
      I live my permaculture dream on shy acre, half wooded (evolving food forest) and the other half for the house, garden and dog. I make my own jam and eat the weeds, especially lamb's quarters and wild onions. My vegetables grow in garden beds, pots, nooks and corners, and vertical planters. Permaculture, hiking, and gardening are my current passions.
    I don't use alcohol or drugs because I can't handle them. Have one for me!
     I've zip-lined and rock-climbed in Alaska, jumped off the 108th floor of a building in Las Vegas and I'm still terrified of heights. I've hiked glaciers and on Mt. Etna, and hundreds of trail but super advanced. 15 years of martial arts (mid-life) until I fell on my head. Now I need a new knee and it was all totally worth it.
     Everything considered, being at home with family, friends, dog and garden is the best.

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Suffolk County, Long Island NY, Zone: 7b (new 2023 map)

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Recent posts by Susan Mené

What do you use instead of store bought cooking spray?

I was pondering this exact question and this popped up in my inbox under "Interesting permies threads you might have missed", so thanks everyone!

2 hours ago

cooking

Harvest before frost?

I like this thread! Thanks all!
Frost hasn't arrived yet here, but it is looming.
The tomato plants on the east side of my garden, which were planted first, are ripped out. The ones planted much later as an experiment (less sunlight) really took off and are still ripening, but I am trimming them out/harvesting each day. Jalapenos and other hot peppers I am still harvesting and will until the freeze. I have a random kale plant, and some green onions still in.
Today i'm going to trim down my basil and replant for indoors.
I've had lots of green tomatoes "harvested" early due to my stellar ball throwing skills. Throw a ball into the middle of garden and my shepherd would retrieve it and "harvest" many tomatoes in the process. Past years, I've done dark cardboard boxes and wrapping in paper, but this year I just threw them into huge bowls on the counter under the window. I stir them up and pluck then out as they ripen.

6 days ago

gardening for beginners

My first keyhole garden

Welcome to permies, Sandi! I hope you dive in to our community: it's helpful, it's fun, and it's a nice place!
Your post was great; I've never seen or heard about a keyhole garden before. We just built a wall using the same cinderblocks? (don't know what they're called) and I am going to plant my herb garden in the openings next spring.
I retired from 34 years of nursing a couple of years ago. However, my only experience in OB was in inner city Philadelphia when 2 patients that were sent to our medical/surgical unit from the over-capacity postpartum unit.

1 week ago

gardening for beginners

Hamburgers

You're killing me, Anne! That looks SO good! Thanks for the link!

2 months ago

cooking

Protection from/sharing with wildlife

I have an interesting question:
Blackberries are producing this year like never before but the birds don't seem interested at all. Free food, birdies! What's up with that?

2 months ago

berries

Little known greens, other edible parts of plants, & how to cook them,

Hi Riona!

I love purslane, I now grow it in small planters so I can just go out and grab it.
Watched some of your youtube videos; you have a beautiful voice!

2 months ago

gardening for beginners

Little known greens, other edible parts of plants, & how to cook them,

Rebecca Norman wrote:

Susan Mené wrote:Does anyone have advice for garlic mustard? I have an abundance. When is the best time to harvest? Can older plants, flowers, and/or seeds be used?

This year in the US I used garlic mustard, first time for me. I noticed it at the same time as I noticed nettles, June, so I used them together. Mostly, I made pesto of both of them along with olive oil and walnuts. Good stuff.

I tried to find out from the internet when is the best time to use it, and found wildly contradictory advice. Apparently at some stages it can have a fair bit of cyanide precursors (similar to what is in fruit pits), but weirdly, different sites said this is an issue in first year garlic mustard or in second year garlic mustard. I don't know. So I figured I won't eat huge volumes of it and any single time or on a single day.

Thanks, Rebecca. I, too, had seen "wildly contradictory advice"; that's part of why I asked.
I'm going to try the advice from this expert, because he's from my region.https://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/plants

2 months ago

gardening for beginners

How do you feel about prepping/ survivalist culture?

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:

Maieshe Ljin wrote: If I focus on my own life then I can be happier being grateful for what is here and working towards a more resilient life. If there’s something important someone will tell me!

My contrarian view is that the most important thing is to be a magnificent resource for your neighbours, who do not yet understand what they will need.

Hi all! Your ideas are really not so far apart 😀
If I focus on my own life then I can be happier being grateful for what is here and working towards a more resilient life.
...the most important thing is to be a magnificent resource for your neighbours, who do not yet understand what they will need..
You're both becoming the best you can be and and are examples to the outside community.

2 months ago

survival

Where'd the crickets go?

Anne Barnsworth wrote:There are too many grasshoppers. I live in a development that used to be a farm. There are no worms in my soil so I know there is a dysbios going on. I’m trying to remedy that by planting various mustard seeds in dead grass.

Welcome to permies, Anne!

2 months ago

wildlife