!!!! SEPP to Boot: Stephen's Experience (BEL)

BRK #588

After yesterday's massive workout, I decided that we would catch up on our neglected garden tasks.

There's a "Willow Grove" just outside the fences of Allerton Abbey, near the Willow Feeder outside the gate. Today, SEPPer Carissa and I cleared out the area, and trimmed out a trail from the Abbey's front gate to the Willow Grove. This will remind everyone that something of interest is out there, and that they can drop their Magic Potion on it whenever they please. Here's one of the baby willow trees that seems to have taken off on a great start.



SEPPer Carissa also pointed out Oregon Grape to me. Didn't want to eat any of the berries, but they are typically possessed of a bracing level of tartness. Leaves are thick, with serrated edges, with a green that grows darker and earthier the older the plant becomes. Roots and stalks are bright yellow. Stalks can be used for dyeing textiles and fiber, while the root is an antiseptic.



At Allerton Abbey, there's a section of the path that is overgrown with all manner of clover. I was about to chop n' drop the lot of it, but seeing as though there were already lots of clover flowering there, it might not hurt to keep them growing. The flowers will attract (and were already attracting) loads of pollinators, plus we can eventually harvest the seeds and plant them in barren locations that need to build more soil.



Finally: the Sepp Holzer Grain (a rye grass) is showing...! I could flex these grain stalks and stare mesmerized at them for hours. They're like the scales of a fish.



That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!

BRK #589

Today has been probably the loveliest bicycling day yet this year. Saw this kind of view all day today, and couldn't imagine a reason for complaints.



Speaking of views, here's a bit of the sky from the backyard of Drum Coffee, which I visited for the first time today. Their cold brew is impressive.



Speaking of coffee, I had some dandelion seeds drop in there on one of my stops today. I remember a time when I would have considered this cuppa "ruined" by the presence of the seeds. Nowadays, I wonder about the nutritional benefits.



On the far west end of the Milwaukee Path Trail, there's a community garden/CSA. They have a big building with lots of solar panels and stuff, along with a greenhouse bursting with seedlings. Here's their growing operation. I wonder how well they do, and if they stick with organic practices.



Meanwhile... I saw one of these things up at the Missoula Rail Yard. Not sure what it's called, but I call it a "Rail Stopper." Do they really think these things will stop a rolling rail car, though? Obviously it depends on the speed. But still, I'm skeptical. I wonder what it would feel like to whack that thing with a sledgehammer.



Finally, for reference: Honeyberry. There's a massive bush of this in the back yard paddock of the Fisher Price House. Typical-looking, leafy bush, but it's an early-season producer of berries. They're tart and lemony with that slippery berry-flesh inside, which feels like that of a thick-skinned grape. Produces only a few berries on the same branch. Look for uncommonly-oblong berries. Maybe the powdery coating on these berries is natural yeast, like on a blueberry...?



That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!

BRK #590

Did a bit of walking round Basecamp today, after welcoming two new Boots (hello Nan and Rio!) and a SEPPer turned Boot (welcome once again, Carissa!).

Since I don't recall us planting any this year, to see some of these was a pleasant surprise. Hello to Wild Peas! Spindly, sprawling vines with round, curved leaves and two-tone, purple-pink flowers. In a week or two the first pea pods will emerge. Not sure exactly when it's the best time to pluck the pods for eating. The peas taste okay even eaten raw, though I've yet to go through the trouble to cook them. Maybe the leaves are also good for salad greens? The plant is destined to use as green mulch, in any case. Maybe that's how more of them grew this year.



There's an area just up the hill from Turtle Lot (one of our parking areas) named Apricot Alley. These hardy saplings have been hanging on for years, not really growing much at all due to a lack of irrigation.. I hope to change that this year. Here's one healthy specimen.



Another wild forage candidate: Pennycress. Has thin, dime-sized pods that are spicy and remind me of horseradish or a good wasabi. When dried, they look like miniature eucalyptus leaves. Pretty tasty treat in small doses while you're meandering through the garden.



Finally: looks to be a good year for squash and potatoes, so far. The squash are popping up all over, just like these little guys.



That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!

BRK #591

Here's a quick video featuring a Wheaton Labs GAMCOD update. The new hugel berm isn't looking too bad after two weeks.



That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!

BRK #592

Happy Taco Tuesday to you...!!!

Full days of new Boot orientation, along with summer event preparations and garden care. What a day...!

I have a plant I'd like help identifying. There are a number of these growing all over the place, and I've not seen anything either flowering out of it, nor berries or fruit of some kind. It reminds me of pigweed from when I lived back on the east coast. Haven't tried eating it. Anyone know what this stuff is?



There's a field of white clover flowering inside Allerton Abbey's perimeter. Eventually, they'll provide us with more seeds to add to barren, rocky areas that could use the help.



I love seeing seedlings popping up out of the ground. Here's a baby squash, showing one true leaf, and with the seed jacket still stuck to one of its baby leaves.



Finally: I think I saw one of those perfect irises today. They're blooming en masse all over Basecamp right now, and smell fantastic. I think manufacturers of grape- and purple-flavoured candy stole the scent of these flowers for their treats.



That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!