The Landscape and Garden Blog
Nov
25
There are dozens of reasons for making a garden. Whether it’s for the visual beauty of the plants, the experience of working outdoors in the soil, or for yielding consumable food, they all require work and planning. And it does not matter whether the effects desired are artistic or practical, every garden has a way of yielding many gifts. It makes good sense, however, to make a garden that really produces food that the family can consume. People who have experimented with growing their own food inevitably find that there’s a remarkable tastiness to fresh plants, and may decide to take it a step or two further.
There are some who decide to try to make their produce sellable in the local markets. With a small investment, either from digging into the personal accounts, or from a lender like Money Mutual , one can make a remarkable spread with just a little land. It does take some patience, however. One of the most popular methods for people living in small spaces is known as French Intensive Gardening. Similar to permaculture, or biodynamic gardening, it is a process of preparing the earth that makes it ready to yield more than it might offer without a few modifications.
One needs an area about five feet by five feet. The soil should be fairly amenable to planting, not too sandy, and not too compact. A layer of manure is added by removing the soil in rows, filling in with manure, and then covering over with the soil, so that they are mixed together. This creates a kind of a raised bed, and the double layer of good growing materials keeps the root systems loose. Care needs to be taken so that one can move in between the rows, in order to move through the garden during all the stages of growth. There is less watering that’s necessary, but it does take more attention, and it may take more than one planting season to get used to how this particular patch of ground works with the seeds.
It is similar, too, to Square Foot Gardening, and interestingly enough, both techniques came into fruition in the 70s (although their roots are much older). These methods of making the most of small areas do tend to cycle in popularity. There are more people interested in growing their own food now than in recent years, and while not everyone will consider Montel Williams for a possible source of seed money, the effort is worth the time and trouble. One taste of a meal that’s grown entirely from one’s own hands, and the greatest appeal for gardening becomes very obvious very quickly.
Oct
8
Here are a few recommendations for the next time you go to the home appliance store to purchase a coffee maker. The first one is to discuss with your family or roommates how much coffee is expected to be consumed on a daily basis. Another thing to consider is what features your loved ones, or roommates would most like to have included with the maker. And finally, a pre-purchase consideration you’ll probably want to make or at least discuss is the amount of money you want to spend on your home coffee maker.
While all of this pre-purchase consideration and decision making might sound like it’s going a bit overboard in organization, it is actually intended to emphasize the variety of models and diversity of options that are included with today’s versions of home coffee machines . It is no longer the simple activity of running to the store and picking up the first twelve cup brewer you come across, though of course that is still possible. Today’s makers have a variety of options that cater to most coffee drinkers’ tastes and interests. You can find makers that will brew directly into a thermal container and fill it to the exact level you request, while others have digital technology and control devices, including automated timing options. The features are as diverse as the coffee drinkers and it’s best to consider your priorities before stepping foot in the store.
Jun
22
While traveling around the world, and hearing about all the great places to go, some cities have reputations that are extraordinarily high. In Miami, they say, culture and cuisine are about as intriguing as they can be, and this is very much the case. Or so it seems, because there is nothing in the city that does not seem to belong there of its own accord, where the sense of things is like being part of some larger whole. Although it must be said, that it is sometimes more than a tad bit confounding to look at the parts on their own.
Seen in this light, then, the parts seem utterly mysterious, coming from other pieces of other puzzles, and it is near impossible to determine how to make them fit again into a logical unit. That is, perhaps, the maddening and gratifying thing about Miami, or even its foods, and certainly its hotels. Miami, USA is a place in the world where the world has no place, but yet it is every place, being a reflection of many worlds at once. Traveling the world and being in Miami proper, and eating such delectable things as rice and beans, the sounds of the sea do begin to make sense.
Suddenly hearing that this is known hereabouts as moros y cristianos , then pieces of the other puzzles start to emerge, and they lock together succinctly in the way that nothing else on earth might. Because in truth most recipes for this moros y cristianos are not at all the same, not in Puerto Rico, say, or even in Spain.
However, in Miami it is much the same as it is in Havana, and this alone is very telling. It is very much like language that travels out of context, it would take a great linguist to determine the relations between it and its homeland, and the rest of human folk to decide the how and why of how it got to where it did go. Laurel leaf is bay leaf, but yet it sounds so much more enticing in its Cuban version of Spanish that it also seems to taste better in the sun and near the sea. This is to say, in Miami.
Mar
18
Unlike most Italian restaurants in the United States , real Italian food has much more variety; a first-time traveler to Italy may be pleasantly surprised on finding such a variety of regional food. Dishes served in Northern Italy tend to make more uses of butter, corn and rice than pastas or tomatoes. That’s not to say pasta is non-existent or even rare in northern Italy but is does have to play second fiddle to polenta and amazing risotto. Many northern dishes reflect pride in the local country side and will include game or wild fowl in the main entree. On the coasts seafood and shellfish are the common fare as are carp and trout. As a general rule of Italian cusine , if it grows in that region you will, sooner or later, find it on your plate.
In Val d’Aosta, a region that produces Fontina cheese, specialties like Costoletta alla Valdostana, a veal chop covered in Fontina, and Capriolo alla Valdostana, a hearty venison stew made with wine, vegetables and grappa, are commonly served along side one of the many wines the region is known for. Piedmonte is home to two wild fungi that are prized the world over: white truffles and Porcini mushrooms. You’re also likely to get a chance to try regional boiled meat dishes like Vitello Tonnato, veal tongue, and ox tail. Friuli-Venezia Giulia, known for its vast cornfields, inspires a variety of polenta recipes.The coastal areas of this region, with their love of seafood, create an interesting blend of dishes; Boreto Graesano, a fish and white polenta soup. Most famous of all culinary wonders from Liguria is the basil Pesto sauce found there served with Trenette pasta. This region also has a sweet tooth producing recipes for sweet pizzas made with walnuts, chestnuts and candied fruit. These are only Northern Italy regional cuisine.
Mar
16
There is a lot of debate these days about the value of a good, balanced vegetarian diet. There are many claims that it is not healthy as we had previously thought, and there are also claims that it is in fact healthier. For anyone who is paying attention to this matter, it would seem that there is plenty of evidence to suggest that every day there are new revelations that show that vegetarianism is most certainly healthy, and very much likely to be healthier than a diet based in meat.
Here we can look at cultures in the east, where there are more religious proscriptions for vegetarianism that anywhere else. Like most religious proscriptions on consumption, they are based on health rather than a sacred value given to the food. But of course, there is that as well. Interestingly, many of these cultures come to a meeting ground in Singapore, and that might be why it has some of the best dining for vegetarians . The age and wisdom of the cultures inform the food today, to make for beautiful dishes that are extremely healthful.
It almost seems a shame that there are still those who claim that vegetarianism is a myth, or something that is only based on a passing fad. In truth, it is a practice that is thousands of years old.
Although there may still be plenty of debate about whether or not vegetarians live longer than the rest, there are also plenty of numbers to suggest that this is the case. The oldest people in the world are likely to be vegetarian. Although there are certainly other factors that go into their longevity than philosophies that respect life, these must ultimately play a role.
Dec
14
The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum was once just a dream. In 1980, Joanne Martin and her husband Doctor Elmer Martin had saved enough money to put a down payment on a house. Instead, they used the money to buy four sculptural figures set in wax. For a time, they would transport these figures around, to schools and and various businesses in Baltimore. Restaurant owners allowed them to exhibit as well as various festivals and public functions.
At that time, carting around the pieces, trying to protect them from damage, setting up and delivering their presentations, they were not aware of the fact that soon, they would be running the largest wax museum in the country that focused on the historical and cultural significance of African-Americans in the country. By 1983, the married couple had secured a location in downtown Baltimore. At that time their wax figure population totaled twenty-one figures. Many people wished them well and they had the support of many friends and other people throughout the community.
Then, just five short years later, the grand opening was celebrated for a facility that measured in at ten thousand square feet. This was not something that couple had envisioned nor imagined, but they have said that they always knew that they were guided by something outside of the themselves, the universe or a higher power, they do not know. This venture was just the culmination of the natural course their life set out on when they first purchased those four statues many years ago.
They had a dream, just as Martin Luther King Junior had a dream. And their dream fulfilled has inspired more people to do so as well, to not only have a dream but to follow that dream, no matter what may happen that may stand in one’s way. Now the museum serves to educate through not only the exhibits but the on-going seminars on history, and the preservation of that history. Little known historical facts are revealed, young people are motivated, race relations are improved just by simply walking through the doors. This is not only an important venue in Baltimore, but an important one for the entire country.
Oct
26
Hello from Spain! Madrid’s heat is so much better than the London cold.
I’m getting by with only a very small amount of Spanish in my vocabulary. I’ve gotten ‘no entiendo’ down pat; it means ‘I don’t understand’. I’m actually having a lot of fun just saying that phrase no matter what. The first day I arrived in Madrid, I was tired and managed to find my way, on foot, to my hotel, which, by-the-way, was right next to some of the best Madrid restaurants I’ve ever eaten at. My hotel was very interesting, it had an inner courtyard that was great for relaxing and meeting other fellow travellers. That night, I went out with some of my fellow travellers, ones I met in the courtyard, and we checked out one of the restaurants next to the hotel. We ate well and enjoyed swapping travelling horror stories.
Then, yesterday, I walked around Madrid. I noticed it has a much different feel about it compared to any English speaking cities, like Sydney. The architecture is less grand, but they are very colorful; lots of pastel, like oranges, yellows and reds, lots of reds. Central Madrid has streets that are narrow and wind up, down and around hills that are very pretty. All the plaza’s are a great way to people watch and to grab a quick bite.
I visited the Prado art gallery, which I highly recommend no matter what type of art you like. Their collection is vast and very good. I especially liked all the Raphael’s. Later, in the evening, I started it off with some drinks and a meal in my hotels courtyard. I think I ordered the Sangria. Sangria tastes like fruit juice with alcohol, but in fact, it’s a very sweet wine. Then, I headed over to the tapas bar and ran into 4 Aussies, a guy from Kentucky and a french girl. I had a great night, but the Sangria and then the beer started to take its toll on me around midnight. I had to go back to my hotel and sleep it off the best I could.
My stay was too short in Madrid, but I feel I made the most of it. I’m really a people person, even if I don’t speak the language, I always manage to have a great time. Toledo will seem so…Toledo after this, I just hope that my journey for the past month will not vanish into thin air.
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