Gardening In the Rain

It is that time of the year when after a searing summer heat, the mercury has already come down and plans to dip even further in coming days as the monsoon clouds looms over our head. While rains evoke different moods for different people, it is also when it is raining that you get to tend to those beautiful plants in your garden, and watch plants grow faster and bloom in the glory of the rains.


Monsoons can be very tricky for Gardeners. With nature favouring the task, the plantation work turns easy. Introducing new plants into the garden, starting a new home garden, planning a terrace garden seems like the most obvious things to do. Crotons and flowering plants are the best to grow in monsoon and add a colourful tint to the lush green foliage.

Also, this is the time of the year when small errors in care or maintenance or neglect occurs and many times it gets overlooked by the green components of the garden. Since saplings and plants have needed water provided by the rains, they do not cry out of thirst even if you forget to water them for a day or two.

But just like scarcity of water is a problem for plants, excess of water can also be a big worry. In water logged conditions, the plants express this by wilting. Most of plants hate water logging and they need good soil drainage to survive and prosper. Some plants do enjoy water logged conditions but their numbers is small. Due to excess water algae get collected on top soil, and in absence of proper actions plants rot. Weeds, insects, Worms also flourish during this season. Stagnant water and worms can destroy the whole garden very quickly.


The following are some of the few points which we need to take into consideration for having a enjoyable gardening season in the monsoon:


1.The first and foremost thing is that you have to make sure you have a proper drainage system. If water got stagnant it will make the plants rot.

2.      To prevent the risk of fertile top soil erosion in the garden due to heavy rains use perforated sheets. It will allow the rain water to reach the plant as sprinkler. So the plants not get deprived of their natural nutrients available in the top soil

3.      In case of planting new saplings, plant only those plants that can adjust to the moisture of the monsoon season. The young plants in the garden and those plants which are too fragile should be sheltered adequately to protect them from the rains

4.      Avoid chemical fertilizers as far as you can, instead try natures own compost. Earthworms are a gardener’s friend. They not only aerate the soil by tunnelling down, they also fertilize it.

5.      Avoid pesticides altogether. As it will get mixed and transferred with rain and will cause huge damage to the garden. Instead try to use biological controller such as Toads and Frogs. They are voracious insect eaters and can be a very good friend to the gardener.

6.      Mix a good proportion of soil and compost manure for new plants.

7.      It is the right time to try your hand at indoor gardening. Also bring those plants outside so they can get the feel of the moisture in the air.

Perfect Solution for Rain

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The Making of a Soil Declaration for a city

For the last 8 Saturdays Bristol has been home to Soil Saturdays, curated by the Soil Sisters. It has seen many people come together to talk about soil and art and it has made me, amongst many others I am sure, aware how powerful art is as a medium to bring other issues to the fore in a safe and inclusive way. 

The joy of Soil Culture at Create for me has been the opening of a space for discussion around soil, it’s true importance in all of our lives and how it is so important for many of us across the city who make livings from or support soils and soil health and wellbeing in everything we do. My career of the last 20 or so years has been based around soil, my life based on the rich brown earth beneath our feet and to be able to meet and converse with people over that is something that is rare and beautiful.

The idea of a city creating a declaration for it’s own soils is at once powerful and brave. To do so says not only do we, as a group of individuals, care deeply about the soil in our city but we also care about food, people, education, agriculture, health and wellbeing, children, community and the city itself and it’s wealth and health. It says we care not just about today, but about a future for our forebears where they can have access to healthy food, outdoor space and recreation land in a city that is becoming more and more intensely populated. It speaks of a wish to create the most resilient city we can, going into a future that is unknown but is certain to be different from the now. 

Many have questioned why we might feel the need to create a declaration for soil, and some have asked why we might think it necessary. My answer is always that as a city we need good housing and transport links, excellent schools and services for all communities across the city, as well as a plan to feed all those people and to keep our local economy thriving. Creating a declaration for our city’s soil creates an opportunity to ensure that food growing and production is factored into the future planning of the city and creates a future of more certain health and wealth.

In order to create this declaration there was a hope that many people from many walks of life within the city would come together to work co-productively to create this document. This type of gathering is rare, but we were fortunate in our wishes and there were a whole mix of people, ranging across city council strategic directors to members, food policy council members, permaculture and growing professionals, members of nationally important organisations and people who are interested and care about the future of food and access to land in our city. At one, very powerful moment, there was a table working together that was made up of a city strategic planner, a university professor and soil activists from Rising Up who spent much time protesting around Bristol’s Blue Finger in February and March this year. To create a space where that is possible is remarkable and to be a part of something so powerful makes the whole event a day to remember.

The Soil Declaration itself is still being brought together by the facilitators of the day but what we came up with was a series of statements around soil’s importance in the city and its hinterlands that focussed on beliefs and actions to be taken around those beliefs. Having openly talked about this on social media it is clear that not only is Bristol the first city to embark on such an important piece of work, but that it is possible, and likely that others will follow suit.

For Bristol it is vital to protect land that is already being put at risk by development and to ensure that various things that have happened on our most precious soils, are stopped from happening again. Our Blue Finger of rich and fertile best and most versatile soil, that manages crops in all extremes, needs protection as does all BMV soil countrywide. By creating this Soil Declaration, Bristol is putting itself, in a citizen led movement, at the forefront of this enormous change in the way we look at our precious resources, and that is a hugely powerful and brave move. It should be applauded.

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Expanding our environmental view

This is a piece I wrote for the Peoples Republic of Stokes Croft but Ive also shared it here as I think its an interesting topic that many dont quite see. The environment is not just land in the countryside, or parks and gardens, but its avery space we inhabit, icluding our homes and so we need to expand our view of environmental issues to cover everything that covers. Which, I might add, is pretty much everything.....

In 1980 the right to buy council housing became law in the new Housing Act and thousands of people up and down the country achieved what they had never thought possible-a home that they owned. Little wrong with that  I hear you cry but in reality what happened was that, instead of reinvesting the monies raised by building new social housing for a population that was growing exponentially, that money was ring fenced by the then Tory government, and the growth of building of social homes has steadily declined ever since, whilst the prices of housing has risen at rate that is almost unbelievable. With land being seen as an asset, it’s cost has risen and average house prices, which includes the prices of all those once council houses, have risen alongside that at a rate that soon will make home owner ship by anyone other than the wealthy impossible. Average house prices in 1977 were still less than £10,000 where today the average price is around £190.00 nationally and in London and the South East that figure rises to just over £400,000.

Of course for the generation that were able to buy their council homes this has lead to the possibility of making huge sums of money on homes that were sold for enormously more than they were purchased for and these homes are now a part of the national housing stock and sold as such, meaning that they are now generally not affordable homes at all. Indeed the governments’s idea of an affordable home is one that is 20% less than its average cost which is still completely out of the average wageholders budget of £26,000 per year. With mortgage companies generally asking for at least a 5% deposit and often far more we have created a situation where we will have future generations renting and never being able to get onto the property ladder, already saddled with huge debts from university fees and relying on more and more unscrupulous landlords as need for housing outweighs availability.

Constantly we hear the cry that we must leave the world a better place for our children and our children’s children. That we must care for greenbelt, encourage more conservation areas and SSSI but rarely do we see housing mentioned as a part of this. However, how can it not be? Our environment is not just the outdoors, the countryside or parks, but it is everything we live in. It is our cafes, those areas in city centres between buildings, that grassed area behind the fence on an estate. Our environment is the space in which we live.

So on Stokes Croft, Bristol’s independent district where creativity is at the centre of so many lives, how can we look at a building that is threatened with a London developer’s plan of gentrification as any other than an environmental issue. Stokes croft, the area known for its incredible squats, its street art and its independent spirit, who fought as a community to keep Tesco at bay cannot be the place to put a gated community in any way. In fact, frankly, gated communities, designed with mainly safety and security as its main criteria, cannot possibly help maintain any form of independent spirit. The fact that only 7% of the dwellings will be affordable and that is likely to be just the 20% lower rate rather than social housing, in an area where the housing crisis can be seen every day, on the streets, ought to be seen as a scandal and a disaster for our future generations, rather than a positive solution to a building that has been crumbling for many years.

Positive solutions need to be the way forwards, looking at how we ensure people are safe and secure in homes they can afford and in communities where they feel they are safe and secure. Rather than continually looking at constant development at the outer edges of our cities of box type homes, we need to look at the building stock within our cities, leaving the greenbelt alone for our ever growing population, and looking at the amount of buildings that could be turned into decent homes within the city, where people will be able to be car free, and rather than looking at bus routes that stretch ever further out of the city, the routes can concentrate on the areas that are already populated. With a larger population living within city boundaries, parks budgets and budgets for urban landscaping could increase, helping the city to cope with rising temperatures due to our changing climate. 

With all this in mind surely at the centre of the Carriageworks plan should be community. The Carriageworks Action Group and Knightstone Housing have put together a plan with community at it’s heart, and that must be the plan that is implemented at the very least. Imagine a beautiful city centre community building, with homes that are affordable and with the quantity of social housing that Bristol city Council recommends in all housing schemes of 30%-40% available to people struggling to pay the ever increasing private rents in the area. Imagine that it has beautiful and productive gardens that are open for the entire community of Stokes Croft to use and which people can safely use as a path through to the area at the back of the building 24 hours a day. With small shops and workshops built in at affordable rents on the ground floor, it can also become a centre for micro businesses to begin and flourish, creating a truly local economy and holding the money spent within that economy, adding to it’s wealth, both financial and creative.

This should not be a dream. This is the vision of green and sustainable living that we must move towards if we are to create a world that we are proud to leave for our children. As a species we must stop looking at houses as assets and begin to look at them as homes. Only then can we leave a planet that we are proud of for future generations.

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Backyard Garden Update

Expanded Garden

I recently expanded the garden to make room for some more crops.  I extended the existing in-ground raised bed, and dug two more.  I planted lettuce and carrots in the 1st extension, chard and onions in the 2nd extension, and kale in the 3rd extension.  Im seeing a lot of grass pop up in the 2nd extension, rather than chard and onions, but well see how it goes.  The lettuce is growing well, and nothing yet in the kale bed.  I pulled back the cucumbers, no more of those for this season.  Im still harvesting chard, tomatoes, peppers, and sage.

Three new beds dug and planted.

Before the expansion

The basil seems to have some sort of nutrient deficiency.  I thought it might be calcium or potassium, so I made a solution of crushed egg shells and water, shook it up well, added some wood ash for potassium, and poured that around the basil roots.  It hasnt helped yet after two days.  I think the other basil plant looks like it needs nitrogen, so Im going to get some of that in there (biochar charged with pee, or just pee).

Sad Basil

Happy Tomatoes

Fermenting Wood Chips for Stropharia 

Hopefully Ill be seeing these in my garden soon!

Ive been interested in mycology for years, experimenting with oyster mushrooms, lions mane, and listening to lectues by Paul Stamets in my free time.  I even got to see Paul talk at Burning Man in 2013.  I saw him talk again in Philadelphia in 2014, and one of the things he talked about was his "mycototes."  Its a system where he ferments wood chips, submerged in water, for about a month.  Then he drains the water, and the result is a fungus substrate that can be rapidly colonized by mycellium, especially Stropharia, (garden giant, or winecap mushroom).  I know some guys starting a gourmet mushroom cultivation business in Philadelphia, who traded me some stropharia spawn on sawdust for some bricks of coco coir that I had.  I soaked some woodchips in a trashcan for about a month.  The trashcan had a leak, so I had to refill it frequently, and occasionally the water level dropped and left the wood chips unsubmerged.  However, the experiment seems to have worked.  The fermenting woodchips were colonized with anaerobic bacteria, which died off when exposed to air after draining the wood chips.  I filled a burlap sack with the wood chips, mixed in the stropharia spawn, dug a hole behind the shed, and dropped the sack into the hole, and covered it lightly with a tarp.  Ive been watering occasionally, and the burlap sack is now filled with mycellium.  Ill save some of this for future spawn, and Im going to mix the rest in around the woodchips in my garden.  Hopefully well have lots of garden giant mushrooms popping up and going into our dinner!

Beautiful!  Look at all that white stringy fungi mycellium.

Drying Herbs

My Girlfriend got me a dehydrator for my birthday, so Ive been drying herbs from my garden and my parents herb spiral.  Right now Ive got some thick leaf oregano drying.  Fresh herbs in homegrown tomato-basil sauce for the win!

Plans for solar dehydrator

I saw a neighbor of mine was getting rid of some old windows, so I grabbed one and am planning on using it to make a solar dehydrator like these here:

Sprouts

My girlfriend also got me a sprouting kit for my birthday.  Sprouts are tasty on sandwiches, and can be grown year-round indoors without light.  Super cool!

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New Growth in my Windowfarm!

I was pleasantly surprised to see my strawberry plant flowering yesterday!

Im also seeing some growth in the Basil planted in the windowfarm.

The green onions are doing really well, and I cut one to mix with my eggs for breakfast this morning.  This marks the first time Ive eaten anything that Ive grown.  Awesome!

The lavender on my windowsill is also starting to grow.

My little garden is coming to life!  My betta, Tarzan, is happy!  Our frog Henri is happy!  Our cat, Alex, is happy!  And, Im super happy!

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Lone Duck Farm CSA Shares Now Available!

Some people know all about CSAs (and might even school us!) and others are left scratching their heads about what this acronym could possibly mean. So just in case youre wondering, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture (a buying agreement between the farmer and his or her community). CSAs provide pre-paid "shares" of the farms produce to individuals/families, who then pick up their box of produce on a set day (usually once a week). This allows the share holder to get to know his or her farmer, to have a stake in the growing process, and to have access to the freshest food available; it also allows the farmer to know how much and which types of food to grow, guaranteeing him or her a market for their hard work. Financially, shareholders/members pay less than they would if they bought each item individually, though there is some risk involved- CSA farmers may sometimes need to substitute one item for another, depending on growing conditions. And did we mention that when you pre-pay for your veggies (and can plan for a set amount of produce to enter your house each week), you might just find it easier to actually eat the recommended amount of vegetable servings? :)


Lone Duck Farm is about to embark on the whole CSA adventure, and wed love it if you came along! Were starting out with two share options- a full share and a half share, available weekly. Share holders can sign up for a three month season, and our first season will be starting in October and ending in December (14 weeks of delicious, fresh greens!). After that, shareholders can decide whether to commit for another three months, let their share expire, or to extend their share for even longer than just the next season! So what can you expect from each option?

Full Shares ($30/week = $420/season) include:
3 heads of living lettuce
1 bunch of kale OR swiss chard
1 bunch of watercress OR purslane
1 bunch of arugula OR endive
1 bunch spinach OR mizuna (a delicious, mild alternative)
1 head of pak choi OR celery
2 bunches of fresh herbs (basil, oregano, mint, chives, parsley, or cilantro)
1 seasonal item (see list below)

Half Shares ($18/week = $252/season) include:
2 heads of living lettuce
1 bunch of kale OR swiss chard
1 bunch of watercress OR arugula OR purslane
1 head of pak choi OR celery
1 bunch of fresh herbs (basil, oregano, mint, chives, parsley, or cilantro)
1 seasonal item every other week

Seasonal items may include: rhubarb, peas, mulberries, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, kohlrabi, garlic, leeks, beets, onions, potatoes, or Brussels sprouts.


**As an added benefit, were also offering a discount on tilapia to our CSA members- about 15% per fish! And members get first notice of any other products that may become available as we expand our offerings.


At this time, were offering CSA shares on-farm, meaning that youd need to stop by the farm between 3 and 6 p.m. on Tuesdays to pick up your share for the week. If we happen to have multiple shares headed to the same area of town, we can discuss setting up a delivery option.

So does this sound interesting to you? Wed love to answer any questions you have or send you a sign up sheet! Drop us a line or give us a call- were excited to hear from you!

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Something to warm the cockles

A peacock at Rousham strutting his stuff in the sunshine.

I know. Its freezing. You cant get a fork into the frozen ground. Lots of plants have gone all flaccid in the cold. And we are due snow over the weekend. But if the urge to garden is there you can still sow broad beans, peas and onion seed in trays in doors. You can get chilli seeds planted and early tomatoes as long as you have somewhere to put them once they need potting on that is covered. You can trawl the seed catalogues or order dahlias from The National Dahlia Collection! And here are some pictures I took in the heat of last summer to cheer you  up and warm you.

An unidentified Dahlia at Oxford Botanical Gardens

An unidentified Salvia at Oxford Botanics

And if that doesnt help let me suggest some more ideas to tickle your horticultural tastebuds!! There is the glasshouse at RHS Wisley to visit which at the moment will be full of exotic butterflies-an amazing spectacle but beware as it will be busy. Kew Gardens will be opening their annual Orchid exhibition soon in the Princess of Wales Conservatory which is always worth a visit.

Echinacea in the new Rose Garden at RHS Wisley designed by the wonderful Robert Myers for whom I have grown plants in the not so distant past!

The Annual Borders at Wisley where the Ricinus must have reached 12 feet tall.

And remember dear gardening folk, by mid February the daylight hours will have reached more than 10 a day and your garden will be springing into action. Buds will be bursting, leaves will be appearing and the world will start to turn from winter brown to spring green one more. Your garden will be screaming for you to jump into action, secateurs at the ready so use this cold snap to prepare. Sharpen your secateurs, and your spade if you see fit, sort out your seeds, and clean your seedtrays and pots ready for the day when you hear your garden screaming for attention.

So hears to the season ahead!!

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Bath soil an exciting exhibition and the reborn artist

Last Saturday, before the onset of the snow, I visited the wonderful Emma Bond and her lovely husband Tom in the beautiful city of Bath. Bath is an amazing place with lots of independent shops and restaurants, not to mention the amazing Botanical Gardens, Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths.  However it was at the Victoria Art Gallery that I found the most amazing sculpture exhibition.

A long time ago, in almost another lifetime, I graduated with a degree in Fine Art. Ive never lost my interest in art and I consider what I do, growing plants, to be just as creative as making art. Quietly Ive watched to art world from afar and have always loved the colour and textures created by artists of all disciplines. So I was extremely excited when Emma dragged me out of the snow and into the Victoria Art Gallery to see an exhibition by the sculptor, Peter Burke. And it was incredible. The sculptures are made from soil from the area surrounding Peters home in Bradford-upon-Avon in Somerset, bonded so it can be used as a medium for artwork. The first thing and the most amazing to me, was the  difference in the colour of the soil from different places.

The Cup Series

The above three images are identical in terms of the image and the only difference is the colour of the soil.

Radius in Chalk

The above image is made of chalk  from the Bradford-upon-Avon area. 

Whereas this image which is exactly the same in terms of its design, is made from an iron rich clay type soil from a different part of the Bradford-upon-Avon area. Both are stunning images and yet they are quite different although the same, and this difference is created, essentially, by colour. 

But this set me to thinking. It isnt colour that changes these images, but soil. Soil, the most important thing that as gardeners we can have. Its the absolutely most important thing to us and we spend our days trying to improve what we have, adding organic matter, feed, minerals, to ensure that we have the best growing media for our plants. But what this exhibition showed me was that essentially, soil will always return to its natural state and that is the state it was in before man tried to change it for his own needs.

This intrigued the artist in me and made me think about how I could add on to this with a work or works of my own and this is what I came up with. I would like a soil sample from as many people as possible, enough to fill a 3"pot would be ideal. Just soil, as pure as you can find it. Each pot will have a seed placed into it and photographed every day and it will become an installation work, recorded photographically and documented here.

If youd like to contribute or take part please feel free to contact me.

sara@thephysicgarden.co.uk

In other news I officially dislike snow immensely, particularly when all the leaves that had started to germinate for the 52 Week Salad Challenge turn to mush because of it! Enough said on that matter I feel but I promise my next post will be plant/gardening related!!

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A Miracle grow called Organic Potting Soil The best soilless potting Mix

Potting mix or potting soil refers to the media people use to grow vegetables, plants etc in containers. It is generally used as an substitute to soil for growing plants.

What are the components: 

The life of the potted plant depends on a large extent to the quality of its potting soil. So choosing right kind of potting mix is essential. There are various ingredients which are generally used as potting soil. To prepare the best potting soil you need to know the ingredients well. Here are some of the popular ones:

Coconut coir: It is generally marketed in the form of compressed bales. Prior to using it you need to add some water.It is made of coconut husk. More on this in this article.

Peat moss: It used to be the most common type of potting soil but due to problems like environmental issues now-a-days its use got reduced a bit. There can be different types of peat moss, the most common is sphagnum peat. Peat moss is not very good for re wetting. More on peat moss is here.

Soil: Now a days most people avoid this media to prepare any potting mix. Though it has more inbuilt organic nutrients than most of other media, the problem is endless. Using soil can increase the total weight of the mix, and make it prone to water logging. Also normal soil contains weed seeds and pathogens which need to be removed first.

Vermiculite: It is a very efficient product for using in smaller containers. It is prepared by treating mica. Vermiculite is very light in weight and has a very good water absorption capability. More on vermiculite is here in this article.

Perlite: it is basically volcanic ash. Finer the grain larger its capacity to hold the water. It is neutral to slightly alkaline in nature and is a good way to reduce acidity of the potting mix. Perlite is dangerous to handle as its dust is highly irritating to lungs. Use proper precaution before handling . Interested in Perlite? Find out more in this article.

Sand: It is generally used to increase the porosity of the mix. It also increases the weight of the mix. It is a great ingredient in case you are planning to grow cactus and other succulents.

Wood chips: Sometimes wood chips, pine bark etc are also used as ingredient to potting mix.

Characteristics of a good potting soil:

1. good porosity: the best potting soil general has AFP or air filled porosity range between 10 to 20.
   

   
2. Fast absorption of water: It should absorb water pretty fast.
3. light weight: Potting mix is used for planting in containers. So it should be light weight so that the shifting of pots can be done very easily. For this purpose in most cases people use soilless potting mix.
4. You should select the ingredients which are readily available to you and are not very expensive.
5. Potting mix needs to be weed and Pest free. In most of the cases it is sterilized. It should also not contain any toxic substances or extra nutrients or salts.
6. The ingredients should be such that you can easily store them. For example you can store coconut coir in bales form easily for a few years.

There are various types of potting mix available in the market. Some of these are:

Potting mix for every plant: This type of organic potting soil can go with most of the plants and vegetables. The pH of the mixture is slightly acidic to neutral. Mix coconut coir with perlite or vermiculite in the ratio of 3:1 for this.

Acidic potting mix: These type of mix is generally for the plants which love acidic medium. Ideal mixture would be to add organic matter such as peat moss and perlite or vermiculite in 4:1 ratio.

Cactus friendly mix: Cactus and other succulents require very good drainage. Due to this reason the potting mix needs to be with extra drainage facility. Add a little bit of sand along with coconut coir and perlite to make a proper mix.

Seed starters mix: For seed starters add coconut coir and perlite or vermiculite in 2:1 ratio. Many people prefer peat moss in place of coir. In case of peat moss the ratio would be much lower.

What is your experience with potting mix? Would you like to share some of your ideal mixes? Feel free to use the comment box below:

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Low pH in the apartment system but growth is good

I checked out the system this week, and it seems to be doing well.  The brown algae in the water is slowly disappearing.  The veggies are growing well, though the strawberry seeds that I scattered in one pot don’t seem to be growing too quickly.  My friend hadn’t checked the chemicals recently, so I did while I was there.  The pH was very low (<6), but everything else looked ok.  The ammonia was 0.5ppm.  Nitrite was zero, and Nitrate was 160+ ppm.

I added 6 capfuls of API’s pH up.  I decided that I didn’t want to rely on my friend checking the pH and adjusting, so I added enough pH up to bump up the pH to around 7.  Normally I wouldn’t want to raise it more than 0.2 per day, but I didn’t want to risk losing the bacteria and have to re-cycle the system.  My friend added a little water the next day, and checked the pH.  It was about 7 – 7.2, which is ideal.  Hopefully this weekend I can visit for a few hours to clean the canister filter, and plan out new fish that we want to put in the fish tank.  We’d also like to mount some small lights that we have onto chains above the grow bed.  Another issue is that the water draining is somewhat loud, so I want to figure out a way to muffle the draining water.  Here’s some pictures and a video from my visit to the system.

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Were in the paper!

That might even be what brought you here! Whether you saw us in hard-copy or youre here on your own, rest assured that were mighty excited about your visit to our website!

Take a look around the different pages, read some previous posts, and feel free to ask us some questions! Interested in a specific topic? Wondering about something on the farm? Just want to say hi? We welcome conversation!

As for what we have available this week, we offer the following for your gustatory pleasures:

• Radishes
• Arugula
• Mizuna (a very tasty, mild Asian green)
• Bok Choy
• Oregano
• Chives (garlic and standard)
• Swiss Chard
• Limited Spinach
• Limited Kale

Were a bit light this week on our lettuces, but no worries. Theyll be back soon!

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A tribute to the people of Japan

I found this dedication on PatioPatch blog via hurtling towards 60 and beyond. It says all I need to say.

Dedication: To the people of Japan whose many plants grace our own gardens and who have shown us how to create beautiful spaces with a natural and stark simplicity. The quiet dignity and stoicism they have displayed in the face of their country’s utter devastation is an example to us all.


Feel free to do the same. Thank you Laura at Patiopatch.

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Pete Lawrences The Allotment Cookbook

Its always lovely to be sent a book for review and I was chuffed to bits to be sent Pete Lawrences new book, not just because I know that we share a love of food growing, but because I was genuinely fascinated to see how the growing and the recipes might be knitted together to make a whole growing and cooking experience. I often find this a bit stilted in many plot to plate cook books and find that one outweighs the other uncomfortably, so I wanted to know how it was how the author was going to tackle this as someone who does both so successfully. 

What I find fascinating and yet somewhat sad to say the least, is that often folk who happily call themselves foodies very often arent at all engaged with where their food is grown or how. Having again and again been involved in food festivals talking about Incredible Edible Bristol and growing, it never fails to leave me saddened when parents hurry children past the grow your own table where you can sow a seed or make a self watering container, and yet reappear an hour or so later laden with goodies to take home, and I hope cook with. They seem completely disengaged from that powerful moment when seed, soil and water meet and the utter magic of growing something to eat begins.

Pete Lawrence is, of course, submerged daily in this foodie world, having worked with giants of the TV chef world including Nigella Lawson, The Hairy Bikers and the great, I think, Nigel Slater. So, I wondered, as an allotmenteer how would he make the foodie and the grower meet? 

What I think he does is sprinkle magic on both growing and cooking by making them merge seamlessly into one thing. The book is gentle and lilting and explains why the author feels the connection between the earth, growing and seasonal cooking of what has been grown is so vital. "When you hum the same tune as nature-get into its rhythm-then you will learn to savour produce at its very best", he says and all of us involved in food growing will nod and agree to those sage like words. 

The book begins with a great introduction to Pete, seasonality and his allotment, and then leads the reader through the seasons, with what to plant and harvest sections. Within each season is a section about that season, great articles about individual vegetables, herbs edible flowers and some wonderful recipes that really speak of the season in which they are placed. In the summer section, for example, theres a piece about the tomatoes the author loves to grow, alongside a range of tomato recipes that will take you from your first pickings through to using up any glut at the end with a great chutney 

Turning page after page there are refreshingly simple recipes that the reader knows will taste rich and fulfilling as they make the best of great, British ingredients that allotments are full of all year around. Great titles such as Autumn En Croute, a pastry parcel filled with squash, peppers,mushrooms and goats cheese, and Frighteningly Good Pumpkin Stew make the reader delve into the recipe and get involved. 

Its probably also worth commenting that you could buy this book for a newbie allotment holder, inspiring them to grow delicious crops whilst they dream of the recipes they are destined for. I often get asked by new growers what they should grow, and this book gives inspiration and aspiration to that new allotment holder or gardener.

So would I buy this book? 

The answer without doubt is yes, and not only would I buy it for me but also for others who I know would revel in its honesty and gentleness, its authors appreciation of the seasons and the individual seasons produce. Its a refreshing look at seasonality, that sadly oft lost thing that supermarkets ignore, but that those of us who grow, or aspire  to grow, find not just fascinating but grounding and focusing.

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CCRES Algae Astaxanthin

CCRES Algae Astaxanthin

Astaxanthins ability to scavenge free radicals in your body* is up to...

    550 times more powerful than vitamin E
    65 times more powerful than vitamin C
    54 times more powerful than beta-carotene
    5 times more powerful than lutein

CCRES ALGAE

It does this by quenching a molecule called singlet oxygen - a harmful reactive oxygen species formed through normal biological processes occurring in your body.* Singlet oxygen possesses a high amount of excess energy that must be released to keep it from damaging other cells.

CCRES Lab

Astaxanthin absorbs this energy and dissipates it as heat, thereby returning the singlet oxygen to a grounded state.*

Theres another way, too, that astaxanthin helps to protect cells, organs and tissues against oxidative damage from free radicals.*

CCRES Algae Astaxanthin

It traps free radicals at both ends of the molecule.* Once captured, the potentially harmful free radicals pass into cellular fluids where they become neutralized by vitamin C. In this way, astaxanthin is sometimes considered a ‘booster for other antioxidants like vitamins A, C and E.*

Whats more, astaxanthin cant act as a potentially detrimental “pro-oxidant” like some of the other carotenoids such as beta-carotene, lycopene, and zeaxanthin.

CCRES CO2

    Support your joint health, flexibility, and mobility*
    Support a healthy immune response*
    Support your central nervous system*
    Support your cardiovascular system*
    Support your brain and eye health due to its unique ability to cross blood-brain and blood-retina barriers*

CCRES ALGAE PROJECT

part of 

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)

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Beautiful Aquaponic Systems

One thing thats important for many potential aquaponic systems is beauty.  People dont necessarily want something in their yard or home that looks like a science project.  Here are some really beautiful systems.  Im hoping to use these as inspiration for my future projects.

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ARIES PRODUCTS IMPROVE YOUR DRINKING WATER BY REMOVING HARMFUL CONTAMINANTS & ELIMINATING UNWANTED TASTES OR ODORS. BLUE WHITE INDUSTRIES THE RIGHT PUMPS & FLOWMETERS FOR YOUR APPLICATIONS. VARIABLE FLOWMETERS, CHEM-FEED DIAPHRAGM METERING PUMPS, FLEXFLO PERISTALTIC METERING PUMPS. WE ALSO MANUFACTURE HIGH VOLUME METERING PUMPS, ULTRASONIC FLOWMETERS & DIGITAL PADDLEWHEEL FLOWMETERS. CANATURE INDUSTRY LEADERS IN INNOVATION, QUALITY & VALUE. LOWER COSTS, MEANINGFUL FEATURES & HIGHER QUALITY. OVER 500 DEALERS HAVE SWITCHED... WHY WOULDNT YOU? CHALLENGER WATER INTER. REVERSE OSMOSIS DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS, WHOLE-HOUSE TREATMENT & GREEN SOLUTIONS. WE OFFER INNOVATIVE DESIGN & APPLICATION ASSISTANCE. CHARGER WATER TREATMENT IRON OR SULFUR PROBLEMS? CHARGER HAS YOUR NATURAL SOLUTION. THE IRONBREAKER III IRON & SULFUR FILTER SYSTEM USES NATURAL OXIDATION! NO CHEMICALS, NO AIR PUMPS, NO EXTERNAL VENTURIS, SIMPLY CLEAN, CLEAR WATER. DAVID H PAUL INC WATER IS LIFE. YOU AFFECT THE QUALITY OF WATER. STEP UP YOUR PERFORMANCE WITH OUR ELEGANTLY DESIGNED, STEP BY STEP TRAINING. TOPICS COVERED" REVERSE OSMOSIS, NANOFILTRATION, MEDIA FILTERS, ION EXCHANGE & MORE. ENPRESS INTRODUCING OUR REVOLUTIONARY NEW ONE WATER FILTRATION SIMPLIFIED. GET RID OF EXPENSIVE STAINLESS STEEL HOUSINGS. THE ENPRESS CARTRIDGE TANK OFFERS EXTENDED LIFE & SERVICE, & A MORE COST-EFFECTIVE & EFFICIENT FILTRATION SOLUTION. H2O FILTER WAREHOUSE LOW PRICES ON THE BEST CARTRIDGES IN THE INDUSTRY. WHY PAY MORE? CA WARE CARBON BLOCK CARTRIDGES, PENTEK CARTRIDGES, ARIES SPECIALTY CARTRIDGES, MELT DOWN & SHELCO STRING WOUND CARTRIDGES & MORE. H2O INTERNATIONAL INC. ARE YOU OFFERING PRODUCTS WITHIN THE REACH OF YOUR CUSTOMERS? ON HAND QUALITY PRODUCTS FOR THE COST CONSCIOUS MARKET. HARWIL CORPORATION BOLD, NEW, CLEARLY SUPERIOR AT A LOWER PRICE. THE ALL NEW Q-16 FLOW SWITCH. 1 SIZE FITS ALL PIPE SIZES & FLOW RATES. BEATS THE COMPETITION IN FUNCTION & PRICE. HYDRONIX WATER TECH. 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RELIABLE, SIMPLE & LOW MAINTENANCE. NO WATER PUMPS OR GUESSWORK. COST EFFECTIVE. UNITED FILTERS CELLULOSE FREE CARBON WRAP. UV DYNAMICS MINI RACK SYSTEMS NOW AVAILABLE WITH 1 OR 2 10" OR 20" FILTER SUMPS. UV SUPERSTORE FINDING THE RIGHT PARTS GOT YOU PUZZLED? WE CAN HELP! VIQUA a Trojan Technologies Company STERILIGHT, COMPACT, POWERFUL, RELIABLE. STERILUME-EX COATED UV LAMPS PROVIDE A 99.99% REDUCTION IN BACTERIA, VIRUSES & PROTOZOAN CYSTS. LAMP COATING PROVIDES CONSISTENT UV OUTPUT OVER THE LAMP LIFE [9000 HOURS]. LOW MAINTENANCE & EASILY SERVICED. VONTRON TECHNOLOGY THE LARGEST MANUFACTURER OF RO/NF MEMBRANES IN CHINA, ALL MEMBRANE SERIES ADOPT FOULING RESISTANT TECHNOLOGY, COMPLETE SERIES OF DRY-TYPE MEMBRANE ELEMENTS ARE AVAILABLE, POWERFUL TECHNICAL SERVICE & SUPPORT. WATER HEATER RESCUE WE HAVE THE BEST SOLUTION TO THAT ROTTEN-EGG ODOR IN WATER HEATERS. WATER QUALITY ASSOCIATION MUST ATTEND CHECKLIST: EXHIBITS, ON-FLOOR EDUCATION, FACILITY TOURS, OPENING GENERAL SESSION "PRIMETIME", NETWORKING EVENTS. REGISTER TODAY, wqa-aquatech.com WATER QUALITY ASSOCIATION INDUSTRIAL TRACK, MUST ATTEND CHECKLIST! INDUSTRIAL WATER FORUM/NETWORKING EVENT. INDUSTRIAL ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS, EXHIBITION, INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION SESSIONS. WATTS WATER QUALITY SUCCESSFUL WATER DEALERS GET MORE, GIVE MORE & MAKE MORE WITH WATTS WATER QUALITY PRODUCTS & YOU CAN TOO! THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE, UNRIVALED INNOVATION, STRATEGIC DISTRIBUTION, MARKETING SUPPORT & MORE PRODUCTS THAN ANY OTHER SUPPLIER IN THE BUSINESS. WINIX INC. BEAUTIFUL PERFORMANCE, FINECEL ULTRA FILTRATION SYSTEM. FEATURING SMARTPURE FILTER CONNECTION SYSTEM. WISHING WELL INTL 4,500 CHILDREN DIE EVERY DAY DUE TO WATER BORNE ILLNESSES. ONE CHILD EVERY 20 SECONDS. A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION BRINGING CLEAN SAFE DRINKING WATER TO DEVELOPING AREAS. 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The Effects of Astaxanthin Type 2 Diabetes

 

Draining the World Wealth

Diabetes mellitus is a worldwide epidemic that is critically linked to prevalence of obesity. More than 220 million people have diabetes and by the year 2030 the figures are expected to grow to 360 million. The diabetes is aggressively growing in both emerging and developed country. According to WHO, the Asian continent has over 90 million people suffering from diabetes – India (40 million) China (29 million); Indonesia (13 million) and Japan (7 million). The prevalence of diabetic patients remains pervasive in USA (22 million), Brazil (6 million), Pakistan (8 million); Russia (6 million); Italy (5 million) and Turkey (4 million). Even in the African region over 10 million people suffer from diabetes, especially in Nigeria where it is expected to reach 5 million within the year 2030.
Diabetic complications lead to heart disease (approximately 65% of death amongst diabetics), blindness, kidney failure and amputations. As a result, the indirect and direct medical expenditure of diabetics represent almost 5 times that of a non-diabetic.

Type 2 Diabetes: A Preventable Disease

 

In most cases, diabetes is treated with medication, although about 20% of diabetics may be managed by lifestyle changes. This means that even if we cannot change the genetic influences, fortunately, for most of us diabetes is preventable; for example, making dietary changes, taking nutritional supplements and exercising. To highlight this, people in high risk groups who achieve a 5-7% cut in body weight will reduce risk of developing diabetes approximately 58% across all age and ethnic groups.
While the debate between the contributory effects of carbohydrate and fat intake continues unabated, research reveals a strong link between foods with high glycemic index and prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Excess blood glucose needs to be converted by insulin (produced by the pancreas ß-cells) into glycogen stores, however, when glycogen stores are full, glucose is converted into fat. Over time, the body’s cells may eventually become desensitized to insulin making it necessary to produce more insulin to achieve the same affect. It is this process that would eventually lead to a state known as hyperinsulinaemic state. As a result, the body looses its ability to control high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) that could result in toxic conditions and promote further complications such as kidney failure.

New Evidences Emerging from Human Studies

In an anti-aging study conducted by Iwabayashi et al., (2009), 20 female volunteers with increased oxidative stress burden ingested 12 mg/day of astaxanthin for 8 weeks. Results evidenced a significant decrease of diabetes-related parameters that collectively predict trends in diabetes development. Firstly, astaxanthin reduced cortisol by 23 percent.

Astaxanthin Retards Glucose Toxicity and Kidney Damage

Astaxanthin displayed positive effects in a type 2 diabetic mouse model in that it reduced the disease progression by retarding glucose toxicity and kidney damage. This has profound implications for people who belong to high risk groups, display pre-diabetic conditions (impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance) or want to manage advanced diabetic kidney problems (nephropathy).
Studies suggested that reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by hyperglycemia contributes to the onset of Diabetes mellitus and its complications. Non-enzymatic glycosylation of proteins and mitochondria, prevalent in diabetic conditions, is a major source of ROS. For example, pancreatic ß-cells kept in high glucose concentrations show presence of advanced glycosylation products, a source of ROS, which cause the following: i) reduction of insulin expression and ii) induction of cell death (apoptosis). ß–cells are especially vulnerable to ROS because these cells are inherently low in antioxidant status and therefore, requires long term protection. A recent study demonstrated that antioxidants (N-acetyl-L-cysteine, vitamins C and E) exerted beneficial effects in diabetic conditions such as preservation of ß-cell function, so it is likely that a more potent antioxidant such as astaxanthin can do the same or better.
In another study conducted by Preuss et al. (2009), 12 rats fed with 25mg/kg of astaxanthin show a significant decrease in insulin resistance by 13.5%.

Modulation of Glucose Toxicity

Uchiyama et al., 2002 demonstrated in obese diabetes type 2 mouse model that astaxanthin preserved pancreatic ß -cell dysfunction against oxidative damage. Treated mice received 1 mg astaxanthin/day at 6 weeks of age and then tests performed at 6, 12 and 18 weeks. Observations of astaxanthin treated mice (N=8) included: i) significantly reduced fasting glucose sugar levels at 12.

Figure 1. Astaxanthin improved the glucose levels in the Intraperitoneally Glucose Tolerance Test (IPGT) in diabetic mouse model (Uchiyama et al., 2002)

Figure 2. Astaxanthin preserved insulin sensitivity in the diabetic mouse model (Uchiyama et al., 2002)

Figure 3. Astaxanthin protected kidney function measured by urinary albumin protein loss (Naito et al., 2004) 

 

Prevention of Diabetic Nephropathy

As well as substantiating observations by Uchiyama et al., Naito demonstrated that astaxanthin treated type 2 diabetic mice which normally shows renal insufficiency at 16 weeks of age in fact exhibited 67% less urinary albumin loss.

Figure 4. Astaxanthin reduced the amount of DNA damage indicated by urinary 8-OHdG levels (Naito et al., 2004) 

 

Figure 5. Astaxanthin preserved the relative mesangial area.

 
Earlier it was unclear how astaxanthin could ameliorate the progression of diabetic nephropathy, but new evidence revealed additional information in the mechanism of action. Naito et al., (2006) examined changes in the gene expression profile of glomerular cells in diabetic mouse model during the early phase of diabetic nephropathy. The mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation pathway was most significantly affected by high-glucose concentration (mediated via reactive oxygen species). Long term treatment with astaxanthin significantly modulated genes associated with oxidative phosphorylation, oxidative stress and the TGF-ß-collagen synthesis system.

Manabe et al., 2007 went further and analyzed normal human mesangial cells (NHMC) exposed to high glucose concentrations. In the presence of astaxanthin, it significantly suppressed ROS production (Figure 6) and inhibited nuclear translocation and activation of NF-?B (Figure 7) in the mitochondria of NHMC. Furthermore, this was the first time to detect astaxanthin in the mitochondrial membrane (Table 1) and its presence also suppressed ROS attack on membrane proteins.

Figure 6. Astaxanthin reduced ROS production in NHMC-mitochondria exposed to high glucose (Manabe et al., 2007) 

   

Top left panel: mitochondria as green fluorescence, Top right panel: ROS as red fluorescence; Bottom right panel: Merged picture as yellow fluorescence.

Figure 7. Astaxanthin suppressed high-glucose induced nuclear translocation and activation of NF-?B (Manabe et al., 2007) 

 

Table 1. Astaxanthin content in NHMC mitochondria expressed as percentage of total astaxanthin added. 

Mean of 3 samples. (Manabe et al., 2007)

Outlook

Although clinical trials involving antioxidants in humans have only recently begun, these preliminary results concluded that strong antioxidant supplementation may improve type 2 diabetic control and inhibit progressive renal damage by circumventing the effects of glycation-mediated ROS under hyperglycemic conditions. Astaxanthin improved pancreas function, insulin sensitivity, reduced kidney damage and glucose toxicity in diabetic mouse models. New techniques by gene chip analysis and fluorescence imaging revealed further details of mechanism and site of protection by astaxanthin. Further research and clinical studies are still required. However, it is reasonable to suggest that astaxanthin may be useful as part of a nutrigenomic strategy for type 2 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy.

References

1. Forefront (Summer/Fall) 2005, American Diabetes Association.
2. Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals June 2004. "The dietary solution to diabetes."
3. HSR Health Supplement Retailer July 2004. "Fighting Diabetes the natural way."
4. Iwabayashi M, Fujioka N, Nomoto K, Miyazaki R, Takahashi H, Hibino S, Takahashi Y, Nishikawa K, Nishida M, Yonei Y. (2009). Efficacy and safety of eight-week treatment with astaxanthin in individuals screened for increased oxidative stress burden. J. Anti Aging Med., 6 (4):15-21.
5. Manabe E, Handa O, Naito Y, Mizushima K, Akagiri S, Adachi S, Takagi T, Kokura S, Maoka T, Yoshikawa T. (2008). Astaxanthin protects mesangial cells from hyperglycemia-induced oxidative signaling. J. Cellular Biochem. 103 (6):1925-37.
6. Naito Y, Uchiyama K, Aoi W, Hasegawa G, Nakamura N, Yoshida N, Maoka T, Takahashi J, Yoshikawa T. (2004) Prevention of diabetic nephropathy by treatment with astaxanthin in diabetic db/db mice. BioFactors 20:49-59. Nutritional Outlook April. "Fighting Diabetes"
7. Naito Y, Uchiyama K, Mizushima K, Kuroda M, Akagiri S, Takagi T, Handa O, Kokura S, Yoshida N, Ichikawa H, Takahashi J, Yoshikawa T. (2006). Microarray profiling of gene expression patterns in glomerular cells of astaxanthin-treated diabetic mice: a nutrigenomic approach. Int. J. Mol. Med.,18:685-695.
8. Preuss H, Echard B, Bagchi D, Perricone VN, Yamashita E. (2009). Astaxanthin lowers blood pressure and lessens the activity of the renin-angiotensin system in Zucker Fatty Rats. J. Funct. Foods, I:13-22.
9. The Global Diabetes Community. http://www.diabetes.co.uk. Article retrieved on June 8th, 2010.
10. Uchiyama K, Naito Y, Hasegawa G, Nakamura N, Takahashi J, Yoshikawa T. (2002). Astaxanthin Protects ?–cells against glucose toxicity in diabetic db/db mice. Redox Rep., 7(5):290-293.

CCRES special thanks to 

 Mr. Mitsunori Nishida, 

 
President of Corporate Fuji Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES) 

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