March 3rd
March has decided to come in like a lion here in Anderson Valley. Our drought thirsty area is relieved by light rains, wind and overcast skies. I read the other day that this is the worst drought in 1200 years. I live in a community with seven others and our first question to one another in the morning is often to ask when the next rain is coming. Years ago in Vermont at Bread and Puppet Theatre I recall a sketch with actors as farmers calling out “Too much rain” and then five minutes later “Too little rain”. It is the eternal call of the farmer.
Yet farming has continued and grown more popular in Northern California. A friend of mine said that one does not become addicted to marijuana but does become addicted to growing marijuana. I agree. We anticipate the flowering of tulips every year with joy. We watch the acacia trees and the wild plum burst into flower. In our valley we do love the green grass of winter that will brown out over the summer. However, part of the joy of the green is the appearance of spring wildflowers whose color is in stark contrast to the green. Today the manzanita has little bell like pink flowers animated by the wind. My desk looks out on an enormous eucalyptus. The leaves move constantly in a dance older than our species.
The waxing moon has just begun as a crescent sliver and it is time to plant seeds. There’s a mini greenhouse on my deck that will protect the seedlings from the harsh winds blowing from the north and south. Stems will push up the open seed head, bowing under the weight, until the nourishment is spent and the seed head falls off. The baby stems will become stronger and little leaves will begin the lifelong dancing.
At my high school in Carmel, CA ,our teacher Mr. Cloud (whose real name I can’t remember) had us memorize that last stanza of William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud”. Here is the last stanza.
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Preparing The Ground; March 4th
Okay - so maybe you didn’t get into growing medicinal herbs to become a scientist but you will be one. You need to understand your soil and understand the needs of what you plant. First you need to understand acidity and alkalinity. You can buy nifty little testers at your local feed store or nursery. Soil pH is measured on a scale of 1-14, with 7 as the neutral mark. The ideal range for most plants is between 6–7. You may need to amend your soil to make it work in the best way. Many of our local plants need an acid soil, such as azaleas and rhododendrons. One of the common mulches we use is the needles of redwood or other conifers. Coffee grounds are also acid and often used on blueberries. Our local soil is often too acid for other plants, so we amend with lime or other alkaline rich minerals. Most vegetables and herbs such as Fennel, Thyme, Arugula, Marjoram, Celery, Oregano, and Bay Laurel want an alkaline soil. Compost is very neutral so helps any soil. I also use worm castings for a richer soil, though herbs, sedum and other plants prefer a soil that isn’t too rich.
Dig down as much as four feet, as little as one foot depending on how deep your roots will grow, to get the area ready. You can also build raised beds in order to get loose ground for growing. And you can always default to daffodils which will grow pretty much anywhere I think. Daffodils are also non grata to gophers and moles, though they love tulips and other bulbs.
March 5th: Selecting Seeds
My geographical area has a Mediterranean climate so I will look for seeds that want to grow here. I need to take into account our drought, said to be the worst in the last 1200 years. I need to irrigate (more on that in April when I check the irrigation). I have a very wide selection to choose from and a small garden. My focus is on Medicinal Herbs so I mostly use Strictly Medicinal who send a lovely catalogue in February. The catalogue relieves the winter doldrums with dreams of herbs growing. I’m in my fourth year on this land so most of my perennials have been planted already. The choices are still many for annuals. Top of my list - Holy Basil and Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). These two herbs grow well in my area. They are both adaptogens so important across a wide spectrum of needs. Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) doesn’t winter over well here but may reseed, so if I cover it well it should come back but I always plant some too just to be sure. It will go directly into the ground after it warms to above 50 degrees. Ashwagandha will winter over if covered and the root takes three years before harvest. I’ll grow it from seed in my mini greenhouse on the deck. Or early Spring is a great time to plant Spring bulbs right into the ground.