Right Livelihood II

Cool and wet. That is the weather we are experiencing. The cherry tomatoes and basil are doing okay. They have been pushed to the limits and are still growing. The peas are thriving.

My balcony is exposed to the wind off the Lake and is a micro-climate unto itself. After four pm, when the sun has moved around the house, you will need a sweater to sit there on far too many days, even in summer. The view of the Harbour is well worth the sweater. Plants in containers do not have the Earth wrapped around them and so, experience cold quicker.

Today, I took six Hubbard squashes up to plant in the community Garden. The garden overlooks Lake Superior and sits above the green space at McVicar's Creek. I have never grown Hubbard squash before so am looking forward to the experience. The plants are already approximately six inches tall. They have had exposure (hardening off) so they have a good chance of surviving the cooler weather.

It will take a long warm spell to get them to flourish. As of this morning the extended forecast is not favourable. These are the conditions where learning takes place. Do you let the plants die, find means to extend the season or change what you grow? These are some of the questions that open the door to learning.

Gardening offers numerous opportunities to learn. Working with plants, seeds, soil and the elements a student/gardener may learn math, history, botany, biology and so much more. The possible skills and allied trades, such as arboriculture and horticulture offer an array of niches waiting for aspiring entrepreneurs to discover and fill.

The herbal industry is expanding. There are possibilities awaiting. Where do the herbs you use come from?

Something to ponder:

"We can choose to spend time with our children, to grow our food or support the local organic farmer, to ride a bicycle instead of taking the car, to not purchase products from industries that exploit people and cause environmental destruction. What we do with our time, our resources, our money, our energy is a reflection of our deepest values, whether we are conscious of them or not."

Reinventing Money, Restoring the Earth, Reweaving the Web of Life by Carol Brouillet

http://www.communitycurrency.org/reweave...

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