What’s New in Portland

Yesterday we got even more snow here in Portland. I’m certain this is the most snow I’ve ever experienced living in Oregon. Despite the snow, I found my first camelia in bloom at our Roots Realty office! This is always an exciting day to be greatly celebrated. The other buds are pretty full. The daffodils have broken ground. My daphne is bulging with life. And the ornamental plums that are on the south border of Laurelhurst Park, on SE Stark have begun to bloom. I think they are always the first to bloom in the whole city! I had just returned from a quick visit with Joseph Landry, of Joseph Landry Salon and rounded the corner to witness them. The clouds were deep purple with rain and as I drove east on Stark I saw the first rainbow of the year. The days are noticeably longer and more of my seeds arrived this morning for my summer crops. Life is great!

first camelia in snow

Today the first batch of my seeds arrived. These are the seeds that I will cultivate in my garden, which is roughly on a 1/2 acre here on Mt. Tabor. There are more coming but today the fava beans for my spring beds arrived. I love growing fava beans. I plant them twice a year. Miraculously the seeds I plant in fall usually produce lots of pods for a late spring harvest. However with the 3 weeks of snow on the beds this year, they did not do so well. The one bed of Banner beans survived so I have more Broad Windsors and Negretas for planting in early spring. My peas also arrived, as did one of the new seeds for the garden: Mexican Sour Gherkins. They are such cute little fruits! It’s such a thrill when my seeds arrive (maybe one day I will start to save seeds and not rely on the seed companies but I figure they need the business too!) and it makes me antsy for planting. But I will practice patience so the plants are hardy because I really do rely on the food production for my food supply. And probably for my sanity too. Nothing like an afternoon in the garden to relieve the stress of daily life.

Ok, so maybe I’m a little excited for the garden. That always happens to me this time of year. The wind is blowing away the debris of winter and my daffodils have begun to emerge from their slumber. Yesterday I spent 2 hours pouring through my seed catalogs. This year I mostly bought from Territorial Seed and Seeds of Change. I like buying local seeds suited for our climate as well as trying something new and unusual. This year I will try to grow Okra. I adore Okra and want to work on a few recipes for my upcoming cookbook. 

I try to share seeds and seedlings with other friends through a casual exchange. This year we started a series of field-trips to each other’s gardens to become inspired by each other and to help connect these urban farmers and gardeners. With the decline of agriculture as we have known it, grows the opportunity to create a healthy economy by having our food close to home. And what better way than exploring growing your own food. A few dollars in seeds could equal tons of money saved by not having to drive to the store and pay for packaged food likely devoid of nutrients, plus the added benefit of being close to nature and providing much-needed habitat for insects and birds. If nothing else growing a nice clump of sunflowers could really make for a beautiful day.