Category: Growing

A couple of years ago, I learned about Cal Newport’s Twitter break in January and decided to join him. For the last two years, I added Instagram. (I gave up Facebook in 2019 for the most part. These days, I only use it (reluctantly) for online classes that use Facebook as a discussion board.)

I spend way too much time on my phone. So in January, inspired by Shaunta Grimes of Ninja Writers, I have been doing a 10×100 exercise and spending at least 10 minutes a day for 100 days on:

1. Quilting or other art
2. Studying French
3. Learning
4. Reading
5. Writing
6. Housework/Home improvement

I am also doing paper shredding. We were seriously behind on shredding, but luckily, we are not 100 days behind.

What’s your relationship with your phone?

Recent research by Asurion shows that Americans pick up their phones 96 times a day or once every 10 minutes. If you are curious about your screen time and phone habits, your phone has data for you. On an iPhone, go to Setting > Screen Time. Go to “all activity” under the graph for details. My numbers were a bit scary. One of the scariest data points is the list of apps that are first used after pickup. Gmail was number one but Instagram was number two! This is when I knew I needed an IG detox! I have to say that after 25 Instagram-free days, my life is better without it. 

 In Arizona, everything dries out pretty quickly and you can get away with growing succulents in a variety of soil mixes. In the Pacific Northwest, different story. And I’m sorry to say that I’ve lost a disturbing number of succulents since moving here. I knew I had to make a change so I found a succulent expert, Cassidy at Succulents and Sunshine. From Cassidy, I learned about this soil mix from Bonsai Jack.

Stay tuned! I hope 2022 will mark the return of succulents to Chez Haiku!

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Photo by Maria Orlova on Unsplash

One of the hardest things to do as a human is to reassess long-held beliefs, behaviors and traditions. 

There’s a lot holding us in place. Our families, the media, and society keep us hanging on long past the time that it makes sense. I once had a job where I had to be careful of suggesting new ideas because if we did something once it became a tradition. Inspired by Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow and Adam Grant’s Think Again and J. Milburn’s Responsive Parenting, I have been interrogating my beliefs. Recognizing preferences for identity-first language over person-first construction, I stopped thinking of autism as a disease, I started to understand addiction as a perfectly reasonable response to trauma, and I am letting go of hands at 10 and 2 o’clock on the steering wheel. 

Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday for a long time until it wasn’t. On the surface, it seems laudable: family togetherness, good food and gratitude. But as an adult navigating the holiday, I learned that Thanksgiving can be miserable for many and not that great for vegetarians. Everyone means well.  Even though I am not evangelical about vegetarianism (it’s hard and it’s not for everyone), I have felt like a freak on Thanksgiving more than once. No surprise: that kills the good feelings around the holiday. 

A couple of years ago, I decided to be very selective about Thanksgiving companions. I was tired of explaining myself and tired of less-than-hospitable behavior. Last year, the day was a non-event, spent like any other day off. And it felt … good. There was no pressure, no cooking marathon with piles of dishes, and no overconsumption. 

This year, I am questioning a holiday that is as much about overindulgence as it is about family–maybe more. And it’s based on a false narrative that from an indigenous person’s point of view is hurtful. For some, the third Thursday in November is a day of mourning. 

So I’m letting it go. 

I know that’s controversial. And it’s very difficult. It’s hard to let go of a lifelong tradition, one that is deeply entrenched in U.S. culture. I respect the meaning and importance it has for others and I will try to feel thankful every day. But like hands on a steering wheel, I can shift.

After all, Gardein turkey cutlets are available year-round.

We recently watched the Oscar-winning short film, The Silent Child, written by Rachel Shenton. I learned that 70% of deaf children worldwide are not taught sign language. They are cut off from communicating with others often by the people closest to them, family and teachers. It’s amazing to me the percentage of parents who won’t learn sign language to communicate with their child. 

The Silent Child illustrates what happens when a deaf child is left alone to make sense of what’s going on around them. Imagine everyone misunderstanding what you want and need.

The deaf community is often put in the position of accommodating a hearing world. Families with deaf children don’t–and often won’t–learn sign language. But these language skills are critical not just for later learning but also for human connection.

We need language to thrive.

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“If children are deprived of language, they will not thrive.”

Bruce Bucci, deaf studies instructor, Boston University

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Four to follow on Instagram:

• WhatDadDid
• Nyle DiMarco
• HardofHearingMama
• MamaHuHears

Start learning American Sign Language for free online with Galludet University:
https://www.gallaudet.edu/asl-connect/asl-for-free

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Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

Let’s talk about sugar. We all love it. Some (many?) of us are addicted to it. I eat too much of it. It’s in everything. It can quickly get out of hand.

I’ve been taking part in a research study about sugar consumption that involves tracking added sugar. So I dusted off my penny system and made some improvements.

The biggest change in my system was looking at sugar over a week instead of one day. I give myself $1.75 to spend on sugar, or 25g per day the recommended maximum of added sugar for women. I’ll add “someone who identifies as a woman.” It’s 36 grams for men or someone who identifies as a man. I think you need to take your size into account here–remember these are guidelines.

I have been tracking since July 1 and I have consistently underspent my sugar allowance by 10-20 grams per week. It was a shock all over again to remind myself of the added sugar in foods. I have become accustomed to eating half or a third of certain things, like a cookie or a protein bar. I have rediscovered dates as a sweet treat. I have been working on reducing sugar in coffee creamer.

My current method is to mix my favorite plant-based creamer with unsweetened plant-based milk, 50/50. Next, I plan to try blending my own with stevia and flavored extracts inspired by this post by TJ’s Taste. Stay tuned!

Sing it with me:

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More singing…

And a little more singing…

Header photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

May is when things really get going in my Pacific Northwest Garden. Lots of nice surprises. This plant grows wild along my street, has finally made an appearance in my yard. I have a new appreciation for the red alder seedlings that pop up everywhere in my yard and have started transplanting them to fill in some bare areas. I moved irises around last year and have been rewarded this year with some beautiful blooms. 

My tiny pandemic blueberry plants purchased last spring grew by leaps and bounds. Will I have blueberries this year? (Will the birds allow it?) That remains to be seen.

I have so many strawberry plants, mainly growing in containers. I bought a few, found a few from a generous gardener on Freecycle, and propagated a few more last year. 

Speaking of containers, I have an ongoing battle with the local squirrels. They are determined to dig up every pot; it seems to look for non-existent caches of squirrel goodies. I am trying several methods to redirect them. I’ll report back if anything proves to be successful. 

The raspberry plants seem to double every year. Last year I read an article about the optimum spacing for raspberries, and the author said it didn’t matter because raspberry plants do what they want. I can confirm that. 

My big dream is to have a greenhouse. If you have experience with building a greenhouse, I’d love to hear about it! My short-term solution is a portable 3x3x9 foot greenhouse on the deck. I have the outdoor thermometer sensor inside to keep an eye on the temperature. It’s been in the 50s the last couple of days, but there are three rollup windows to help control the temperature when it heats up. 

Gardening in your environment

My biggest takeaway from the Master Gardening program that I completed many years ago is that you need to adopt a beginner’s mind when moving to a new area. You have to learn the rhythm of the seasons, the microclimate in your yard, the native plants. Sometimes this means letting go of some of your old favorites. But I can assure you: you will be dazzled by new choices. In my Pacific Northwest Maritime garden, that new-ish favorite is Lenten Rose or Hellebore. A plant that looks good all year and blooms in winter: how can you not fall in love with a plant like that? Hellebore was the first plant that I bought here, and I’ve bought many since – I even discovered a few volunteers in my yard.

The other thing that will save you a lot of frustration: work with your climate. If you have a short growing season like I do, focus on growing things that work where you live. Growing for your zone often means that you need to unlearn what you know from another climate. If you live in Arizona, you have two growing seasons, neither of which is in the summer (northern hemisphere summer, that is). If you live in a place that gets a lot of rain, choose varieties that love wet feet.

Not sure where to start? 

In the U.S., Find your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone. Check out the resources from your state and county cooperative extension. Cooperative Extensions are part of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities in the United States. Land-grants have a mission to provide science- and research-based agricultural information at the county level; this includes home horticulture and the Master Gardener Program. Your local cooperative extension will offer many free resources like this one Home Vegetable Gardening in Washington State. 

Check out seed distributors in your area and look for local varieties. For me, in Western Washington, that’s Uprising Seeds, Adaptive Seeds, and Deep Harvest Farm. 

How do you decide what to grow? It helps to think about your climate and pick appropriate varieties, but it’s also helpful to think about what is better to grow versus buy. Check out this list of High-value home crops. Tomatoes are universally on lists of varieties to grow yourself. 

Tip for Arizona gardeners who want tomatoes: go for small, short-season types. I love this list of vegetables for short seasons by Northern Homestead:  Annual Vegetable Varieties for a Short Growing Season.

This year I tried my hand at making my own seed starting mix. Last year’s mix of peat and vermiculite seemed too lean to me, so I went with my gut and added clean potting soil out of the bag. I am happy to report success. 

Here are proportions that I used:

• ⅓ potting soil
• ⅓ vermiculite
• ⅓ coconut coir*

I clean my seed starting pots with soap and water before reusing them to be on the safe side. (I use Dawn dish soap.)

This year, I used reusable 2-inch pots instead of small paper cups. There are pros and cons to both methods. Being able to peel away the paper cup is a significant advantage, but the reusable pots don’t disintegrate, so I’m on the fence about which is the better option. I also purchased some new 10×20 trays. I like the extra strength trays from Bootstrap Farmer – nothing else compares. 

I was wildly successful with some seeds — others, not so much. It might have been me or my set-up–might have been the seeds. I say this as encouragement to not give up even if things don’t go as planned. If something doesn’t work for you, try something else. Experiment! Failure is part of the learning process. Would you expect to be able to play Stairway to Heaven the first time you picked up a guitar?** Probably not. 

*Because of the environmental concerns about peat moss, I recently switched to coconut coir.

** Playing guitar is probably not in the cards for me, but maybe the Kalimba version is a possibility.

This year I tried my hand at making my own seed starting mix. Last year’s mix of peat and vermiculite seemed too lean to me, so I went with my gut and added clean potting soil out of the bag. I am happy to report success. 

Here are proportions that I used:

 ⅓ potting soil, ⅓ vermiculite, and ⅓ coconut coir*

I clean my seed starting pots with soap and water before reusing them to be on the safe side. (I use Dawn dish soap.)

This year, I used reusable 2-inch pots instead of small paper cups. There are pros and cons to both methods. Being able to peel away the paper cup is a significant advantage, but the reusable pots don’t disintegrate, so I’m on the fence about which is the better option. I also purchased some new 10×20 trays. I like the extra strength trays from Bootstrap Farmer – nothing else compares. 

I was wildly successful with some seeds — others, not so much. It might have been me or my set-up–might have been the seeds. I say this as encouragement to not give up even if things don’t go as planned. If something doesn’t work for you, try something else. Experiment! Failure is part of the learning process. Would you expect to be able to play Stairway to Heaven the first time you picked up a guitar?** Probably not. 

*Because of the environmental concerns about peat moss, I recently switched to coconut coir.

** Playing guitar is probably not in the cards for me, but maybe the Kalimba version is a possibility.