love this. i was showing my uncle my garden yesterday—he loved it. it’s not a very elegant garden, but it’s my place to dig my hands into a better world.
(via christinasempre)
Source: rawlivingfoods
love this. i was showing my uncle my garden yesterday—he loved it. it’s not a very elegant garden, but it’s my place to dig my hands into a better world.
(via christinasempre)
Source: rawlivingfoods
do you live in sacramento? do you love food? do you love to grow food? do you love the idea of healthy, clean, affordable food for all?
join the SUAA google group! based off the SFUAA group, with your help, the SUAA group will become the network for all things agriculture related in the metro area.
have extra fencing? post it!
need a garden manager for a school plot? post it!
need advice on what the heck is eating your plants? post it!
this is just getting started—we need you to connect and make it your own!
there’s been a lot of vegan talk on my dash and at the same time, people keep reposting stuff i write about the failure of education to teach people how to think for themselves.
people are very good at arguing why something is not vegan, but they’re not good at stepping outside the vegan program and seeing the whole picture. i know they can reprogram themselves to a certain degree, because vegans have stepped out of the program of the typical industrial diet. but, why stop at vegan?! i’m all for baby steps, but it just seems like people have decided to sit down and not try to see where they’re going anymore when they declare they are vegan. just as long as the toffuti ice cream sandwiches and dayia don’t get too expensive, they’re happy.
how about eating naturally? we’ve destroyed the genetics of so many animals and plants on earth through human interaction. check out botany of desire by michael pollen, which is on hulu and it’s a book. it’s about how none of the stuff we eat anymore is natural. and i don’t need to tell the vegans of tumblr what human interaction has done to animal populations…
we need to try and find the balance! go with the flow of equilibrium! eating mass amounts of soy is not natural. eating protein powder is not natural. eating processed oil is not natural.
growing your own food, getting food from the farmer’s market, buying locally and organically is as close to natural as we have in today’s society.
here’s my advice for everyone: get rid of mine, get rid of yours. get rid of right, get rid of wrong. open pollinate your plants. let nature run it’s course. i planted some wild lettuce mix in a plot 3 years ago and didn’t touch it very much…now i have some vigorous self-seeded greens that are BEAUTIFUL and something completely new. what if we pushed over all the fences in the world and let all the breeds cross their genes? we’d have some crazy cool diversity and the ones we’ve created with factories would fall to natural selection.
i’m gonna plant 3 kinds of corn right next to each other when the frost date passes. and i don’t give a fuck that everyone tells me not to. i want to create a new kind of corn that is right for my exact microclimate! because honestly, it’s the do as your told mentality that got is into our current mess.
so i’m gonna do what i want. i’m not going to let the vegan box dictate my life. or the society box. the only box i live in is the lily box—the box i created, the box i create every second with my thoughts and perceptions of the world. and i’m gonna fill the lily box with so much love that everyone will see my box and start creating their own boxes with all their love. and then all of a sudden the entire universe is just a bright shining box of love.
yeah.
Dear Sacramento Urban Agriculture Enthusiasts:
Spring is here! Time to come out of hibernation and start cultivating growth in our community. The time is ripe for a coalition of individuals and organizations to unite and discuss what the next steps are for Sacramento to continue its transformation into an edible city with food justice for all.
I see so many people in my community working toward this vision of food access. What I see lacking is a solid network that unites everyone already working in this field and attracts more people to dig in. We need a coalition of all the various groups and people. We need to get together and assess where we are, what the next steps are, and where we want to be in one year, five years, and one hundred years.
I propose the formation of the Sacramento Urban Agriculture Alliance. My inspiration comes from the San Francisco Urban Agriculture Alliance, which “promotes the growing of food within San Francisco and the associated goals of our member organizations, through advocacy, education, and grassroots action.”
I invite you to gather at the Pocket-Geenhaven Library meeting room on Wednesday, March 27 at 6 PM (a few hours into the full moon). The meeting will begin shortly thereafter.
Please spread this message to anyone and everyone who eats food in the Sacramento region. Follow the conversation on twitter using the hashtag #SUAA.
The soil is fertile—now is the time for planting the seeds of change.
Thank you.
With love and warmth,
Lily Rothrock
(916) 320-9658
@lilyrhoads
pipperipembo.tumblr.com
journey through the garden, 2013
leopard lily’s planting guide for your garden
begin at the beginning.
what do i wish to achieve with a garden?
what space do i have to cultivate?
what are the energy flows (people, wind, sunlight, animals) of the space?
what is my dream garden?
next, start planning.
what do i wish to plant?
how am i going to care for it?
where would each plant like to live best?
how can i best design the space for my needs?
now, implement.
you need soil, seeds, water, sunlight, love and energy.
sunlight. the light of the sun in february is striking.
some of my favorite plants…
tree collards. if you live in the sacramento area, i’d love to give one to you.
garlic is sprouting. now is the time to plant garlic. and peas.
jerusalem artichoke (sunchoke), potato, garlic, and ginger. need to find turmeric, yacon, and maca roots for my garden. pinecone added for energy.
mint is easy to propagate from cuttings. it is a water loving plant.
rosemary, propagating into a hedge. just take cuttings, remove the leaves from most of it, root in water for a day or two, and stick em en the ground. roots will grow from where the leaves once were.
baby broccoli! so cute. i love any baby plant. now is the time for broccoli, kale, chard, collards, and peas. and onion. and radishes.
planting lots of herbs and flowers. yarrow, black sage, cumin, chamomile, mullein, wood bettony, coriander, culinary sage, lupine, dill, elecampane, and borage. hopefully the bees like that.
i hope you like my garden. come visit anytime.
‘every seed you plant contains within itself an enormous amount of information about the Universe. nothing made by human hands can compare with this information either in size or accuracy. through the help of these data the seed know the exact time, down to the millisecond, when it is to come alive, to grow, what juices it is to take from the Earth, how to make use of the rays of the celestial bodies—the Sun, Moon and stars—what it is to grow into, what fruit to bring forth. these fruits are designed to sustain Man’s life. more powerfully and effectively than any manufactured drugs of the present or future, these fruits are capable of counteracting and withstanding any disease of the human body. but to this end the seed must know about the human condition. so that during the maturation process it can satiate its fruit with the right correlation of substances to heal a specific individual of his disease, if needed he has it or is prone to it.
in order for the seed of a cucumber, tomato or any other plant grown in one’s plot to have such information, the following steps are necessary:
before planting, put into your mouth one or more little seeds, hold them in your mouth, under the tongue, for at lease nine minutes.*
then place the seed between the palms of your hand and hold it there for about thirty seconds. during this time it is important that you be standing barefoot on the spot of the earth where you will later be planting it.
open your hands, and carefully raise the seed which you are holding to your mouth. then blow on it lightly, warming it with your breath, and the wee little seed will know everything that is within you.
then you need to hold it with your hands open another thirty seconds, presenting the seed to the celestial bodies. and the seed will determine the moment of its awakening. the planets will all help it! and they will give the sprouts the light they need to produce fruit especially for you.
after that you may plant the seed in the ground. in no case should you water it right off, so as not to wash away the saliva which is now covering it, along with other information about you that the seed will take in. it can be watered three days after planting.
the planting must be done on days appropriate to each vegetable (people already know this, from the lunar calendar). in the absence of watering, a premature planting is not as harmful as an overdue planting.
it is not a good idea to pull up all the weeds growing in the vicinity of the sprouts. at least one of each kind should be left in place. the weeds can be cut back…’
according to anastasia, the seed is thus able to take in information about the person who plants it, and then, during the cultivation of its fruit, it will pick up from the Universe and the Earth the maximum amount of energies needed for a given individual. the weeds should not be disposed of completely, as they have their own appointed function. some weeds serve to protect the plant from disease while others give supplemental information. during the cultivation time it is vital to communicate with the plant. and it is desirable to approach it and touch it during a full moon at least once during its growth period.
anastasia maintains that the fruit cultivated from the seed in this manner, and consumed by the individual who cultivated it, is capable not only of curing him of all diseases of the flesh whatsoever but also of significantly retarding the aging process, rescuing him from harmful habits, tremendously increasing his mental abilities and giving him a sense of inner peace. the fruit will have the most effective influence when consumed no later than three days after harvesting.
the above-mentioned steps should be taken with a variety of plant species in the garden plot.
it is not necessary to plant a whole bed of cucumbers, tomatoes etc., in this manner; just a few plants each is enough.
the fruit of plants grown like this will be distinguished from other plants of the same species not only in taste. if analysed, it will be seen that they are also distinct in terms of the substances they contain.
when planting the seedlings, it is important to soften the dirt in the excavated hole with one’s fingers and bare toes, and spit into the hole. responding to my question ‘why the feet?’, anastasia explained that through perspiration from one’s feet come substances (toxins, no doubt) containing information about bodily diseases. this information is taken in by the seedlings. they transmit it to the fruit, which will thus be enabled to counteract diseases. anastasia recommended walking around the plot barefoot from time to time.
anastasia speaking in anastasia, book one of the ringing cedar series.
*’please note that store-bought seeds available in america and elsewhere in the ‘civilized world’ are often coated with rat poison for ease of storage, and should never be used for planting in the way recommended here. if you wish to follow the planting advice set forth herein, be sure to use your own seeds or procure organic seeds from a reputable producer.’
first, omgwhatthefuck about the rat poison. thank you government regulation once again. and saving seed is very important for creating a variety that is well adapted to your microclimate!
second, it’s funny that they use the word weeds. i’m surprised that a book this advanced uses a word with such negative connotations. in my mind, there is no such thing as weeds. all plants are plants. it’s similar to how we separate people into different labels and discriminate based on their label. i prefer to use the words ‘companion plants.’
also, they use the word ‘seedlings’ when that would mean a sprouted seed and i think she means just a seed. actually, vladimir (the author of the book) is the only one who uses the word seedlings.
also, ‘fruit’ is used loosely, and i think she’s talking about the edible part of a plant, not just what science has defined as a fruit.
now that that’s out of the way…
isn’t this amazing? doesn’t it fill you with wonder and joy about a new way of living? no more sick people, no more sickly hospitals, no more crippled elderly people? and think of the intelligence and vibrancy of people and their communities! oh….how amazing.
the sacramento bee publishes some great gardening tips in the home and garden section. they also publish some not-so-great tips. like “try avoiding pesticides.” really? how about writing instead, “stop burning the roots of your little baby plants! what is wrong with you!? why are you poisoning the body of the earth with that petroleum-intensive crap!?” they should hire me as their new home and garden section editor.
they do have some really handy information, however. like this chart. i hung it up on my wall. it’s a really great reference for what to plant, and when. i’m so happy they printed one, i was actually looking for just this kind of chart. i scanned it and stitched it up on the computer, so the lower right corner is a little off to the left. but the whole thing is still readable. just click on the photo (directs to my flickr), click the zoom icon to the top right of the photo, click view all sizes, and then click “original” to be able to read it easily.
i’ve also posted their month-by-month checklist of what to do in the garden. i just like when they tell you what to put in their garden. most of this stuff i wouldn’t bother with. nature has it all figured out, after all. we just have to get out of the way and let the plants do the work.
wishing you a year filled with happy plant relations! :)
looking to get that patch of weeds turned into a vibrantly diverse food landscape? live somewhere near sacramento, california?
i can help you!

i can observe your land, dream up ideas, design a plan, and build you a low maitenence, water effiecient, biodiverse space of nature wherever you have some dirt!
don’t have dirt? no problem! i also can design and build vertical gardens and arrange container gardens. all you need is a patio, roof, or wall.
i love to do upcycled building and art, so rest assured, building material price will be low (hopefully free!) and your garden will not have chemically treated wood or anything like that. i may even be able to use all those wine bottles you’ve been saving…
as far as pricing: we’ll chat about it! i am sure we can figure out something that fits your budget. i love to barter and trade, so maybe you have something or can preform a service that will be useful for me.
i believe that gardening is for everyone. fresh, organic food is not for the rich. you can have herbs, greens, fruits and veggies in your backyard! and i can help you. :)
shoot me an email at lilyrothrock@gmail.com if you have any questions. even if you just want to chat to a local gardener, i’m here! i want to talk to you! everything is better when we share.

the usual way to go about developing a method is to ask ‘how about trying this?’ or ‘how about trying that?’ bringing in a variety of techniques one upon the other. this is modern agriculture and it only results in making the farmer busier.
my way is the opposite. i was aiming at a pleasant, natural way of farming* which results in making the work easier instead of harder. ‘how about not doing this? how about not doing that?’ —that was my way of thinking. i ultimately reached the conclusion that there was no need to plow, no need to apply fertilizer, no need to make compost, no need to use insecticide. when you get right down to it, there are few agricultural practices that are really necessary.
the reason that man’s improved techniques seem to be necessary is that the natural balance has been so badly upset beforehand by those same techniques that the land has become dependent on them.
the line of reasoning not only applies to agriculture, but to other aspects of human society as well. doctors and medicine become necessary when people create a sickly environment. formal schooling has not intrinsic value, but becomes necessary when humanity creates a condition in which one must be ‘educated’ to get along.
-masanobu fukuoka, the one-straw revolution
*”farming is simply as possible within and in cooperation with the natural environment, rathern than the modern approach of applying increasingly complex techniques to remake nature entirely for the benefit of human beings.”
i almost cried when i read this. masanobu, you are a genius. you are one with spirit, source. you know. you are. you be. ah. why are you dead? dang, i need to work on connecting with spirits so i can talk to you.
this is so wonderful. he just slaps modern agriculture in the face. then he slaps modern medicine in the face. then he slaps institutionalized education in the face. and he does it so calmly, so matter-of-factly.
i need to internalize this information and live it in my day to day life. that is how i will become a master of the way.
SEED BOMB WORKSHOP
at the healing house in cuzco, peru
it was a lovely sunday for a workshop on guerilla gardening.
we gathered on the grassy terrace, talking.
what are seed bombs? where did they come from?
(this is only my thoughts, not an official history)
masanobu fukuoka was a natural farmer. he observed nature thoroughly.
he believed in no tilling, no weeding, no compost, no fertilizer, no digging, no working.
he developed this method as a way to spread genetic material, mimicking nature.
and i wouldn’t call it work: it was so very fun.
he used this to un-desertify grasslands and to plant his rice and cover crops.
his method was adapted by many, now you can buy commercial seed bombs, some even in the shape of guns or grenades.
city gardeners looking to brighten public or neglected areas took to this method because it is low profile (unless you throw them like me with big eeeeeeeeeeeeeyuh SHHHPHEW grenade sound effects).
keep in mind, it is illegal in private property. and very likely in public property. use common sense.
and, very importantly, use local, native, non-invasive varieties. ideally ones you got from a seed bank or saved yourself.
i used seeds from plaza tupac amaru. they sell flowers, herbs and vegetable seeds there, mostly from peruvian gardens, so that is what i made seed bombs out of.
little vegetable garden bombs.
throw your seed bombs wherever you want to see life and beauty thriving.
the seeds are protected by the clay from being eaten by birds before the rain comes along to dissolve the clay and plant the seeds. it’s a perfectly timed grenade, set off by nature.
HOW TO MAKE SEED BOMBS
use ratio of 1:1:5 seeds:rich soil:clay.
we measured with our eyeballs. we used some delicious worm castings. and i just walked up into the hills and started digging around until i found some earth that stuck together (relatively) when i squeezed it in my hand. just avoid using sandy soil. you can use powdered clay mix as well. i just like free things.
mix all together. slowly add water and mix with hands (very fun) until all is able to be clumped.
make the balls! i prefer to make them small, with only a few seeds in each ball. we made them a little large, but who knows, maybe that’s actually better.
lay the balls out in the sun to dry.
have extenstential conversation about everything (optional, but highly recommended we got into the pineal gland and my views on how the earth is like our body. we have skin and hair protecting us, just like she has plants and dirt. when you dig, you’re gashing her skin. when you pull weeds, you’re pulling her hair. do, however, feel free to give mother nature a haircut. she rather likes that.)
now you’re ready to launch a war on lonely land! shower the world in abundance! spread joy like napalm!
with generosity and love,
lily
i’m doing a workshop at the healing house in cusco on sunday! super excited. went up the hill to dig in the dirt for clay today. and postered all around. so grateful for the healing house and the space they provide for people to fill with beautiful ideas. mine is to gather people who are interested in and know about plants, do a workshop on seed bombs, and then talk and share knowledge with each other. i know some stuff, but together we know much more! and the responses i’ve gotten from people are so great. people’s faces light up at guerilla gardening, even if they’ve never heard the words together before. i’m so excited.
this could be bigger, but the drawings of the foods help. very very very very useful information. i want a poster. i can draw one…or i could commit it to memory.
Underpinning all permaculture systems are fundamental ethical values around caring for the earth and its peoples, as well as the fair and just distribution of resources - To me these fit well with the vegan philosophy of compassionate living. But is animal-free permaculture actually possible? Of course not – neither would it be desirable. For example, how would we fence out the earthworms that build our soil and maintain its fertility, or the bees that pollinate our fruit trees and vegetables, and why would we wish to? In fact, we actively design in features that are intended to attract wildlife – Ponds for frogs, toads and dragonflies, and flowering plants to bring in the ladybirds and hoverflies that are essential to maintaining healthy productive ecosystems. What we don’t include are those ‘system components’ that perpetuate exploitative relationships with our non-human earth co-citizens, such as pigs, goats and chickens, whose primary function is the production of meat, milk and eggs.
(Click through to read the entire article.)
one of my textbooks for my sustainable garden design class! so stoked to be back in the USF garden this semester. we have a ton of incredible things cooking.
(via fuckyeahpermaculture)
Observe Nature thoroughly rather than labor thoughtlessly.
Masanobu Fukuoka (via fuckyeahpermaculture)
My friend gave me his book for my birthday, I cannot wait to read it.
currently residing in the central and northern california region. check out the hello, nice to meet you tab for more about me and what i do.
most of the photos and writings are my own, unless reblogged or otherwise stated. please ask for permission before sharing/modifying them.
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