Random stuff

August 24th 2008

I have some yams in my garden and one on my balcony. I was told that yams dont work in vancouver. Well i planted mine mid july and the one at home which does not get as much light as the others is doing great. Few reasons i think it is doing better; loose soil, heavy mulching and last but not least is the fact that my balcony gets heat from the room below it. Either or, I think
yams will do pretty well in vancouver if planted outdoors after last frost. Give them a mulching to keep the surrounding ground moist yet warm. I am not absolutley sure but fairly comfident that if your younger growth is purple then it is a bit to cold.

July 31st 2008
If you have plants that cant withstand colder temperatures putting them high in the room may help. By putting a heater in a cold room you create a breeze, usually very subtle, watch your plants they will likely be your best indicator unless your set up. But this can affect variables, for example humidity. If you put a heater at the medium temperature barrier pushing heat up, you can create a hot air pressure zone pushing the cold down keeping your plants that need less heat at an appropriate temperature. If you have your heating source in an appropriate spot you can box the heat in the room up high while keeping a window open for air flow, i do not recommend that as its a waste of resources, but if you have no other option in a drafty place it will help to stabilize a variety of close quarter ecosystem.

July 29th 2008

Today i harvested evening primrose, i only toped the areas of the plant that had been filled with fresh seed pods. I have made it into 4 litres of oil so far. My evening primrose is grown in a patch that is 1.5 feet by about 3 feet. It has only been fed dandelion greens and evening primrose.
1st batch was entire plant leaves stock seed pods flowers. 2nd batch is aprox 98% seeds + pods 1% flowers and 1% leaves.

I also harvested oregano flowers today to make into oil but i think it may take to long, likely soak over night since i really only sleep 6 hrs a night.

Tomorrow i have planned lemon balm vinegar.

July 20th 2008.

As an apprenticing herbologist often i am concerned with the health of my community, i live on the downtown eastside so i do get the opportunity to see a lot of health issues surrounding some of the most un-healthy people in Canada. Last winter i had some left over roasted chicken so i concocted a chicken soup with the fallowing herbal ingredients. Yellow dock roots, echinacea, willows bark and coconut. The idea was to go out late at night and serve it warm to people sleeping in the streets. Yellow dock promotes healthy liver and blood. Echinacea increases the immune system, willows bark is where aspirin comes from or at least is similar it tends to not kick in as soon but last longer. The cocunut was for sugars, oils and it seems to blend well with the thick flavor of Yellow Dock.

Winter Gardening
winter, believe it or not is an essential period to gardening, besides being a season.
Here are some ideas for those who cant get enough.

Building a green house; Be able to grow cold resistant plants during winter, get your plants out of the house sooner or start in the greenhouse earlier then you could outside. Balconies and external walls of buildings are excellent in urban situations for an atrium or greenhouse. They retain more heat and are easily accessible.

Pruning; Dont forget when pruning that you may be tossing valuable clones.
Don't limit pruning to much be artistic and by the way winter is a great time to pull off some thorns on those rose plants if you have kids.

Indoor plants: If you don't have any ask i will give you some. Benefits include but are not limited to; Improved air quality, aesthetic design, a facet for knowledge and your very own responsibility.

There are a myriad of plants that can sustain life and some intently flower in vancouvers mild winters. Eventually i will get around to putting a list up of those plants. If you would like to add to this or the list, i always welcome comments.

July 13 th
Learning from Grow ops.

Pot heads are incredibly inventive and innovative when it comes to gardening and growing their ganja. It helps they have a hardy resilient plant that when in doors is in a controlled environment. Hell i made it rain once in someones grow op, little cloud and everything.
They utilize many techniques such as; Carbon dioxide emissions fed to the plants at appropriate times, Air layer cloning, Aeroponics, hydroponics.

Marijuana growers , because they are usually dealing with one species of plants usually end up studying the biology of their plant. All layers of the bark and stock. The molecular level of their flowers the chemical names of more then just tetrahydrocannabinol and the infamous CBDs. Most growers either A) are politically active and know the medical information or B) can't be politcly active or spout on about medical benefits because they don't want to draw attention.

Lets not forget to mention the Marijuana breeders. At a price of anywhere from $5 - $35 you can by clones of someones plant. Lets quickly put that in perspective. If you grow a plant tall, then tie it over on its side every node will grow a new top or two. Hmm lets see 1 plant 3 feet tall, nodes every two inches on average lets say = 36 tops, if you then tie each of those down at three feet tall you then have about 436, clones @ lets say on average $15/clone and to make it easy math lets say 36 clones died during the first week $6000. Breeders will actually put aside a year to try to get the qualities a grower wants. Lets not forget to mention that marijuana is one of the few plants i know of that is bred in a way that keeps its diversity.

Aeroponics outdoors won't work to well unless you have a high water level or your close to sea level. But with a resilient plant and/ or some shade it is not only possible but viable in most regions of b.c. in the summer, in the winter most plants roots will die. Stagnant air and water within the system become an issue due to molds and the environment being appropriate for disease. So if you're building it out of a hole in the ground and some wood or something keep that in mind. If your utilizing pcb piping or something, a water tower and angles, pressure (psi)are important to know.

In considering it is summer and water waisting is un-ethical in my opinion i will not give any one ideas about doing Hydroponics, as it is a great system but unless its a vary viable solution to something its not necessary.

Update july 16th
An interesting aero/hydroponic idea would be to take to plants with varying root space and create separate root chambers within the same humidity/ water system.

GATHERING SUPPLIES

I walk a lot. There use to be a time when i would dumpster dive if it wasn't to bad. I still would if on the top of the dumpster was half of someones stuff, as that happens often middle of the month and end/beginning. The things is by walking through alley ways and streets anyone could find a lot of stuff. The few things that i will struggle to carry home with are computers and plants. But if i have my computer gear on me ill just dissect it and leave the rest to be recycled, only because i've gathered so many that i've had to pull the mother boards out and recycle the boxes.

You don't have to be standing in a dumpster to find great supplies around vancouver. I find plants and stuff usually outside infront of someones house or behind in an alleyway. Many supplies like wood can also be found ditched in an alley, for example pallets, or at stores/ lumber yards often they will allow you to take some scrap wood.

By walking everywhere i also learn wha a lot of plants are, often all it takes is asking the person tending them. I am also a wildcrafter so through out the year i will collect seeds and random plants to then grow into enough to be useful.

If you chose to wildcraft please try not to take any more then 10 percent of what is there. It is better to grab one plant and start your own gorrilla patch then to leave only one of something and not be able to get more, or anger someone else.

Projects still in the imaginative process

-Pandora park water way
-Eagle preservation lands in strathcona
-Garden gsearching for the 2010 olympics garden search
- Project eden
-Pyramid project (urban sustainability meets ecodensity)
-The great cherry tree grafting

Some ideas
-taking up a lawn in a strip laying compost under a layer of dirt then putting lawn back down.
-utilizing black berry thickets to remove toxins from the ground.

My balcony and home

this year in my tiny apartment and illegally on my balcony i have:

-hydrengea
-sumac tree
- salal
- some type of fern x2
-cat grass
-chickweed
-echinacea
-oregano
-vervain
-Artemisia absinthium a.k.a. wormwood (yes finally after 1.5 seasons i know it is and i have it.
-Mugwort
-2 varieties of Butterfly tree x4 (just started growing if anyone wants one)
-willow
-verigated artemisia vulgaris
-varigated comfrey
-Holy hock (yellow and purple flower)
-Valerian(hydroponic and soil)
- St johns wart
-3 Small chestnut (or hazelnut) trees
-A red rose plant
-calendula
-Dwarf cedar tree
-snap dragons
-3 that i dont know the names of
- purple Wandering Jew
-2 verigated ivys
- varigated spathiphyllum
- spathiphyllum ( peace lilly)
- Purple shamrocks
- begonia escargot (purple /green leaves with red stocks
- violets
- corsican mint
- Honesuckle
- peppers
- yam
-2 fuscias (not yet sure the variety name)
-spearmint
-peppermint
July 16th
-Recently a moving neighbor gave me some plants including; a massive lilly, a cactus, a spider plant, peppermint, and one i don't even know the family of. Also a lot of pots, some soil, watering cans.



For these aphids today, their last day, is a holocaust.

One of the potted plants i brought indoors, has a few species in it primarily though chocolate mint. At this time of year the mint is small, dark, and full of water. Perfect for aphids. I saw a few last night so without delay grabbed my trusty vinegar and water and gave the pot a good dosing.

This morning when i woke up within at least 6 inches radius around the pot were dead aphids. A little taken back by the sight, i originally thought it was just some scattered dirt from the pot. I sprayed it down again, did some pruning and sprayed again making sure to get the soil.

I would estimate close to a thousand of these green cold resistant bastards. So i also brought in my artemisia/ mugwort pot, which supposedly the artemisia releases a scent that keeps some critters out of the garden. I havn't noticed a smell yet but it could be because its small young and tightly compacted from trying to grow outside in the winter. The mugwort almost looks like moss parsley.

With the chocolate mint in my room my room smells great, but i hope after the aphids are gone i remember to wash the vinegar off of it before i make tea.


on further inspection of the mugwort its covered in aphids also, but the artemisia seems fine.

I think i should have taken it more seriously last night my passion flower is now infected also. which is only three day old sprouts, i havn't been able to keep it alive in my room for longer then 3 months. no flowers, no fruit yet.

With the amount of vinegar i have to use im likely to screw up a couple micro ecosystems. Raising the ph to much will likely kill the plants also.


16:00 Artemis and philosopher monkey, appear more nervous then brave as they bare witness to a lake of dead bodies while my battle stay ongoing.

16:05 My greatest fear may be the reality that i now face. it appears that their dead are not dissolving in the vinegar as i hoped and i may have to go in with fingers. There plump and theres a lot of them.

My Chocolate Mint
16:20 As i prepare for my fifth attack wave i am reminded that my loved ones may miss me and this war appears to be pursuing the night. I have decided that it is time to pull out the larger ammunition. Im now mixing dish soap in my spray bottle. Since my passion flower has them on it i can only assume that they were over crowded and began producing flying aphids. This disturbing news has only brought down the morale of my companions.

16:25 My strategy of spraying low has proved beneficial they are running for high ground out into the open along bare sticks. At best at this time i can at least say i have reduced their parthenogenesis and that is gaining ground. The good news has reached artemis and he appears to be sleeping sounder.

16:41 I have done all i can, it is now in the hands of sunlight dish detergent. I have one this battle, with no casualties. The war continues tomorrow, so i wont allow one victory to inflate my ego.

My Plot

My plot is at Cotton wood community gardens in strathcona, vancouver. It is completely organic. There are no weeds, as i weed out some stuff but it never leaves the plot, and i never remove all of a species until ive identified it. My plot has zero budget, no money spent.

currently giving away almost daily because of weeding;



Currently in my garden i have:

-Chocolate Mint
-Great Mullien
-Love in the mist ( white and blue flowering)
-Iris' ( blue, yellow, orange, red)
-holly hock (purple flowers)
- orange Calendula and orange with black center (interesting 3 coloured calendula near mainstreet to collect seed from)
- A type of sage
- white and purple flowering oregano bushes
- chives and garlic chives
- a variety of poppies (including opium and california)
- valerian
-Rhubarb
-Peas
-borage
-violets
-Bulls blood Beets
-Evening Primrose
-Dark Pink wild roses
-garlic
-potatoes
-2 varieties of wild lettuce
-Dandelion
-white morning glory
-locust trees
-Butterfly bush
-3 varieties of thistle (i know ones milk thistle)
-2 varities of artemisia
-lambs ear
-Marshmallow
-Fennel
-Carrots
-three varities of radish
-Foxglove
-Lemon Balm
-Spearmint
-Black berries
-chickweed
at least 30 that i dont know the names of yet

Experiments at the plot
My plot is currently being developed in the likeness of a pyramid so that i may do ecology tests for my pyramid/ garden city project


- a lot of cuttings on the go that i dont know the names of
-potatoe light defecincy
-potoatoe minimal dirt
-composting
-various water table experiments
-erosion experiments
-water absorption experiments
-ant experiments
-vision distraction/illusion experiments ( what works for hiding plants)

Urban Thicket Project

2009

So far plants sprouting/ growing are;
Dianthus (multiple varieties)
Honey suckle (yellow flowering I think)
Garlic
Tulips
Jacobs ladder
Rose (small pink flowers that turn white before they die)
Spearmint
Hen and chicks
corsican mint
fox glove (purple digitalis)
6 varieties i don't know the names of

When my girlfriend moved into her new apartment last year i was delighted at the size of the balcony and the garden already on it.


There is a Maple tree fairly small, if it was on the ground, her balcony is second story over the underground parking entrance. When the housing inspector arrived i asked him if he had any information regarding legal size and the possibility of it causing damage to the underground parking structure. It turned out not to be his area of expertise when regarding housing. I told him of my plans and he said it should be fine, turns out he was a back yard arbourist and edible gardener.

My plan is to utilize pruning and a rose bush to limit the growth of the maple tree. The rose bush which we estimate to be about 20 years old is to be wound onto the maple. The purpose is to limit the amount of sun the maple gets. The bonus is that its a maple tree with small pink roses that turn white as they get older. The flowers grow in clusters at the edge of the maples branches and the years new main shoots stick up a few feet above said maple tree.

After not being tended to for a few years the rose plant has created a thicket off the north side of her balcony. The thicket stretches about 4 or 5 feet out over the driveway to the underground parking. Small birds love it, it blocks out the view of east hastings street and the hundreds of roses give of an excellent smell. I feal the roses look best at night when they can reflect light and stick out of the picture.

To the left and the right of the rose bush is two fruiting vines that i do not know the name of yet. They have traveled far through the thicket but i am trying to encourage the growth to come back closer to the fence and particularly in the maple tree. I hope to encourage a healthy thicket about ten feet off of the garden floor on top of the tree.

A wasps nest has taken up residence in the maple tree, its to bad there wasps i like honey bees i get face to face with bees daily in my garden and spend time watching them collect pollen struggle with ants and get chased away from water sources by wasps.

Plants in garden:
-White mugwort (thats what the tag says but i dont think so).
-Iris' (not sure what colour have not seen them bloom, think it will be next year for these ones).
- Strawberries
-Snap dragons ( Dark red and purplish pink with a bit of yellow{ very large flowers})
- corsican mint
- Roses
- Maple
-Apple tree
-fusia
-bleeding hearts
-tulips (variety, not sure all of them got trashed by a kid)
-Lily plantain
-jacobs ladder
- tomato plants (12)
and at least 5 that i dont know the name of

Experiments at the Urban thicket
-Grafting an apple tree onto a rose bush
-Cuttings of 2 varities of long stem roses
-air circulation tests
-small composting (already produced a tomatoe plant and three others, not sure what others are still
-snap dragon cuttings