Penn and Cord's Garden
  • Home
  • Penn's Blog
  • Classes/Consultations
  • Greenhouses
    • Order Greenhouse Plans!
    • Latest Greenhouses
    • Student Greenhouse Projects
    • Colorado College Greenhouse
  • Miss Penn's Mountain Seeds
    • More Wild Mountain Seed
    • Seed Saving
  • Contact Us
    • Newsletter
    • The Cool List >
      • The Book List
      • Penn's Tomato Critique
    • About Us
  • Store
  • Letter of Agreement

Chamomile Bed

9/19/2011

1 Comment

 
Picture
My Chamomile Bed in the woods.
A chamomile bed sounds nice.  It's sounds even nicer when you realize I mean a real bed - a place to lie down.  I read somewhere - probably in an old Culpepper I have - that long ago when patients were sick they would be gently placed on beds of chamomile  - so the crushed leaves of the fragrant plant could soothe them.
Well of course you know I had to have one - even if it took me forever to finally have it.  At first I thought to improve what was there - as if - the old logs of the bed were rotted out and the idea of stacking on top of that was just dumb.  But I needed Cord so one Sunday I asked him to help me find some old poles and chain saw them to size.  He did and suddenly I had a two layer log bed ready to go.  
It was up to me to dig out the old one and prep the area.  Boys carried the bottom layer up and we got that leveled.  At Cord's advice I jammed rocks under the bottom end of the bed to make up for the steep slope.  
After that I needed soil mix and the second layer of logs including spikes to keep it together.  I took the empty wheelbarrow to my old manure pile where I also have a pile of black gulley soil and arroyo sand.  I make a mix, (in 1/3's - or a little heavy on the decomposed manure) and then get  a boy to mix it and push it back up the mountain to my garden.  In it goes and after a total of 4 loads between 2 big boys - there was plenty.
Cord came with iron and spikes to hold the second layer together and to hammer in iron bars to hold the antique iron headboard in place.  Just like that - after years and a few hours, it was done.
The next day I planted an entire flat of Tammi Hartung's vibrant Roman Chamomile in it - 32 plants ready to spread into a luscious apple-scented mat.  Think of it as a fragrant mattress pad.  
I gave them all a drink of kelp and then we were lucky enough to have gentle rain which helped them transition into the fresh soil.
It was a pleasure just to handle the plants, as well as having everyone help.  I won't forget it in a million years.
Next spring it will have a head start and be ready as the snow melts.  You can bet I shall document the event when the time comes.
Woo hoo - it's gonna be nice.  
Picture
1 Comment

Carrot Worship

9/13/2011

3 Comments

 
Picture
It's been a long time since I've written so starting where I left off seems the thing to do.  It is now September and the Kinko 6" carrot roots we planted last March are in their full glory.
I tried to count but it was difficult to keep track of so many blooms.  One small plant offered 67 carrot blooms and a large one had 100 - until I gave up counting.  I realize not every bloom will make it to seed but it's still too many to imagine. 
The seed is setting beautifully - and a few are browning now.  Soon I will go out and snip the dry heads into a bucket to await the next round and let them continue to dry.

Picture



I mean just look at them.  

What a beautiful sight.  Seed is where it's at and growing a seed that's off the market is just a kick.  To have it appear to be so successful - a mighty crop to be sure - is an even bigger kick.
We are not a farm - just a garden, and these 100 or so plants certainly delivered in bio-intensive beds.  Pollinator's came from far and wide, the beauty of the plant is just outrageous and they'll continue to set seed, long into the fall.
What fun.

3 Comments

    Author

    Penn Parmenter is a high altitude gardener, seedswoman and student of the earth.  She is married to Cord Parmenter - an awesome gardener, gorgeous man and a master blacksmith. Together they own and run a sustainable greenhouse design company, Smart Greenhouses LLC and Penn grows seed for her seed business, Miss Penn's Mountain Seeds.  She is a mother of three sons and an outdoorswoman.  Penn forages wild food, hunts big game, fishes, preserves, maintains a huge organic forest garden and occasionally makes dinner.  At home you can find her in her greenhouses as well as in the wilderness - nose to the ground, butt in the air, trying to identify Colorado natives.    

    Archives

    November 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    August 2019
    June 2018
    January 2018
    March 2017
    January 2017
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    March 2014
    October 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly