I’m a Daughter of Demeter.
I’ve always loved and identified with the myth of Demeter and her daughter Persephone. This sacred mother-daughter duo, was used to explain the seasons which climax each year in a harvest. They inspired the Eleusinian Mysteries and the epic love story between Persephone and Hades, the god of the underworld.
Today’s another gorgeous California day with patches of rain and soft clouds in a brilliant bubonic blue sky.
The corn has doubled in size and my squash is growing strong. What I thought were sweet peas turned out to be Dragon Tongue Beans germinated from last year’s stray seeds. They’re a trippy variety.
I can see how these flowering forms inspired Art Nouveau design.
The seeds for my garden came from Makeda Cheatom of the World Beat Center. Their vibrant cultural center and edible garden is a slice of heaven in San Diego. My husband Victor and I adore it so much, we got married there. We love you Makeda!
Makeda visits the Heirloom Seed Expo every year in Santa Rosa California. It’s a goal of mine to join her there.
I highly recommend you start a garden as soon as possible during this difficult time. It will nourish your body, mind and spirit.
If you save produce scraps, you can grow some new plant friends as shown in this Buzzfeed video:
Go through your stuff and see what can be drafted into service for a container garden or raised beds. Set aside a sunny spot for your spouts. My garden is made out of abandoned cinder blocks and old wine crates I pried the bottom off of. I also use large metal bins lined with corrugated metal left over from a home improvement project.
There’s loads of seeds and live plants for sale on Amazon. I’m ordering some bare root strawberries, snow pea and sunflower seeds today.
I’m also a fan of Seeds of Change, which has supported progressive causes for decades and now even produces ready to heat meals. Grow Joy is another great option for live plants shipped to your door.
I saw at Home Depot, in more social times, that they have planter wall bricks. Pair those bricks with planks of wood and you’re in business!
I don’t know how to make compost, but hope to learn more about it. Seems like we’ll all have time to learn some new skills. It will help time flow smoother through this imposed isolation.
Let’s pretend we’re in self-sustaining space stations, orbiting the planet.
Hopefully we can dock with other space stations soon, maybe in a month or two?
I can dream can’t I? Dreaming is free.