The Buddha Garden

mirandavolcano — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:56:17 +0000

Gardeners:

Today is a beautiful day, and it means that planting is soon to begin. Workdays are Saturdays at noon.
Look forward to:
-Dye Garden in the Buddhagarden
-Tumeric
-Vermiculturalists
-Resuming your water day, or getting a day that you water if you are a new member
-Harvesting food
-Making your own spicy salsa.

Soon, we should really:
-Patch the cold frame
-Work on labeling this year (but I always kind of like that insanity)
-There’s been talk to build a little patio above the drainage pit for the bees, thus giving both them and the plants more room.

Also:
-Shout outs to Ryan’s earth instruments, to be implemented in the next month on the hillside
-Jessicas awesome planters, made from local clay.
-Rivkahs publication on foraging soon to be released.

If you’re wandering around out there, be sure to watch out for growing garlic and kale.

Masanobu Fukuoka

mirandavolcano — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 02:12:08 +0000

Fukuoka (above) wrote a highly influential book in 1978 called One Straw Revolution. In the book he describes a way of farming that works in harmony with creatures and organisms outside of humanity. It’s a wonderful read, both practical and philosophical. I wonder how in our gardens in Baltimore we can be more open to this way of growing. My favorite part of his method is his emphasis on soil regeneration. At one point he says, “It goes without saying that soil improvement is the fundamental concern of orchard management…There is no wiser course in farming than the path of wholesome soil improvement.”

Fukuoka’s yields rivaled that of the commercial growers of his era. In the book Wendell Berry writes a preface.

In The Next Few Months

mirandavolcano — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 02:01:15 +0000

This spring three students will be carrying out independent projects with Hugh Pocock.
Ryan Hammond will learn beekeeping and work with plants and sound. Jessica Hans will be producing pots for the garden made from nearby clay, and Rivkah Kanin will be working with design skills and urban foraging, using the buddha garden as a base.

Hugh Pocock’s Urban Farming class will also be taught at MICA this spring.

Young People’s Studio

mirandavolcano — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 21:55:05 +0000

Today, Young People’s Studio, an art class program met in the Buddha Garden. It was a paper making class, and they left a banner in the garden. Climbing and picking and exploration followed the erection of this banner.

Photos from the past few months (beekeeping included) pt 2

mirandavolcano — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 21:46:29 +0000

These photos are actually a little old. After almost seven weeks, our hive has been doing very well. These pictures are more or less from the first week when we put the nuc into the hive. Now, we have two additional boxes and a very propolis-y, bustling hive full of russian bees.

Photos from the past few months pt. 1

mirandavolcano — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 21:43:38 +0000

In the past few weeks we’ve seen our squash plants produce flying saucers, our tomatoes fruiting, and our sunflowers ready to bloom, filled with edible sunflower seeds. These photos chronicle some of the work we’ve been doing lately (mostly pulling out a lot of our bolted greens to plant a new round) and a free harvest we held at the garden, where anyone in Baltimore was welcomed into the garden pick some fresh vegetables.

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mirandavolcano — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:01:38 +0000

After speaking at MICA, Mel Chin stopped by the Buddha Garden last week to have lunch with maybe 10 of the gardeners. We enjoyed herbal tea made from some of the medicinal herbs currently growing in one of our raised beds.

mirandavolcano — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:31:29 +0000

Recipe for home made butter:
heavy whipping cream
food processor wand
salt

Freeze the cream till its mushy but not frozen, whip it with the wand (forks and whisks will work too, but obviously that would take a lot longer. Another option is shaking a glass jar. When the mix is thick as scrambled eggs, add salt and refrigerate.

I didn’t grow up eating butter, so it’s taken me my college years to get used to it. When I first made this last week, I was really eager to eat toast; it tastes great.

-miranda

mirandavolcano — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:22:50 +0000

Thanks to everyone that came out last weekend.

Also, here are some photos from the CGRN Giveaway in Clifton Park.

Workdays at the Buddha Garden are every saturday at 12.

mirandavolcano — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:47:22 +0000

A really great documentary on nutrition:

ALSO:
-Saturdays are work days. Come by the Buddha Garden this Saturday, the 27th after 10 pm. We’re looking to plant some more of our seeds and make a watering schedule. Don’t hesitate to bring some food you’d like to share.
-After we snack and work, some of us will go to a CGRN Giveaway in Cliffton Park.