I've ordered several varieties that i plan to direct seed here at Wheaton Labs. Most of the seed catalogs i looked at had directions for either transplanting or direct seeding of onions. Our climate is something similar to what you describe. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Here are three photos of a bluebell. I never knew there were so many kinds of bluebells. I think these are Long-flower Bluebells (Mertensia longiflora). Though these seem a bit hairier that most of the photos i saw. The descriptions i found said they could have a varying amount of hair.
The flowers and leaves are edible raw or cooked. Though, the leaves are said to be better cooked because of hairiness. Some parts of the other bluebells were used medicinally to treat measles, and smallpox, or to increase milk flow after childbirth.
I had this problem last night as i was uploading photos. I thought it was an issue with my file, so i re-uploaded the images and they came out right. Maybe the software is grabbing some cell phone meta-data about phone orientation or something.
I've been long neglecting this thread. Sorry. I have many photos to post, but haven't been making time to figure out what's in the photos and post them.
Thanks for the tracking ID's Jennifer!
Janet, I guess there are many varieties of black raspberries. The ones i have definitely have thorns, but i wouldn't say they are terrible. The berries are juicy and the flavor is much more intense than a red raspberry. These tops will touch the ground often and spread vigorously. I'll take some photos when the ones i planted on my plot come out of dormancy.
All this snow has me anxious for the growing, so here's some photos from last spring.
First is Little Larkspur (Delphinium bicolor). Nice purple flowers were some of the first. Found these on the eastern slope of the Volcano. Poisonous to cattle and sheep, but the deer will eat them occasionally.
Second is the Saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia). These were swarming with little pollinators (i count four in this photo). They will turn in to delicious fruit in early summer. (Not as good as the juneberries i had in Minnesota, but much closer.)
Third is the leaf from an umbel we never identified. I don't think i ever got a good picture of the flowers. I'll try again this spring.
Thanks Deb Rebel and Joseph Lofthouse for sending this amazing variety of seeds! These landrace seeds will add some much needed diversity to the stuff growing in Ant Village this year.
In the meantime, people seem to show up, one at a time, and expect a person to drop their projects for the day in order to give them a free tour. But everybody that can lead a tour has stuff that they want to do instead. So the solution has been "the gapper program costs $100" and you get a tour because we pay somebody to give you the tour. We will also answer questions before you arrive, arrange to have somebody meet you, and about a dozen other bits and bobs as different people have different things they may or may not want to do while they are here. They might be here for a few hours or days or more. Sometimes they need to park, or need to park an RV or they have animals or .....
It would be great if we were set up in a way to give a free tour. We just aren't there yet. All part of being "under construction" I guess.
So, yes, we can give you a tour. We'll just have to pay someone to do it. So, we'll charge you first. Post any other questions you have in that other thread, as this one is seemingly about slash piles and huglekulture.
Looks like you will be work trader number four. But, due to a technical error, we'll allow it. If you send your $100 gapper fee in now, you can secure your spot.
I guess my interpretation of the quote is similar to Erik's. I don't see how it is a violation of the policy, and what i see is something that encourages the intent of the policy.
Basic food staples will be provided. A balanced (but not exciting) diet will be possible from these provisions. The boots will be responsible for cooking and cleaning up as a group.
One of the main functions of the herb spiral is to create a variety of micro-climates. Some spots will be wetter/dryer, have more/less sun, etc. I wouldn't get hung up on a spiral. It was designed with a flat yard in mind. If you have a slope, you've already got some of the variety you're looking for. If you add some TEFA and huglekulture, that should give you plenty of diversity in growing conditions.
Kostas,
Have you tried planting any more almonds in the area they were eaten? It seems that the animal can't smell the almond seeds (because they are digging up all the seeds you plant). So, probably they can just smell that you have been digging and hope to find an almond. I don't know how hard the ground is to dig there, but what if you dug lots of decoy holes. Dig ten holes, but only put an almond in one of them. Maybe the animal would get tired with the low rate of return on its digging and give up?
Couldn't find the video of the method i use to process the nuts (before shelling).
I'll try and describe it. I don't know of an black walnuts here in Montana to video the process:
I peel the husks off when they are still green (but soft enough to dent with your thumb), if possible. I've heard that the black stain from the rotting husk will leach into the nut and change the flavor. I mount a hacksaw blade upside down in a vise. This blade is sharp enough to cut through the husk easily, but not really sharp enough to get cut on. I spin the nut on the blade to create two hemispheres in the husk, which then twist easily off the nut. I throw the nuts into a 5 gallon bucket that is 3/4 full of water. I use a homemade paint mixing paddle that i mount in a drill. It spins all of the nuts around and as they bang against each other, they rub the pulp off of each other. Any pulp should not be attached at this point and will fall off as they dry. If there is a lot in your drying pile, you might try a second quick rinse. Then i dump them out and dry them for a couple of weeks before putting in storage, or eating. I put them some where with good airflow, but out of the sun. If they are stacked too deep they won't dry very well. Every couple of days, i would stir the pile a little.
I never used gloves, and it takes about two weeks for the stained skin to be replaced. (having stained hands starts lots good conversations about local food)
You might try several nuts from each tree. I found that some trees are much easier to shell than others. As a form of efficiency, I would focus on the trees with the biggest nuts, and those that are the easiest to shell.
Here is the rocket stove that Lasse Holmes built in its new home in Cooper Cabin. This was moved up from basecamp during and after the Appropriate Technology Course this summer.
We installed it without the mass bench with the hope that one will be installed at some point in the future. As is, it is a good summer cooking option, because there's no mass bench to heat up.
