Two Trellises

PVC and Hardware Cloth

One of the easiest ways to create a trellis is with PVC water pipe and hardware cloth.

It takes 4 - 24 inch rebar pieces, two lengths of PVC pipe, and a roll of hardware cloth.

Drive the rebar half way into the ground in the position of the ends of the trellis. Slip the pipe end over the rebar.

Create the trellis arches with the pipe as shown. Each end is slipped over rebar to hold it in place. Unroll the hardware cloth and flatten it a bit.

Stretch the hardware cloth between the pipes and secure it in place with wire, zip ties, or twine. My preference is recycled wire. I usually cover the entire arch with the wire cloth. This is now ready for pole beans, peas, cucumbers, or gourds.

Random Weave

A random weave trellis from grape vine is probably the least expensive way to create a trellis for your garden. This took me about two hours for this sample trellis from the beginning to the end. All you need for tools is a good, sturdy cutter, and a way to brace the ends as you work.

All of the wild grape vine was pulled from the maple tree in the back yard.

I start with a 1.5 inch diameter vine that is 10 to 12 feet long, and bend it into an arch and brace it in place. Here I used left over pallets from the garden project.

I started with the branch off the frame vine and wove it in to secure the frame in place.

Weave the vine in such a way to stabilize and strengthen the weave and the frame. I adjust the weave as I go and each placement of the vine tightens up the trellis.

I keep weaving and adding vine until the weave is as tight as I want it to be. I lay it flat to dry. In a couple of days, I will check to see if I need to tighten it up a bit. Bugsy approves. This design will need to be staked, but the same technique can be used to create free standing arches.

To see a more complete process, check out the post on Buy Me a Coffee.

The Eclipse

The place where I am staying at this time is about two miles from Lake Erie. It is in the direct path of the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse. The actual center of the path is just off shore by a few miles. Do to an accident in timing in my life, the super new moon, and the coronal effects of a solar cycle maximum, this promises to be spectacular. Well, spectacular if the sky is clear. The other accident of timing is a storm system making its way across the United States. Oh well, we will see.

Throughout history, solar eclipses have been given a wide array of spiritual meanings. Most cultures have seen these events as negative omens. Some have seen this time of eclipses (lunar and solar) as a time of intensified energy that could be used for positive purposes.

Historically, most cultures did not expect the eclipses and therefore found them terrifying. However, a few like the ancient Chinese, Mayans, and Native Americans tracked and predicted these events and used them to predict or facilitate transitions. Almost always, the eclipse was a time of reflection, renewal, and to reset their intentions and re-balance their lives.

For me, this is a time of ceremony. It is a time to release what is not working and what is causing me fear. It is a time to reconnect to my goals and purpose. It is a time to commit to doing the work of creating what I want to see in the world and to commit to being the best version of me that I can be.

No matter how you see this event, or feel it. It is awe inspiring. It is an event, that if you can, you should stop for a few hours and experience all of it that you can. Then decide what the significance is for you.

Here are some of the questions that I am pondering during this eclipse season. I am putting them here so that you can steal them if you so desire.

What is casting shadows in my life?

What am I hanging on to that is not serving my current needs, joy, or purpose?

What is the story that I am telling myself? Is it empowering or painful?

What in my life is not in alignment with where I want to be?

What in my life feels out of balance?

What do I want to see in the world?

What are my goals and purpose?

In what ways can I serve my purpose, goals, vision, and community?

How can I bring greater balance into my life?

If I could step out of this shadow and into a new life of my choosing, what would it look like?

How can I be sustainable and resilient in these commitments?

I hope that you enjoy this eclipse season where ever you may be. It is my wish that the transitions in your life are joyous and positive.

The Land Remembers

It happened a long time ago, at least on a human scale. There is no longer anyone around that remembers. Those that did have the memory died long ago.

But the land remembers.

The river knows.

The hills heard.

The land remembers.

To download the pen and ink drawing and the writing, click the link below.

And for a little bit more

Events

April 15 - Titanic Remembrance Day

April 17 - Herbalist Day

April 22 - Earth Day in the US

April 23 - Full moon

May 1 - May day

May 3 - World Press Freedom Day

May 5 - Cinco de Mayo

May 7 - New moon, Next newsletter

Garlic

Ah, garlic. This ancient herb has been cultivated for at least 5000 years. Its actual origin has largely been lost to the mists of time as its wild ancestor no longer seems to exist in the wild. The earliest evidence of its use comes from the remains found in sites dating to the Neolithic era from ancient settlements in the Dead Sea region.

The Ancient records indicate that garlic was in wide spread use by 3000 BC by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Indians, Chinese, and Babylonians. By the middle ages, this powerful herb found its way though most of Europe and Asia. It was introduced into the Americas by the voyages of Columbus.

Garlic seems to be the herb of a thousand uses. It has earned mention in herbal volumes from the beginnings of these recordings. Cultures as diverse as Egypt, China, India, France, and Romania have found and recorded culinary, medicinal, and magical uses for garlic.

Garlic seems to have broad spectrum health benefits that range from heart health, to digestive health, to respiratory health. Garlic and honey is one of the remedies for coughs, colds, and flu. The ancient uses include the prevention of diseases and the treatment of minor wounds. Most of these health benefits are strongest in raw garlic, but adding a clove or two to cooking may promote good health.

Growing garlic in your garden or container is relatively easy as long as you can give it a chill period. In most temperate climates, it is best to plant garlic in the all, about three weeks before freezing weather sets in. It does have a chill hour requirement that varies by the variety before it will start growing. If your climate does not afford this, refrigerating the bulb for a few weeks should break its dormancy. Harvest garlic when its Tops start to dry down.

Garlic is highly medicinal, highly nutritious, and adds great flavor to savory vegetables, grains, and meats. It is generally pest free and I have not had problems with deer, groundhogs, and rabbits eating it. If you can find specialty growers, there are hundreds of varieties of garlic to choose from. For a mild flavor, Kilarney Red or elephant garlic are good choices. For fiery hot garlic, there are a number to choose from. Spanish Rojo is one of my favorites. To make beautiful and long lasting braids, choose one of the soft neck garlics. At the green stage, all parts of the garlic are edible but not always palatable.

After you harvest garlic at about mid summer, give it a light cleaning and let it cure in a warm, dark, and dry place until the tops are completely dry and the sheaths are papery. Choose your best bulbs to plant for the next year and store the rest in a cool but not cold place. I have stored some varieties of garlic for nearly a year. The handful in the photograph are from last year and have been sitting on the kitchen table all winter.

For an article that covers the energetic of garlic, click on the button below to go to my website.

Condor

The condor is a bird of almost mythic proportions. The Andean condor has a wing span of ten feet. The California condor is nearly as large. These majestic birds are a part of the vulture family, which has species in many parts of the world. Some of these relatives include the turkey vulture, the Tibetan condor, and the Egyptian condor.

Like the Bald Eagle, the California condor was brought o the brink of extinction by the use of DDT, intentional poisoning, and other causes. By 1982, only 22 birds were known to exist. However, through careful and intense management, this species was brought back from the edge. Since 1992, a few mated pairs have been returned to their native habitat and a few hundred are known to be living at this time. The jury is still out on this critically endangered species, but there is hope that it can have a sustainable recovery.

Like all members of the vulture family, condors are a part of nature’s recycling system. They take that which is dead and decaying and turn those resources into something that is life sustaining. This is a critical part of keeping the cycle of life vibrant with life’s flow.

As challenging as this may be to our human sensibilities and stomachs, the worlds scavengers play an important role in sustainably.

In Native American spiritual teaching, both the Eagle and the Condor are spirit animals of the East. The condor holds that space in some South American teachings. The Eagle is the animal of the Eastern Shield in the north. “The Spirit of the East” draws on this rich spiritual tradition and the Andean prophecy. “When the Eagle flies with the Condor, an era of harmony and peace will come into being.” Perhaps with the recovery of the condor and the eagle, there is hope.

To read the article about the spiritual significance of the condor, click on the button.

And I'm Not The Only One

Here are a couple of places to find more information.

My favorite basic herbal reference is 20,000 Secrets of Tea by Victoria Zak

I also use 50 Most Common Medicinal Herbs by Boon and Smith

The website that I found useful for the Eagle and the Condor is symbosity.com

Some one I'm following:

I have been tapping into the herbal expertise of The School of Evolutionary Herbalism. evolutionaryherbalim.com