Posts Tagged ‘Gardening’
March 10th, 2011 | 
Author:
(PRWEB) June 3, 2004
For Organic Farming Minister Jay North, the earthÂ?s voice is more than a legend. Mother Earth speaks to him in a powerful way, inspiring him to oneness with her bountiful gifts. North, known as one of the original “Edible Flower Children” and an internationally recognized expert in organic produce, is a pioneer in the organic farming industry. His book, Getting Started in Organic Gardening for Fun and Profit preaches his Gospel that through amplified awareness of organic farming, the circle of life will continue through its natural migration.
Getting Started in Organic Gardening for Fun and Profit is now available at www.GoingOrganic.com to take his sacred wisdom directly to millions of followers worldwide. His website, www.GoingOrganic.com, is commonly referred to as a Godsend to gardeners seeking enlightenment on natural and healthy methods to improving their health and lifestyles and for an earth that will continue to flourish with natural resources. After 30 years of tree hugging, and receiving the earthÂ?s bounty through growing and eating vegetables, fruits and nuts, North is hoping that his organic religion will help to re-instill faith into fallen believers and non-believers, alike.
Â?In my life, Mother Earth has been a mother, a lover, and a goddess guiding me in my spiritual journey,Â? says North. Â?ItÂ?s time that I teach others that they too can hear Her voice and grow environmentally-friendly produce to help bring us closer to a time when the world will become free from the harmful affects of pesticides.Â? With his organic religion in the forefront, NorthÂ?s services and resources provide guidance for creating pure healthy food and a vital environment that has not been stripped of its natural resources, or contaminated by unnatural chemicals.
About Jay North
NorthÂ?s late wife, Pamela, initiated the bond Jay has with Mother Earth and their offspring Organic Farming. Along with his deceased wife, through the language of love, North was able to listen to Mother Earth, developing plants that prosper, introducing hundreds of varieties of organically grown vegetables, fruits, herbs and Edible Flowers.
North and his wife became known worldwide as innovators in specialty organic produce, organic gardening and organic produce marketing, raising awareness under the name Paradise Farms. They toured the world as missionaries, evangelizing their growing and cooking methods, and prophesizing healthy, beautiful, environmentally-friendly produce and a time when the world will become free from the harmful affects of pesticides.
NorthÂ?s services include landscaping, teaching and consulting with organic growers at any scale of gardening endeavor–from the at-home gardener to the aspiring grower/seller of organic produce–any who seeks guidance and enlightenment in organic farming and the mystic connection it can give us to the earth and us.
Contact Jay North
805-646-2425
JayNorthIs1@sbcglobal.net
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Redmond, WA (PRWEB) February 10, 2005
Imagine a garden filled with chocolate Â? chocolate mint; chocolate columbine; chocolate morning glories; chocolate nasturtiums; chocolate daylilies; chocolate foxglove; chocolate sunflowers and much more.
Imagination becomes reality this spring at Chocolate Flower Farm where owners Marie Lincoln and Bill Schlicht specialize in growing unusual, rich, dark plants that add a spot of drama and exotic beauty to the garden. Not just chocolate colored plants but plants in shades of maroon, purple and black and even several plants that smell like chocolate such as Chocolate Cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguiness), Chocolate Flower (Berlandiera lyrata) and Chocolate Vine (Akebia quinata).
What came first, the chocolate or the flowers? Â?Our nursery is named after Bill’s love of chocolate and my passion for gardening. I already was partial to dark plants and had quite a collection of them in our gardens, thus we combined our two passions and named our farm Chocolate Flower Farm. When we decided to start a specialty nursery it made sense to specialize in Â?chocolateÂ? plants since that was already our farm nameÂ?, says Lincoln. Â?Bill must have chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner but gardeners cannot live on chocolate alone so we grow many complementary plants as wellÂ?, adds Lincoln.
Black plants have become quite popular with gardeners in recent years and Chocolate Flower Farm offers an extensive selection, including black hollyhocks; black columbine; black violas; black snapdragons; black poppies and black grasses.
After spending several years collecting rare specimen plants and seeds for propagation and with the recent purchase of an eight-acre farm in Langley on Whidbey Island Schlicht and Lincoln will move from their Redmond farm to the Langley farm and Chocolate Flower Farm will be opening there in April. The new address and contact information will be posted on the nurseryÂ?s website www.chocolateflowerfarm.com.
Chocolate Flower Farm currently offers plants, seeds, garden accessories and specialty gifts such as chocolate candles via mail order from their website. They can be reached via phone at 425.681.9758 or email info@chocolateflowerfarm.com.
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The most important part of organic gardening is to nourish the soil. Your plants will take their nourishment from the soil, and will only be as healthy as the soil is. The healthier your plants, the fewer of them will fall victim to garden pests. The soil, therefore, is the most important part of organic farming or gardening. Feed the soil, and the soil will feed the plants. Fee the soil compost tea, and you will have healthy, productive plants.
Compost tea for organic farming or gardening is easily made. You won’t need a teapot or hot, boiling water, but you will need the best compost you can purchase or make.
Compost is organic material produced when bacteria in the soil cause garbage and biodegradable trash to decompose. It is an organic fertilizer. Making compost requires regular turning of the pile, mixing the materials in it, and exposing them to air. It is an ongoing process, and is a good way to recycle kitchen scraps and other vegetable matter.
Compost tea for organic farming or gardening will only be as good as the compost you use to make it.
Reasons for Making Compost Tea
There are a number of organic fertilizers you can use on your organic garden or farm. Why would you want to get involved in brewing, straining, and spraying compost tea? Why not just work fresh compost directly into the soil?
The main reason for making compost tea for organic farming or gardening is that it helps you increase compost’s benefits. Compost tea can be sprayed on your plants’ leaves to reduce leaf disease. Sprayed compost tea can give your plants additional nutrients besides what they absorb through their roots.
Studies have shown that compost tea can increase the nutritional value of the vegetables that come to your table. It can also improve their flavor.
Compost Tea Recipe
Compost tea for organic farming or gardening can be mixed in large or small quantities, as needed. Our compost tea recipe is for a small quantity – about 2.5 gallons.
You will need these “aquarium” items from a pet store:
* 8 to 10 feet of air tubing
* 1 gang valve
* 3 bubblers, i.e. air stones
* 1 pump, large enough to run the 3 bubblers
* 2 5-gallon plastic buckets
* 1 stirring tool or stick
* 1 small bottle of organic unsulfured molasses
* 1 Tablespoon measure
* 1 old pillowcase or half of pantyhose for straining
Water: Well water may be used as is for compost tea, but water from a municipal supply contains chlorine, which will kill the beneficial organisms you need in your compost tea. Run the bubblers in municipal supply water for at least an hour before using it for compost tea.
Directions for Making Your Compost Tea
1. Hang the gang valve on the rim of one empty bucket.
2. Arrange the 3 bubblers on the bucket’s bottom. Cut 3 lengths of air tubing long enough to connect the bubblers to the gang valve. Leave an inch extra on each so they will not be dislodged when adding compost. Connect one end of each tube to a bubbler, the other end to the gang valve.
3. Add compost loosely on top of the bubblers (don’t pack) until the bucket is about one half full.
4. Cut a piece of tubing long enough to go from the gang valve to your pump. Attach both ends.
5. Add water to the bucket of compost until it is between 2 and 4 inches from the top.
6. Turn on the pump, and watch to be sure the bubblers are all activated.
7. When all 3 bubblers are working, add 2 Tablespoons of the molasses, and stir quickly. The molasses will feed the organisms you want to grow. After stirring, reposition the bubblers to be sure they are spaced evenly and sitting on the bottom.
8. Stir your compost tea several times each day. After each stirring, check the bubblers to be sure they are spaced evenly and sitting on the bottom.
9. Your compost tea will be done in 3 days. Turn off the pump, and remove the bubblers, etc. If you cannot use your compost tea immediately, continue aerating, but add 2 more Tablespoons of molasses to keep good organisms active.
Let the finished compost tea stand until the compost is well settled to the bottom. This should require 15 to 25 minutes. Strain the compost tea into your second bucket. Pour into a sprayer and apply.