Similar Posts

  • Nasturtium dilemma (seeds v. seedlings)

    ByElizabeth

    It has been too cold for the nasturtium seeds I sowed a few weeks ago to germinate.  By the time they germinate and grow, it will be too hot for the plants to thrive.  (As a landscaper neighbor and friend of mine said of this dilemma this morning:  “welcome to spring in Washington”).  Nasturtiums love cool weather and really only do well in my garden until June.

    The solution:  I bought a few seedlings.  I planted the seedlings where I sowed the seeds.  By the time the seedlings have long since flowered and are starting to get leggy, the seeds will have germinated, and I’ll get nasturtiums for an extra few weeks at the end when it starts to get hot.

    This combination of sowing seeds and planting seedlings also works well for me with annual herbs such as basil, dill,  and parsley.  The seedlings give me a few weeks head start; the seeds give me plentiful, inexpensive new plants when the plants that started in my garden as seedlings are starting to bolt.

    I do only seeds for greens — kale, chard, mache, arugula, spinach, cilantro and beets.  I can sow them in March and by now they are starting to feed me.  I do only seedlings for tomatoes and peppers (I don’t have the facilities to get strong seedlings and starting with seedlings extends my growing season up 6-8 weeks).

    It would be wonderful to garden entirely from seeds (swapped or harvested from last year), but the reality is that I am not a full-time gardener, but want to have a garden full-time.

  • |

    Do You Know When to Ask for Help?

    ByElizabeth

    In yoga class and in daily activities, it is easy to get caught up in trying to do things that are not expanding our capacity, but pushing past it for the sake of some external goal. Sometimes what keeps us from seeking assistance or using a prop (on or off the mat) is some untoward sense of shame that we cannot do it (whatever it is) by ourselves or fear of feeling or seeming weak. This includes not just seeking physical support or assistance, but also asking a question that admits we need help understanding a task or posture.

    Sometimes we are right to think that we need to push our boundaries and do something without external support. More common, though, is not having the sensitivity and courage to know and admit when we need help. And fending for ourselves when when we are beyond our capacity and help is available quite often leads to unnecessary suffering.

    Learning when and how to ask for help is one of my core yoga practices. What about you?

    Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

  • | | | |

    Asteya and Juneteenth

    ByElizabeth

    Asteya in Sanskrit means non-stealing and is the third yama of the yamas and niyamas set forth in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras as a critical part of the path of yoga. White people giving themselves a holiday created by Black people for themselves without both taking action against current injustice and inequity is a classic example of what would be stealing.

    Could you give extra support to a Black business today? Donate to a Black-run organization working to fight for civil rights or voting rights or equal access to health care, education, and support services or against police brutality? Give mutual aid? Write to your elected officials about said issues?

    We don’t have to do everything every day, but it is not ok to do nothing.

    Chalk drawing on stairs says: 1865, we are not free until all are free; Black Lives Matter, voting rights, climate justice, make reparations, support Black business, seek justice, don’t be a hypocrite, Juneteenth—not just a Federal holiday

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.