Our new front yard, part 2: theory

November 13, 2015

Back to the Garden, front yard series, Garden Design, Gardening

...swap our failed orchard for another go around with shrubbery–not even for native sages, which I adore. Instead, I began to think in terms of a vertical meadow. The meadow Strangely, landscapes based on meadows/grasslands/prairies have yet to really catch on in California. I understand from my readings that they’ve been popular in other places for a good twenty years or so. I have no idea why California is dragging its heels. The upshot, though, i...

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How many ladybugs can you find? The Lost Ladybug Project

Mrs. Homegrown

September 4, 2014

Gardening, Insects

6 Comments

...merica ladybug species composition is changing. Over the past twenty years native ladybugs that were once very common have become extremely rare. During this same time ladybugs from other parts of the world have greatly increased both their numbers and range. This is happening very quickly and we don’t know how, or why, or what impact it will have on ladybug diversity or the role that ladybugs play in keeping plant-feeding insect populations low....

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Natural Products Expo West: The Good and the Ugly

Mr. Homegrown

March 10, 2014

Food

8 Comments

...tree that thrives on neglect. Plant one, like we did. Tanka Pemmican is a Native American food made with protein (often buffalo) and some kind of fruit or berry. Tanka is a Native American owned company that markets a power bar version of pemmican made from buffalo and cranberries. Tanka can be found at health food stores and some REIs. It’s a snack that would work well on a camping trip. Lastly, the farro vs. spelt issue I blogged about last yea...

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Campfire Cooking: Fish in Clay (& Vegetarian Options!)

Mrs. Homegrown

December 26, 2013

Food, Foraging

1 Comment

...e using in the field included a type of wild clover, sagebrush, wild mint, native sage, white pine and watercress–but not all on one fish! I think a little lemon and garlic slipped into our cooking, too, here and there, and of course, salt and pepper — um…all wild foraged, of course. Once the fish is dressed for dinner, it gets tied up in leafy bondage. This is where the yucca fiber or some other type of string or natural cordage comes in handy. I...

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Citified Parched Corn

Mrs. Homegrown

March 18, 2013

Food, Food Preservation, How-to, Recipes

8 Comments

.... Parched corn–dried corn which has been roasted–is one of those legendary Native American foods, like pemmican, which you hear about but don’t necessarily ever get to try. Parched corn is a lightweight, long-keeping, high-energy trail food. It can also be ground into flour and used in cooking. I have vague elementary school memories of claims that a warrior* could walk a whole day nourished on just a handful of parched corn. (They did not mention...

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