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I spend every morning in my gardens in Plano.
It is a lovely way to start my day in all the goodness and let my circadian rhythm be balanced by the natural light of the outdoors. This time of the day (and in the late evening) is also the best time of the day to get out and take a stroll in the Summer. Because I don’t think its possible to get any anner at this point.
I recently pulled up my garlic harvest. And as someone who previously had a black thumb, it might be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I think my garlic bulbs could compete with the David Austin roses and zinnias permeating our property.
Not only do I find such joy and contentment in growing this herb; it also is an herb I thoroughly use and enjoy in both food and as my medicine.
Let food be thy medicine as Hippocrates once said.
Oh, and before I forget, it offers a lot of beauty to our home as well.
Especially in this antique copper claw-foot bucket I found at this local antique shop.
I don’t know if I love the detail of the ceramic handles or the claw feet more.
Although I had my garlic braided and hanging up, I have yet to perfect the garlic braid and so here my garlic lies. Its so much more aesthetically pleasing here.
As I stare at it every time I enter the kitchen, it reminds me of the things I am able to do inside my 4 walls and extending into our yard.
Today, this is where I find my joy and my peace. The home.
Rather than searching for the 10 newest restaurants in Plano or Dallas or McKinney, I am the new chef in town in our humble abode.
And its the simple yet fulfilling life I crave.
So how does one start with planting garlic:
Plan on scheduling this activity soon, October is the month it goes in the ground. You will let the “seeds” stay in the ground for 9 months. Yep, 9 months! In July, you will be ready for a lovely garlic harvest. It is quite possibly the easiest, lowest maintenance plan I grow. Whether you have a tiny spot or a large plot of land, you can grow it too.
To plant the garlic, grab some garlic bulbs from an online seed shop or if you are near:
- Reeves Family Farm in Princeton
- Georgia’s Market in Plano
- McKinney Farmer’s Market
- Frisco Farmer’s Market
- Rockwall Farmer’s Market
Of course, if Aldi, Koger or Tom Thumb are your go to shops, this works as well.
This year, I am adding Elephant Garlic to my garden. It will be my fist time and it will be an adventure.
Once you have some bulbs, you simply break the head into single cloves. Take care to leave the paper on the cloves. This will help protect it from molding when they are in the ground.
Plant each clove about an inch deep in healthy, fertile soil.
Cover with dirt.
A few days after planting, walk back over to where the garlic was planted and check it out. If you see any cloves that pop up, just give the a gentle push back into the soil.
It’s beautiful to plant garlic bulbs that can grow through the insufferable Texas heat and frigid cold.
BTW, did you hear?
Texas is supposed to have another doozy this year too! Think Dall-aska or the Snowpocalypse or whatever other name you gave it.
No mater what weather we receive here in Plano, I plan on being a good steward of my land.
As I’ve gone from black thumb to green thumb, I recommend saving these items for your soil to nourish it well:
- Bananas
- Coffee
- Egg shells
- Weed water
- Epsom salt
I don’t hear much if any conversation about nourishing the soil in this “topic of sorts” out there. But I will say, nourishing our soil to combat the neighbors who use topical agents or our city that sprays our skies for mosquitoes and the list goes on. Because we can’t see to stop the assault on humanity’s largest resource, land, we choose to nourish it.
In return, we grow food, medicine, herbs and we always have a beautiful lawn full of green grass, no weird patches, stunning roses, sunflowers, cosmos, zinnias, gladiolas and so much more.
Feed your yard AND it will feed you.
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