Landscaping
andscaping is the artistic placement of greenery or enhancing natural configurations. In this web site, I emphasize edible landscaping to promote self-sufficiency and beauty. Edible landscaping stretches the boundaries of the potager garden. It is a fairly new concept that began around 20 years ago. However, it is a revival of traditional agriculture.
Potager Garden Landscaping
The potager garden was secluded; it was located where the family could access it. In edible landscaping, it is encouraged to locate them adjacent to the kitchen so that it does get used, but all edibles are not limited to this particular area. Edible elements can be planted among ornamental plants along walks, for example. Edible landscaping can be located in heretofore areas that were rarely given any star attention like street borders.
The potager garden was located a distance from the formal gardens and lawn and included flowers, herbs, vegetables and fruits. You could cut fresh flowers for the breakfast table. You could pick fresh herbs to flavor your eggs, or fruit for your crepes or waffles. Edible flowers could be added to your afternoon salad or protein sandwich spread.
The feeling I sensed of the potager garden and its location near the kitchen was that it could serve as an extension of this interior providing an informal outdoor work and dining space that was personal in that it was not shared with the public. Only the family and close guests were aware of this serene and glorious treasure.
When humans started agrarian settlements, farming supported families and sometimes businesses. Farmers bartered or sold some of the goods from their efforts. There is the art of long term planning with stocking up, clever and timeless methods of preserving foods for use during the non-growth or cold months of the year.
Pantries and root cellars or spaces are becoming design considerations again as more people appreciate the power they have over how some of their consumables are grown and that they are grown organically.
The potager garden was a little laboratory in itself depending on how the garden was developed. Garden development could be a combination of direct plantings in the ground, raised beds, and pots. Select unique pots, arranging them to make interesting statements using any combination of the following:
- design
- color
- decoration
- size
- width
- height, or
- interesting found objects.
Companion Planting
You can create your own combinations from established literature or by planting herbs and flowers in individual pots and moving them around the garden next to various plants, observing the outcome. If the location suits both plants, leave it there. If it does not, move the potted element to another plant bed. Companion planting integrated produce according to how well they “get along” with each other. A solution of the juices of a couple of plants is combined and the resultant crystal pattern is examined. If the crystal looks symmetrical, it is a good pairing. If the crystal is not symmetrical, it is best not to pair the two because it is not the highest and best combination.
If the space is available, planting beds can be dedicated to specific foods. If a greater variety is desired, use maturation dates to increase yield. Companion planting must be taken into consideration as well. Depending on the size of the plot, later maturation plants are placed among the earlier maturation plants. The later maturation plants grow into the space of the already harvested earlier ones.
Water and Landscaping
Similarly, high speed photography of crystals reflected Dr. Masaro Emoto's work of how water can reflect our words and, I add, feelings spoken in the words. Water charged with love and gratitude used for the plants and to attract helpers would be a wonderful addition to any garden.
Rudolf Steiner
Notes on Rudolf Steiner's Work
The small series of lectures from Dr. Steiner greatly impacted farming and helps to balance nature. The spiritual integration of his work could not be ignored. I appreciate the fact that Dr. Steiner realized that he was vulnerable to ridicule and took the steps to certify himself according to the rigorous requirements of his most vocal detractors. It may be the reason many of us are here:
realize how important Spirit is to our existence, science included.
"In pervading the air, this chemical either imparts what lives within it to the air and we become aware of what we call the tone.” (1)
“The air with its vibrating waves is nothing but the outer body of the tone. In the human being , this tone, this “spiritual” tone, is not produced in the air-organism through the moral ideal, but in the fluid organism. The sources of tone, therefore, arise in the fluid organism- etheric body.” (2)
Moral Ideals
Stimulate the warmth-organism producing in the air-organism sources of Light producing in the fluid-organism sources of Tone producing in the solid-organism seeds of Life (etheric). (3)
Theoretical Thoughts
Cool down the warmth-organism, paralyze the sources of Light deaden the sources of Tone extinguish Life. (4)
From Secrets of the Soil, by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird: Biodynamic preparations by Steiner used natural composts inoculated with products of certain processed and revivifying herbs.
“These he selected to help microorganisms quickly decompose the raw organic matter of the compost heap into simple compounds, reassembling them into ingredients of a long-lasting, earth-smelling, dark brown, light-textured friable humus, a substance which, because of its colloidal state, holds its structure, resists leaching, helps fix nitrogen directly from the air and increase availability of minerals to plants…” (5)
The Biodynamic Preps
I like the intense energy of the preparations, however throughout reading (since the late 1970s) and now, it is known that the earth has been traversed for millions of years by animals. I am not aware that any of this has ever been a problem for vegans. Manure from animals, entrails and other parts are used as vesicles for the preps give an energy that draws from all parts. How about the practice of mixing animal blood with soil? Does this violate what vegans believe and practice?
Colloidal state- the state of a solute when its molecules are not present as separate entities, as in a true solution, but are grouped together to form solute “particles” and carry a resultant negative charge (usually). The colloidal state enables the human body membranes directly to absorb essential mineral elements without the need for processing. “Every cell of the human body is made of colloids arranged to form specific functions- colloidal particles are so small and, therefore, such a large surface area- a teaspoon of particles has a surface area greater than a football field…they generate surface energies that have powerful effects on physical and chemical reactions.” (6)
Henry Coanda the “Coanda Effect” “we are what we drink”...
"When a living organism takes in water it structures it into a composition with a high percentage of octagonal liquid crystals and a very low percentage of unorganized molecules done by high energy colloids. “ Colloidal particles act as tiny ‘seeds’ of energy, charged to attract free-roving water molecules, and thus, form the nuclei of liquid crystals. To do this, the colloid requires a high electrical charge. In living systems, the charge is retained by being protected by a coating of gelatin, albumin, or collagen.” (7)
“Another force causes water molecules to form long complex structures known as hydrogen bonds. These enable water to wet surfaces…a force that can be strengthened or weakened by structuring the water’s internal composition.”
These two properties offered info on how to duplicate Hunza water. The potentization of BD 500 is a homeopathic process. The constant stirring is like succession. Colloids do not dissolve. The particles remain suspended oscillating vortices – shrink in diameter. Elongate then “…expand in diameter and shorten in a periodic manner.”
BD 500 gets its energy- hydrogen bonds are subject to such stress like rubber bands- at which point they absorb planetary forces, which, as the molecule snaps back into shape are retained and energize the molecule. Pour crystal water on the seeds.
Seed Colloidals
Multi national corporations are (have been) acquiring seed companies. They patent the strain for resistance to pests and fungi. Some moved into genetic engineering.
Monsanto is the biggest offender. The film Food, Inc. showed a farmer being confronted legally for washing his seeds.
Footnotes
1. Steiner, Rudolf, Bridge Between Universal Spirituality and the Physical Constitution of Man, 1920 JFD 78-191[R], P. 14
2. ditto, P. 39
3. ditto P.37
4. ditto p. 3
5. ditto P. 96-97
6. ditto P. 103
7. ditto P. 103
Links
The above meditation mandala will be available soon.
