When Seed Meets Soil

Half Moon? What!? Why?
So many others do bimonthly newsletters on the Full and New Moon. They always get the attention. They always get the fandom. They always get the importance. The Half Moon, also called quarter moon, but when you look at it with your actual eyeballs it isn’t quarter, its half! (it’s a celestial pet peeve of mine) Half Dark. Half Light. And each switching sides every time. One time growing in light, the other time growing in dark. It isn’t the pause between the inhale and the exhale, it *is* the inhale and the exhale. It is the middle road.

The wait is nearly over!
Free the Seeds in Kalispell is this Saturday, March 4th.

It's one of my favorite events for meeting old and finding new plant people. There are workshops, presentations, booths, and, of course, a whole lot of FREE seeds!
Check out their website for details on all the fun stuff, including a presentation by me, Megan of Dragon's Breath Farm, on Edible Garden Weeds.

As the moisture and the microbes break down the protective coating on the seeds (allowing them to wait until their environment is best for their thriving) they begin to germinate and grow forth to the light, whether that be the grow lights for now or the eventual sunlight

​Every morning I check on each pot, flat, and soil block. 

Greeting them.
Welcoming them.
Celebrating them.

Giving them the encouragement they need to grow.

I make sure their have enough water,
(but not too much)
enough light,
(but not too much)
enough nutrients gifted from my worm bin drippings,
(but not too much)
so that both the seedlings that germinate and the soil-living microbes have just what they need 
(but not too much)

Without the proper balance, they might not grow or they will abort in the most common fashion called 'dampening off' where a healthy seedling gets too wet, bogged down and dies.

For most plants need
air as well as water,
light as well as dark,
they grow and they rest.

And this is the time for growth to begin!

Even if you can't see it under the snow or through the cold, the seeds are germinating in the ground, the tulips and daffodils are preparing

Sometimes the first stage of growth happens outside of our vision. It happens in the dark, warm, wet soil where the seed sheds its coat.

Only later, once the coat is gone and the sun's warmth beats down does that seed show itself to the world.

And remember,
some seeds need barely a moment to shed their coat and grow forth
while others may take years,
waiting for the world to be ready for them.
They wait for their time to thrive.

Future Learning OpportunitiesAre you ready to step into the wilderness?
Saturday, March 4th: Free the Seeds in Kalispell
I'll be giving a presentation on Edible Garden Weeds: The Accidental Harvest.
Stop by for all the free presentations, info booths, and, of course, free seeds!

Tuesdays in May: Troy Adult Education Program
I'll be teaching a Spring Wildflower & Native Plant ID class on Tuesday evenings in May and early June. Two indoor classes to cover the basics and two outings to meet all the wonderful spring plants around Troy. Sign-ups to be announced later.

Seasonal On-Farm Foraging Classes: Dragon's Breath Farm
Come learn about commonly available seasonal edible plants in our region. We'll meet the plants, learn about their edible and also medicinal qualities, proper foraging etiquette, and taste the wonders of the wilds. I'll be updating the schedule as we get closer to spring.

What's available this week?

• Veggies!
  • microgreens for all tastes!
• Seeds!
  • so many varieties to get your garden growing
• Herbals
  • Infused Body Oils
  • Essences
  • Dragon's Scale Salve
• Flowers
  • Dried Bouquets
  • Petal Sachets
• Jewelry
  • Bead Woven Bracelets & Rings
• Recycled Paper

Where to find it all?

The Mini Microgreen Market of course, running all winter!
Thursdays from 12-1pm at the Libby Chamber of Commerce
*come inside where it's warm & toasty while the micros are chill in their mini cooler*