Reset 2020 - The Return of Interleafings

Greetings after a long absence!

It seems like several lifetimes since my last post in the fall of 2011. I was writing from a tiny apartment, after losing my beloved house (and gardens) due to the recession. To supplement my shrinking landscape design business, I was doing PR for the SF Flower & Garden Show, marketing projects for green businesses and working part time at a local garden center. Garden blogging without a garden or much time to write didn't seem to make much sense any more.

Nine years, four moves, three career changes and a whole new cast of characters later, I'm building a new garden. A different kind of garden. One that is intended to feed more than just my creativity. In one momentous month last year, everything fell into place to make this possible - new job, new relationship, new home. The stage was set for a new chapter. And this is the preface.

A blog makes sense again, because some of you might be interested in what John and are doing during quarantine, including a deer-and-gopher-proof (so far) grow-bag garden, beehives, chickens, a budget greenhouse and (in the garage) aquaponics. Our goal is a regular source of fruit, vegetables and protein, produced in sustainable ways that touch the earth lightly.

During such uncertain times it seemed natural for us to do this. The fires and power outages last year only underscored our wish to become more self-sufficient. Now as we shelter in place, we feel doubly fortunate to have landed in such a perfect spot. We have enough space to do what we want, and are finding ways to be creative with what we have. This is a wild place, and our efforts include peacefully coexisting with many local creatures, great and small.

So there you have it, I hope you'll stay tuned for some posts about what we've been up to over the last couple of months. The header image is our back forty - before. It already looks quite different, can't wait to show you. Today's picture was taken from inside the vegetable garden. That the enormous aerator looks exactly like a corona virus makes it an obvious mascot for a garden born during a pandemic. [Correction: According to my dad, who knows such things, that is not an aerator, but in fact a sheepsfoot roller, used in road construction. So there!]

Thanks for being here, and I hope you are able to find ways to engage your heart and mind during this truly historical period. Feel free to say hello and share your tales in comments!