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Quote of the Day: Jessica Prentice

January 22nd, 2012

For many of us, our interest in seasonality is somewhat selective. We want the warmth without the cold; we want the long days without the long nights; we want the abundance without the scarcity; we want the birth and growth without the death and decay. But without the death and decay there is no rebirth.

Jessica Prentice – from Full Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for Connection

I was thinking about the rhythm of the seasons earlier this fall as I spent time clearing out the garden. The lush productiveness of high summer, turned into the damp decay of fall, which has now turned into the quiet slumber of winter. Where once there was green, followed by yellow and brown, now there is starkness. Where plants carpeted the earth, the soil then laid bare and in the blink of an eye, it’s now covered in a thick blanket of snow.





The rebirth that occurs because of winter happens not only in the garden, but also in the gardener. We awake in spring with renewed energy and vision for the coming seasons. I for one, am enjoying the small bit of rest that winter provides curled up in my favorite reading chair, cup of coffee, piles of books, seed catalogs and my computer by my side, planning what new and glorious things will appear in the gardens of Chiot’s Run during the coming year.

What are you dreaming of for the coming gardening season?

8 Comments to “Quote of the Day: Jessica Prentice”
  1. tj on January 22, 2012 at 9:59 am

    …A pumpkin patch without Squash Bugs. *sigh*giggle*

    …LOVE your photos! I am going to do the tee pees for my green beans this year. I just love that look. And I love the picket fence. :o)

    …And I firmly believe in Winter. Not only do I love Winter but later in the Summer I am looking forward to those months when you don’t have something outside calling out my name. Like you, I love my down time where I can catch up on reading, sewing and what-not.

    …Enjoy your Sunday!

    …Blessings :o)

    Reply to tj's comment

  2. Nebraska Dave on January 22, 2012 at 11:51 am

    Susy, one of the reasons I live in eastern Nebraska is the very distinct seasons. They are without too much exception three months in length. My favorite seasons would be of course Spring and Fall. I still enjoy Summer and Winter with it’s activities as well. Having a seven year old Grandson living with me probably helps with seasonal activities. This year the seasons have kind of been out of whack but still have been enjoyable. With only 57 days until official spring, I’m getting a little excited about gardening again. Since I have a new property to develop in gardens, it will be an exciting year for gardening.

    Have a great winter rest day.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  3. Liz J on January 22, 2012 at 1:43 pm

    I am certainly dreaming of the garden at this time of year. I am trying some new things including two varieties of onions for storage, leeks, and cabbage so I can learn how to make sauerkraut. I would love to try the teepees for cukes this year. Also dreaming of planting some more fruit trees. Every year is so different, and last year we had a really good growing season ~ hope we do in 2012 as well. Gardening and putting up the harvest, although very enjoyable and rewarding, is hard work and a time consuming commitment not to be taken lightly…to do it, you gotta love it…Winter IS a time for rest and renewal, catch up time…enjoy.

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  4. karlin on January 22, 2012 at 5:27 pm

    I am planning on doing the bamboo teepee’s this year also and I acquired some freebiesfrom one of my neighbors. He cut down his whole bamboo patch which was 10 to 14 ft tall. Free, I love free. I got some last Thursday and I want to get more canes tomorrow.

    I am not particularly fond of winter, but I’m a gardener and I know ‘To everything there is a season’ and nature is a beautiful process that is intricate and balanced and every little detail has a purpose.

    BTW, beautiful garden pics.

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  5. Stephanie S. on January 22, 2012 at 6:20 pm

    I’m looking forward to my herb garden. We went to a Flower & Garden show today and picked up some nice ideas, as well as info on composting & rain barrels. Now, if I can just convince my significant other to cut a hole in his new gutters so I can have a rain barrel installed…lol

    Reply to Stephanie S.'s comment

  6. itchbay on January 22, 2012 at 10:06 pm

    I’ve been spending some time thinking about seasonal connectedness in different regions. So much of what we learn in school about the different seasons don’t actually apply to many regions I’ve lived. Here in Northern California, the winters are very different from other seasons, but also from winter in other parts of the country, and very different from what we think of as “winter” — snow, dark days, etc.

    We still have bare trees, but those are mostly the oaks and landscaping trees. Most native trees are evergreen. The vineyards, which are ubiquitous, as you’d expect in Sonoma County, are also bare.

    But, with the rains that come in mid-November, the bleached grasses eventually turn bright green. By mid-January, the hillsides are verdant and the wild mustard is blooming, and the world starts to look bright.

    While it’s cold and rainy, the garden isn’t really sleeping. Ground cover is enjoying the free water, and there are several cold-weather plants — radishes, broccoli, etc. — that are still producing, albeit a bit more slowly because of the cold.

    My dreams for the coming gardening season include thoughts of what to plant where, and when. And to continue this journey to understanding the natural cycles and my place in them.

    Reply to itchbay's comment

    • Susy on January 23, 2012 at 8:18 am

      You’re so right, winter isn’t always about snow/cold. I grew up in South America, practically on the equator so winter meant rain & cool (70’s) weather. I certainly relish living in an area with a proper winter now with snow, cold weather, ice and all that comes along with it!

      Reply to Susy's comment

  7. Donna B. on January 23, 2012 at 11:34 am

    I’m always inspired when I see your trellis’! That’s what I do during my seasonal “down time” – being inspired and making up new plans for the garden. I like to visit my daily reads and see what works best with others from different regions and find new methods to change up what I’m doing currently… like my bean trellis. Or any trellis in general.
    An attempted wire-archway for my beans worked great – till they bowed by the weight and I couldn’t walk underneath it anymore!
    Winter is a time for thought, reflection, and lots of planning… mwahahaha.

    Reply to Donna B.'s comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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