The 3-days of 8 hour classes started Friday morning and lasted through late yesterday afternoon. Two of the days were held in the local school building across the street from the house, the same building where I had some of my classes in elementary school. The morning walk was perhaps a little too familiar: past the creek where my best friend Donna and I would sit and talk about which methods of hair removal we would use when we were finally old enough to depilate.
The scenery has changed, and on my second day's walk home, I saw someone had dumped their cascade palm (aka generic tropical houseplant) into the creek. The root ball was bent into the exact shape of a one gallon pot, so I assume it either got too big or started dying off and someone just didn't want to care for it. We'd spent a good part of the day talking about water quality, so I felt obligated to climb in after it and pull it out. I'll just pot it up in 2 pots, keep one for myself and give one away. Hooray free plants!
With all of the busy-ness, I've felt a little hole in my heart from farmer's market volunteering deprivation. Pauline, if you're reading this I'm ready for duty! I think I maybe only volunteered for 6 weeks or so, but that 1 hour a week investment became really important to me, really quickly. If you are looking for community, as well as a plethora of opportunities for involvement, I bet there is a farmer's market near you that would gladly take an extra pair of hands.
In celebration of my new Habitat Steward Certification, I placed a good sized order with Niche Gardens. Their native selection is defined by being native to the US, so I double checked to make sure what I ordered is native to NC. I'm not (yet?) ready to have an entirely native yard (I'm happily hooked on vegetable growing, as well as the fact that I have some on invasive ornamentals I sure do love (hydrangeas for one) but am definitely convinced that natives should be an integral part of the garden. I'm secretly willing people via Jedi Mind Trick to ask me questions about creating wildlife habitat.
Several things I've learned about myself as a result of the class:
1) I'm deeply passionate, dedicated and outspoken about my environmental philosophy. These qualities override my deeply rooted social anxiety. What does this really mean? Someone says something I disagree with then I start feeling increasingly nauseated until I speak my own mind, briefly feel better, then feel like passing out because I left the close and safe confines of wall-floweredness. That's pretty silly, right?
2) Feeling passionate about something feels pretty good. And to learn a whole lot of new information about something you feel passionate about? Pretty friggin rad.
3) I don't think I'll ever know what I want to be when I grow up.
We've also started talking a little more seriously about having chickens (YAY!!) as well as strategies for removing invasives (wisteria, Japanese Privet, or eleagnus/Autumn Olive anyone??) Aside from all the talk, we're halfway done with digging a small pond/large permanent puddle. I bought a liner and pump off Craigslist a few weeks ago, and we'd been staring at the little kit, not quite sure where to put it. Well, the class gave me just enough motivation to get out there and start digging. And so I did; and it, my friends, will be finished today. Part of my Niche garden order included several sedges to plant near it, one of which is considered rare/endangered: Cherokee Sedge, I ordered 2 of those (gotta do what you can). The sedge beside it in the picture is Appalachian Sedge, which I also ordered, but the picture is from North Creek Nurseries, a very tempting website. Thankfully, they're only wholesalers, so unless I start a whole new path in life, I'm safe. Considering #3 in things I've learned, though, I'm not sure for exactly how long.
1 comment:
I feel like I need a 'hippie' class to show me the same things that you've learned about yourself in yours. Fortunately, I'll just let myself live vicariously through you :). I'm glad you've found something to help combat social anxiety (ain't it a bitch?!) though and it's inspiring me to get off my rear and do the same...
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