The phrase “you are what you eat” has been around for as long as we can remember. Whether we stand by the statement or not, many of us use food to express our identity. In every culture, food is an essential component. Meals are a way to gather people and establish a connection– we all have memories with our food. In the piece Food: Identity of Culture and Religion, Vatika Sabal writes,
“the meaning of food is an exploration of culture through food. What we consume, how we acquire it, who prepares it, who’s at the table, and who eats first is a form of communication, that is, it has a rich cultural base. Beyond merely nourishing the body, what we eat and with whom we eat can inspire and strengthen the bonds between individuals, communities, and even countries.”
While many of our associations with food are very positive, there are common misconceptions and even negative stigmas that surround various cuisines and food types. For so long, people have oftentimes subconsciously deemed certain foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. These terms are ambiguous and do not specify if we are talking about taste, pleasure, calorie count, sugar amount, or protein content. All foods have a nutritional range, and if we label them as only ‘good’ or ‘bad’, we only make it more difficult for ourselves and can even inflict guilt or shame.
Other biases include negative cultural stigmas that exist within the conversations revolving around ethnic food. This is especially prevalent when discussing healthy eating. Often when searching “healthy recipes,” we find that there is very little variety in what this looks like, and our definition of “healthy” has become very narrow. It becomes repetitive with kale, green smoothies, salads, and grilled chicken. These
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Many gardeners consider peonies to be a classic addition to the home landscape. Long-lived, these stunning plants are sure to impress visitors with their immense bloom and stunning color. Despite flowering only once per season, peony flowers are treasured among ornamental growers and flower farmers alike.
Get to the root of the problem for bigger better plants. I am a convert to Mycorrhizal Root Grow products that add beneficial fungus around the roots of newly planted stock.
Hay fever and Asthma attacks can be brought on by Scented Plants as well as pollen or Fungal Spores. Histamin problems can also be exacerbated by scent and smells in the garden.
For something a bit different this book on botanic art covers some of the unusual colours from black flowers, plants and seaweed like strange green, blue and puce pink.
One thing is sure the climate in your garden will change. You already know one week will be different to the next and I can’t remember when two months or any years were the identical to others. In many areas you can get 3 or 4 seasons in one day (or in Scotland one hour!).
Snowdrops are officially called Galanthus. This snowdrop is Galanthus elwessii with larger than normal blooms and a honey scent the other main species are Nivalis and Plicatus. The snowdrop is very hardy, grows in most soils and prefers partial shade.
Sorry if this post is a bit repetitive from one at the beginning of May but my mind is socially distanced from my memory. My garden lilac has never smelt so good but I am sure the colour has been stronger in previous years.
It’s a glorious July Saturday. The sun is showering this corner of the world with warmth and optimism. The earth’s bounty and human toil, and some craic, surrounds us, and you can hear the stream nearby and the birds in the trees. There is abundance and productivity and nature and community and generosity.
The Cranberry is one of only three native North American fruits that was an important source of food long before the Pilgrims arrived. Native Americans, who referred to cranberries as sassamanash, recognized their healthy giving properties. Cranberries were recognized by the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans as a nutrient-dense fruit. University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service.
Water is like gasoline: you don’t miss it until it’s gone. Benjamin Franklin succinctly stated it this way: “When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” So, while you may not be contemplating a hot, dry, sun-baked summer now, it’s important that you create and maintain a landscape that can stand up to whatever’s in store for us this summer.
For small seedlings that have stems too small to grab with your hand, try using a pair of channel-lock pliers. They are adjustable, so you can grab a long section of stem with the teeth. Use gentle tugs to loosen before pulling out of the soil.