Stirring the horned manure, “500”. We begin the growing year with a biodynamic spray sequence: Barrel Compost (BC Prep), Horned Manure (500), Horned Crystal (501), andthen fermented Equisetum tea. This is a kind of awakening sequence, awakening the soil, the vines, the lavender, and the many other plants growing here, as well as our own… Read more »
Monday: ’twas a symphony out there, water rushing everywhere! —after a weekend of over 6 inches of rain! The smaller irrigation pond is now full; the large one has quite a ways to go. In just four or five days the ground cover in the orchard has thickened and grown a good two or three… Read more »
Carpet of calendula. The beautiful sunny days bring the wild calendula into full bloom. It is like a carpet of gold. The goats love it! They also have been known to do a little freelance pruning, so we have to be very careful taking them on walks through the vines and move rather quickly! Wild… Read more »
Toyon leading goats up slope. Lot Number Toyon 11 Each year Ramon looks for those plants whose stems are the longest for bouquet making, and this year the field Toyon was one of two that won! Field Toyon is on an north-facing slope above the Chardonnay. Often the lavender there blooms earliest. The little brown… Read more »
Lot Number Labyrinth 11
Lot Number Labyrinth 11 Labyrinth after the 2008 fire. The labyrinth has many stories: The morning after Donald and I laid it out using only a rope and stakes, we found a snake skin, shed overnight, in the center. The labyrinth lavender often distills twice as much oil per pound as the lavender nearby… Read more »
Lot Number Natalie 11 We named this lavender field after our first queen goat Natalie. Natalie was a tiny pygmy goat, very attached to me but reticent about meeting anyone she did not know. She kept order, giving a good butt if another goat (like Boris!) was out of line. She also was the mother… Read more »
Terroir and Lot Numbers: Sophia 11
Field “Sophia” In organic certification we are required to track product backward through its production to the field in which it grew through lot numbers. Lot numbers say a lot (no pun intended!) about the product. Each field of lavender has a name: Sophia, Toyon, Natalie, Goatsong, and Labyrinth. The first part of the “lot… Read more »
P.I. relaxing Cat Strike! What are your problem pests? the Organic System Plan, the many-page form we update yearly, asks. There is no category for “cat”, just “other animals”. As is often the case, P.I., who owns the cool, dark basement storage area, (ideal for storing essential oils… Read more »
First Distillation of Rose Geranium
Moka and the new plugs of rose geranium before planting in May First Distillation of Rose Geranium Yesterday Donald distilled the first cutting of our May planted rose geranium, Pelargoniun graveolens roseum. The plant is incredibly sweet, vigorous, with many healing properties. This first hydrosol will go to Julia Faller of Bennedetta skin products. First harvest. We… Read more »
Some of the 380 helichrysum awaiting transplant. Preparing for the Helichrysum italicum This season brings many tasks. One of them is the preparation of the ground for the helichrysum plants we had propagated last spring from mother plants I had carefully selected to see if they liked to grow… Read more »
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