When the Growing Gets Cold

Coming back to the Ecohouse after a brief winter hiatus I was anxious to see how the cold frame was holding up! So anxious, in fact, that while doing snow removal with the broom I shattered a window. Alas, the lettuce and radishes looked like they had quit some time ago but the spinach was chugging along and looked no worse than when I left. Today, the first sunny day in Syracuse in quite some time, I did a real inspection of the garden. It seems that what everything really wanted was a drink. So, now that everything is watered and should be getting a couple days of sun I'm hoping to see some perky plants out in the snow. We'll see.












Just in case the out door garden doesn't make it, we've got a constantly growing collection of plants inside. My favorites are my carnivorous plants that just may be the coolest things I've grown yet. My highland Nepenthes is the show stopper with its gorgeous pitchers but I've got a soft spot for the two Mexican Butterworts whose flowers I'm anxiously awaiting.

Also inside are rosemary and thyme plants, a burgundy ficus, aloe, a Christmas tree, an African violet, chamomile, and an aerogarden that I just planted with parsley, chives, catnip, nira chives, cress, and mitsuba.

I do believe we're having a meeting this Sunday evening, so I will hope to see everyone there!

Be well,
Elizabeth

Hydrofracting in NY?!? Rally in Thornden Park Water Tower 5:30pm 1/19/09

The first day of classes -- and there is already an opportunity to come together and raise our voices to protect the environment.   A rally to urge lawmakers to ban hydrofracting in CNY is being held at 5:30pm at the water tower in Thorden Park.  Some of us are meeting at 5pm at the ecohouse to go together.  Hope you will join us.  In Sunday's Post Standard 1/17 (front page section B) there is an good overview of the issue, which includes where different state representatives and senators stand on the issue.  Many are undecided. Many are calling for more information on the impact of natural gas drilling - on one hand the danger to watersheds and on the other hand the effectiveness of protection through regulation.  Do you have knowledge to share on the subject?  Please comment!

One idea we will discuss at our planning meeting on Sunday, January 24th is whether we want to plan a field trip to Pennsylvania to view a hydrofracting site.

Gail

Food for Thought...

This weekend we put up insulation on first floor windows. Hopefully that will help keep us warm for the winter without turning up the heat!



Bored over break? No school work to do? Want to make some recycled craft projects? Make Stuff has a bunch of ways to use recycled products. If you make something neat teach the rest of us how to make it next semester ( I know I would love to make some recycled paper...)!

Next semester we'll be looking for folks to take on some products...so, think about it, if you have some time help us out!

We need someone to take on 'tech projects' - think making a list serve, blog design, photography.

We would love someone to head media relations - contacting local businesses for donations & writing articles for local newspapers.

Want to hep us apply for non-profit status or esf-club status? Advice and helping hands would be appreciated.

Practice your grant writing skills! Successfully acquiring grants for the ecoHouse will look great on your resume!

Our garden is thriving: as we add beds we will begin to have an excess of veggies. We could supply student grown food to the school cafe's and maybe even to the local coop and soup kitchens, but we will need a market manager to do that!

If you have something else you'd like to make happen at the ecohouse spring is the time to make it happen....Think about it! Though we can't offer you any money, its a great way to meet people in the community and local businesses. Any project would look nice on a resume too...

Best of luck to all with finals.
Enjoy winter break,
Elizabeth

Second Garden Journey's Segment

I think the clips turned out fantastic! Check out the second half of Garden Journey's featuring the Ecohouse cold frame:

Garden Journey's: Cold Weather Gardens

Good luck with the end of the semester everyone,

Elizabeth