Plantidote of the Day 2012-08-07

James Howard Kunstler's kitchen garden (potager) with raised beds

While trying to avoid working yesterday, I stumbled on a whole series of garden photos by one of my favorite writers, James Howard Kunstler, of Clusterfuck Nation. He's in the process of turning open space in the yard into a fruit, vegetable and herb garden, complete with deer and rabbit fences, all documented in a series of photos.

If you're not familiar with Kunstler's work, I feel sorry for you. Here, let's get you up to speed. He is the author of seven novels and four non-fiction books, including The Long Emergency and The Geography of Nowhere. Peak oil, suburban excess, and the uglification of just about everything are a few of his favorite topics. Why?

"Because I believe a lot of people share my feelings about the tragic landscape of highway strips, parking lots, housing tracts, mega-malls, junked cities, and ravaged countryside that makes up the everyday environment where most Americans live and work."

Hard to argue with that! His novel World Made by Hand (2008), is set in a future much like the one that appears to be heading our way, where locally grown food is what's for dinner ... and breakfast and lunch, too. In other words, he practices what he preaches. Many thanks, Jim! You've inspired me -- and probably a few other people -- to give the raised beds a go!

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Readers, please send twig (twig4now@gmail.com) images and stories for the ongoing Plantidote of the Day series. In exchange, you'll win undying fame in the form of a hat tip! Plants growing in your garden, your house, or neighbor's yard, plants from the forest or farmers' market, plants you preserved, plants you prepared (wine; cider; tea; dried beans), plants you harvested (grains; chantrelles), plants you picked (flowers), plants you dried (herbs), plants you covet or hope to grow someday. Herbal remedies, propagation tips, new varieties, etc.. And if you can, include some solid detail about the plant, too -- a story, the genus and species, or where you got the seeds, or the recipe, or your grandmother gave it to you. Or challenge us with a "Name That Plant" mystery entry ... And please feel free to add corrections and additional information in the csomments.

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