The Zen of Indoor Vegie Gardening ^_^

January 16, 2013 by stillmindzen | 14 Comments

It is always wonderful to marvel at the intricate processes of nature. When one takes the time to slow down and look, the ultimate stillness of growth can be the most potent teacher that one can find. For the growth of a plant, for instance, is composed of a myriad of processes beneath the threshold of what the senses can observe. To help a plant grow, is to align your mental workings with the ways of the plant. Witness its beauty, then witness the line blur between where plant begins and you end. If you are to look at its constituents, going deeper and deeper, could you tell the difference between “you” and “it”? When you spend time with it, the oxygen from its inner biological interactions gives your body life to breathe; the carbon dioxide from your breath gives the plant what it needs. The molecules in the water, in its cells, vibrate in tune with the vibrations of your atomic make up, and that of the world around it. It is here where you will see yourself. Once found, never let it go.

This year, my indoor garden does not have any hydroponic elements, but it’s still buxom with activity nonetheless.

Spicy, but yummy mustard ^_^

This mustard sprung from seeds that were apparently already in the soil from when I had the garden outside in the warmer months, because they grew, and I didn’t plant them hehe. This pot held its mother plant, that spawned seeds, and it seems that they fell and ended up in the soil. A pleasant surprise ^_^

Some happy tomatoes presenting themselves ^_^

I have a group of tomato plants all grouped together in one pot, and they are doing phenomenally. Before long, there will be nice ripe tomatoes smiling at me from the green stalks. Growing tomatoes outdoors has caused me to develop a new habit, and that is to eat green tomatoes. This is because the tomatoes were getting eaten by some animal visitors, and I hardly ever got a chance to have some, so I eventually began taking in the tomatoes that I could, and they happened to still be green. I cooked them up in some fried rice, and it was delicious. But I still do love a good red, ripe tomato I do have a “patented” garlic recipe spray that I developed to spray on my crops, so that I will use more of once the plants are moved back outside in the spring. But I will leave some untouched so the animals can still have some

Yes, it’s a little CORNY, but it’s alright

This year, I have corn. it was an experiment that is going extremely well. I remember this little guy when he was just emerging from the soil, and now look at him. It’s even got its husk hair now. They grow up so fast. *tear* *sniffle*

Here’s a nice shot of the corn stalk towering over the mustard.

The scallions want some of the action

Here you can see the green onions reaching up through the tomato forest. These scallions are re-grown from store bought scallions. I rarely, if ever, throw food scraps of any kind away. Instead, they go back for more growing. Scraps that won’t be grown are returned to the soil to contribute to new growth. Nothing is wasted in the house of The Still Mind, for everything has a purpose ^_^

Used green onion stubs

These are more green onion stubs that I’ve re-planted about a day ago. They’ve started growing already, but green onions seem to never really stop growing, anyway. Once these re-growths get mature again, they will send a shoot up, with a seed pod attached to the tip, opening with a display akin to a dandelion seed puff ball. And thus, new seeds will be provided to plant a whole new generation.

Waiting patiently to be planted

An Idaho potato, germinating, waiting patiently to be put in some soil. I will be granting its wish soon, once I find the right container. The potato will be sliced up, leaving each shoot with its own chunk of potato flesh, and each one will grow a lot of potatoes.

Become a sage with Sage

The sage plant is strong. Its adaptation to survival of the elements has coaxed it to be able to produce some of the most healthful oils, which makes sage a good antiseptic, a compress on slow healing wounds, an aid for nervous issues, digestion and digestive complaints, as well as menstrual issues. Me being a male, I don’t need sage for the latter purpose, but I always enjoy a good cup of sage and tea before a meal, and when I wake up in the morning.

Rosemary has a very pleasant aroma, and it is a good tonic for the nerves, and acts on the brain, making it good for cold headaches and nervousness by nourishing the nerves, instead of suppressing symptoms. I usually make a tea out of it, and I include it in dishes as well. This is a re-planted bush that I took (with permission, of course) from my neighbor, so it is still acclimating itself to its new home, but there are new shoots visible, in light green, so it is coming around.

Rosemary and Sage are great herbs to grow, because they smell wonderful, and have excellent, complementary health properties.

Soy bean sprouts

This is another experiment, but I am confident that it will produce a result, because nature is resilient and ever adaptable. These bean sprouts are taken right from the bag, and placed lovely in the soil. I’m simply allowing the growing to continue by giving them the right environment, because that is what they are here to do–grow, so I’m confident that they will. The color on them has already begun to change from yellow to a productive green, so I know that something is going on. These I’ve placed in the green onion pot because there is no need to waste soil space, and beans are good for the soil.

An overview shot of the little indoor garden set up. A testament to the fact that you CAN grow food in winter, and it can thrive. There is no special environment involved (other than being inside rather than out. But I do have some bok choy sitting outside in the snow, still green, still living nicely). This is not a green house, but is a very large window with southern exposure. The temperature averages around 50-60 degrees fahrenheit, but sometimes lower, and the plants still love it.

You may notice that a lot of the plants share pots, and that is because it saves space, and also monoculture is detrimental to the overall life of vegetable plants. As is evident here, the plants are all thriving, and will continue to do so, for nature is about relationships and interconnectedness. Everything must work together, and indeed it does. Additionally, there are some plants that popped up unexpectedly, so I left them alone, and let them do what they will. Placing different kinds of plants in together mimics the randomness that exists in the wild, and those are the conditions under which they should grow. I have a bit of a micro permaculture operation going on here.

^_^

More from The Still Mind

100 Benefits of Meditation

The “Silent Five” – Sitting With Your Self

Zen Cooking – The Art of Mindful Practice

Still The Mind: How To

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