Page 9 - APRIL-Issue Final
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THE BREEZES | APRIL 2019 | PAGE 9
BOOK CLUB CORNER it up with a good dig for planting then surround
plants with mulch to protect soil from dying &
drying out – never to be turned over again, your
SUBMITTED BY KIT DARLING
plant roots will thank you!
In March we discussed The • Please don’t compact the soil or walk through
Chaperone by Laura Mori- Dirt vs. Soil planting beds, this creates ‘compacted soil’ which
arty. A well-researched his- is less porous and doesn’t allow water to pene-
torical novel, the story fol- SUBMITTED BY CANDY VENNING, VENNI GARDENS trate to the roots properly – it also doesn’t drain
lows the life of Cora Carlisle. Dirt is dead, is found in the darkest, forgotten properly. Great soil is a bit spongy, crumbly, and
She volunteers to chaperone corners of homes and offices, is not fertile, and should resemble chocolate cake crumbs more
15-year-old Louise Brooks cannot grow anything. Correction; should defi- than dust, play-dough or clay.
to New York City. Louise nitely NOT be growing anything!
wants to become a dancer • Please don’t ‘clean up’ in the fall – if you must
and very quickly becomes a VS trim things back, compost them on site in a gar-
star of the silent screen in the Soil; it’s alive! Alive with organisms & micro- den corner or behind a shed, Better yet, leave
1920’s and ultimately a faded and jaded, nearly biota, reproducing, eating, and pooping out an them where they lay and cover with the afore-
forgotten woman. The tale moves back and forth essential, very complex system that supports all mentioned leaf much. Best yet is to leave the
from her life in Wichita Kansas in a marriage of life on earth. Let that sink in for a minute….We seedheads standing for winter birds to eat & nest-
convenience to a prominent local lawyer to her have life on earth, food and oxygen thanks to a ing native bees to overwinter in hollow stems,
early years in a New York City orphanage and 30cm layer across our planet (the most active, then trim back & compost in late spring.
her eventual journey on the ‘Orphan train’ to be upper layer, called the rhizosphere). • Please don’t use pesticide sprays because those
taken into the home of a loving farm family. The Sounds like that soil stuff might be important annoying caterpillars, slugs & grubs are helping
members were unanimous in enjoying the book. and more complex than we give it credit for. to create soil AND essential food for nestlings/
The discussion ranged from debating whether val- baby birds that cannot eat birdseed. Pesticide
ues had changed since the early part of the 20th Stand in your garden and you’re standing on sprays will also leach into the soil and cause fur-
Century. Many felt that Cora had been changed the roof-top of another, living world, an entire ther chaos to the creatures in the soil.
more fundamentally than Louise than Louise im- ecosystem, containing plant roots, viruses, bac-
pacted by Cora. Otheres hD never heard of Louise teria, fungi, algae, protozoa, mites, nematodes, In Conclusion
Brooks and were fascinated to learn more. worms, ants, maggots and other insects and their The easiest way to increase garden fecundity is
larvae. The sheer amount of living organisms through robust, healthy soil, and using high qual-
And here is are some recommended reads avail- below ground is often greater than that above ity compost, leaf mulch and composted manure.
able from the Hamilton Public Library. Visit the ground. A single gram of rich garden soil can Soil is its own habitat and thankfully, doesn’t
Bookmobile at Bennetto Recreation Centre on hold up to one billion bacteria, several yards of need a lot of help from us to do its thing, after all
Tuesday (2:30 to 4:30) and Thursday (6:00 to fungal filaments, several thousand protozoa. To- it was here long before humans invented gardens,
8:00) or go online at hpl.ca to reserve a copy. gether with seasonal temperatures, (freezing can we just need to stand back and watch it grow.
House of Trump, House of Putin by Craig Unger break down plant material while warm weather Research for this article was thankfully gleaned
This book traces the long and extensive relation- allows for increased activity) these organisms via these essays – please have a look for further
ship between Donald Trump’s business and per- are responsible for breaking down organic mat- reading & more technical details.
sonal transactions with that of Vladimir Putin’s ter and through that decay process are releasing
Russia. Unger outlines the connections between all the nutrients your plants need. http://pnwsteep.wsu.edu/DirectSeed/conf2k2/
the people in Trump’s orbit - his family, business How do we create the best soil possible? dscclapperton.htm
figures, friends, campaign members and politi- • Easy! Just top dress with compost, any type of https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/secret-
cians to American and Russian Mafia figures and sterilized manure, and or shredded leaf Mulch, life-soil
Russian oligarchs. This book is well researched then stand back and let the worms, rain and grav-
and methodically shows that Russia is a dominant ity do the work so your back doesn’t have to.
feature of Trump’s world.
- Paige Turner Please Don’t…
• Till the soil or turn over the soil – new research
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom shows this disturbs all the tiniest creatures & JOIN OUR TEAM!!
Corrie Ten Boom was a Dutch watchmaker who carefully crafted worm burrows that help rain-
became a heroine of the Resistance, a survivor of water & nutrients penetrate to the root zone. If I The Board of Directors
Hitler’s concentration camps, and a remarkable turned your house upside down it would be quite is looking for an eager
evangelist. She and her family risked their lives the disaster – same goes for organisms that live volunteer to bring new
to help Jews and underground workers escape in different depths and away from exposure to ideas and skills to the
from the Nazis. It is the story of her faith and her UV light. table.
belief that faith ultimately triumphs over evil. An Now in our 48 year, The Breezes is looking to put
th
inspiring novel. The only times you might rototill or turn over some new wind in our sails that will lead us
- Paige Turner soil is if you’re preparing a brand new bed that forward. New technology! New ideas! More
previously had sod or invasive plant species on community events! New volunteers! YOU can be
Have you read any of our recommendations? Liked it and both need to be stripped out first, not tilled part of that team!
any of the same books we talked about or disagreed in. Also, if it’s a new perennial or veggie bed and Email office@northendbreezes.com
totally? Let us know at bayareabookclub@bell.net . the soil is very poor, mix in manure and loosen
