No mud, no lotus

The postwoman is bringing me little packages of seeds now. Yesterday, I received delivery of the short-season cantaloupe seeds and a fabulous herb drying rack found here: http://www.burpee.com/gardening-supplies/all-gardening-supplies/herb-flower-drying-rack-kit-prod22500.html?cid=PPC&gclid=CIijxtrFxsQCFYYkgQodq4cAHQ.

Today, I received delivery of these seeds: cucumber Tortarello Barese, watermelon Asahi Miyako (seed packet above), and zucchini Longo Bianco di Sicilia, all from Seeds from Italy. I’ve stocked up on peat pots and organic seed starting mix, and am ready to start planting (as soon as the weather warms).

I just ordered a new Asian spinach seed. Malabar spinach is a nutritious vine that will thrive in the summer heat, take up little space, and yield tons of yummy, good-for-you greens. A native of the sub-tropics, this perennial grows as an annual here in New England. Go to this site for seeds: http://www.rareseeds.com/red-malabar-spinach/. I also ordered two big bags of mung beans for sprouting.

Here’s what the Hippocrates Institute has to say about Malabar spinach:

Malabar spinach is a tropical dark leafy green plant with a sweet, juicy taste much like that of its’ English cousin. It grows well in hot, humid climates such as south Asia, India as well as here in South Florida. In fact, it gets its’ name from the Malabar Coast of India. Malabar spinach prefers fertile, well-drained soil that is kept moist. Malabar spinach is a creeping vine and is best when trellised.
Malabar spinach is a rich source of vitamins and minerals. It is more nutritious than conventional (English) spinach. For example, 100 grams of Malabar spinach offers:
•    8000 IU vitamin A which is 267% of the RDA.
•    102 mg vitamin C which is 102% of the RDA.
•    140 mg vitamin B6 (folate) which is 35% of the RDA.
•    100 g manganese, 32% of the RDA.
•    1.2 mg iron which is 15% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA)
•    100 g potassium, 11% of the RDA.
•    Calcium, magnesium, copper, beta carotene, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and many more.
Here at Hippocrates Health Institute we grow Malabar Spinach in the Organic Garden for the benefit of our guests. 

Meanwhile, all the herbs germinating indoors are doing super good. Cool-weather-loving Italian parsley will go outside soon. The Genovese basil will stay indoors until early May, when I will bring it outdoors during the days only. Come June it will be outdoors all the time.

Buddhist monk, teacher, and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh gives us this koan: A flower is made of non-flower elements – rain, sun, and soil. If you remove all the non-flower elements, there is no flower left.

No mud, no lotus.

Namaste.