Hippie Dabble Digest 5: Groundnuts, Kokedama, the Lord God Bird, and more places to buy plants, seeds, & bulbs

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The Hippie Dabble Digest started September 7, 2021 on Substack.  We have since transitioned over to the blog and a newsletter that encompasses more than just the digest.  As part of this transition,  Hippie Dabble is bringing over all the old digests for you to enjoy.  This one is week 5 from October 5, 2021.  The links from the Hippie Dabble Digests get put into the Directory and can be found here: https://hippiedabble.com/directory/.

Welcome to week 5 of the Hippie Dabble Digest! I hope you find this week’s resources interesting and useful, and please share the newsletter with a friend. Let’s get started, shall we?

Groundnuts

Groundnuts are another tuberous plant I will be planting in my perennial garden. I was looking up information on them this week, trying to figure out whether to plant in the fall or the spring, and it seems opinions are mixed so I’m going to try in the spring. I came across this site though that has tons of information about groundnuts from the history of it to planting and eating and even nutrition. You can find it here: https://www.tyrantfarms.com/how-to-grow-american-groundnuts/ 

Kokedama

This week I came across a picture of a hanging houseplant with a moss ball where the pot would normally be.  I had never seen a plant like it so I searched the comments to find out what it is.  It’s called kokedama, also known as Japanese moss balls. Learn how to make one here: https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/visual-guides/how-to-make-a-kokedama.aspx and how to keep it alive here: https://www.bhg.com/gardening/houseplants/essential-tips-for-keeping-your-kokedama-alive-281474979613589/

National Geographic – The ‘Lord God bird’ is gone: An elegy for the ivory-billed woodpecker

Sadly, 22 animals and one plant have just been taken off the endangered list and added to the extinct list instead.  Among those is the ivory-billed woodpecker. This is an interesting read about the search for the ivory-billed woodpecker, the controversy around reported sightings of it, and its eventual move to the extinct list.  The author has first hand knowledge, being one of the searchers and investigators, and makes an excellent point towards the end about conservation. The author says that focusing on one endangered species at a time is inefficient and potentially environmentally disruptive.  We need to start protecting the larger ecosystems where these species thrive.  In doing so, we will not only save the endangered species but also the habitats of many other species.  This article can be found here:  https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/the-lord-god-bird-is-gone-an-elegy-for-the-ivory-billed-woodpecker.  National Geographic allows 3 free articles per month without a subscription.

More places to buy plants, seeds, and bulbs

In my search for new things to plant in my garden, I’ve come across more places to buy plants, seeds, and bulbs. These sites seem to have more lesser-known types of plants such as the groundnut featured above and lots that I’ve never even heard of.

https://www.interwovenpermaculture.com

https://www.fedcoseeds.com/

https://www.caribbeangardenseed.com/

https://www.amkhaseed.com/

On the Website

Not on social media?  No problem!  The website now has our Instagram feed at the bottom.  Click on any of the pictures for the description/commentary.  Also, the directory on the website now has weeks 1 and 2 links from the newsletter.  You can find it all at https://hippiedabble.com/.

Quote of the Week

It is absurd to think that we can bring life on a dead planet like Mars, if we cannot sustain it on a planet steaming with life like EARTH!

 What’s on my to read list?  

(I’m a slow reader so this could get pretty long.)

  1. Food Politics – What Everyone Needs to Know by Robert Paarlberg (found at a library book sale)
  2. Tightrope – Americans Reaching for Hope by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (past Book of the Month Club book)
  3. Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery (See the Ezra Klein Show Podcast in the Hippie Dabble Digest: Week 1)
  4. Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens Published by Plants for a Future (See the website in the Hippie Dabble Digest: Week 1)
  5. Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari (see TED Talks Daily Podcast in the Hippie Dabble Digest: Week 2)
  6. Chasing the Scream: The Inspiration for the Feature Film “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” (The Opposite of Addiction is Connection) by Johann Hari (see TED Talks Daily Podcast in the Hippie Dabble Digest: Week 2)
  7. The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben (found by accident when searching for the Secret Language of Trees video, see link in the Hippie Dabble Digest: Week 3)
  8. 10 Minute Boosts for Your Body, Mind & Beauty: Quick and Easy Tips to Help You Feel Good, Look Good and Live Good by Susan Wildes (free ebook from Freebooksy daily email).
  9. The Mushroom Medicine Cabinet: 12 Medicinal Mushrooms and Their Healing Powers by Kris Rowsan (Suggested for me in Kindle Unlimited)

As always, thank you so much for joining me and again, please share this newsletter with your friends! The more the merrier as they say!

Hope you enjoyed this back issue of the Hippie Dabble Digest! I’ll keep posting them every Thursday until we’re all caught up. See you next week!

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