The Indoor Gardener Magazine November December 2012

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THE INDOOR GARDENER | CONTENTS

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Published by: Green Publications Vertes, Laval, Qc, Canada • Directors of publication: Roxanne Labelle-Lekakis [email protected] and Stelios [email protected] • Editor: Stelios Lekakis [email protected] • Managing Editor: Bruno Bredoux [email protected] • Director of Marketing and ProductionManager: Stelios Lekakis [email protected] • Account Manager and Sales Representative: Nick Azakie [email protected] • Contributing editors: Stelios Lekakis,Bruno Bredoux, Roxanne Lekakis, V. Green, Nick Azakie • Graphic Concept and Design: KARAKTER (Green Publications Vertes, www.tigmag.com) • Editorialcoordinator: Bruno Bredoux • Collaborators in this issue: Lars Aikala, Nick Azakie, Kerrie R. Barney, Bruno Bredoux, Jessy Caron, Sean Cervantes, AlainDecarpentrie, Yan Dignard, Jim Fritz, Sharlene Glassman, Vertuda Green, Alan Heartfield, M. James, Grigg Kellock, Roxanne Labelle-Lekakis, Stelios Lekakis,S. Lock Leiva, Glenn Milbrand, Christophe Peeters, Mimsy Phoebus, Brandon Pillon, Stephine Ruthie, Bill Sutherland. • Rewriting/Copy editing/Proof reading: V.Green • Cover Design: KARAKTER, after a photo by Alan Heartfield (Snow Covered Crabapples) • Illustrations: DR and Green Publications Vertes. • Distribution:See the list of our current distributors on our website theindoorgardener.ca/Distributors.html • Administration: Claudine Leonard [email protected] •Information: [email protected]. • Articles and photos submission: [email protected].: Should you need to refer to our conversion table, go to our Website.

© 2012, Green Publications Vertes, Laval, Qc, Canada • Printed in Canada.The Indoor Gardener Magazine, P.O. Box 52046, Laval, Quebec, H7P 5S1, CANADA Phone: 1 450-628-5325, Fax: 1 450-628-7758, website : theindoorgardener.ca.

Articles, iconographic representations and photographs contained in this magazine cannot be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the written consent of thePublisher. The magazine (The Indoor Gardener) and publisher (Green Publications) are not responsible for mistakes or erroneous information provided by theirauthors. The publisher further declines any and all liability related to any problem stemming from the unsuccessful application of any advice provided by an authorin an article.

Publications Mail - Agreement number PP41129557. Canada Post: Return undeliverable items to Green Publications, PO Box 52046, Laval, QuebecH7P 5S1. U.S. Delivery and Subscriptions: Periodicals Postage Rates are paid in Laval, Qc, Canada, H7P 5S1 – Post Canada AgreementPP41129557. U.S. Post Master: Return undeliverable items to Green Publications, PO Box 52046, Laval, Quebec, H7P 5S1, Canada. CanadaPost Publications Mail Agreement number: PP41129557. Legal deposit: Second Quarter 2005. National Library of Canada. Bibliothèque nationaledu Québec. ISSN: 1715-0949. Printed in Canada by Solisco, Scott (QC).

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6 From China with Light...By Stéphine Ruthie

8 News from the IndustryBy Sean Cervantes, Grigg Kellock,Christophe Peeters and AlainDecarpentrie

14 Carried AwayA Passion and a Lifestyle:HydroponicsBy Glenn Milbrand

18 “Ebb and Flow” GardeningBy Yan Dignard and Bill Sutherland

22 Seeds of VirtueBy Mimsy Phoebus

28 The Medicinal MushroomAdvantageBy Brandon Pillon

30 Guillaume Boulanger:Landscaping DesignerBy Jessy Caron

32 The Seed in the Plastic CupBy Kerrie R. Barney

36 A Victory March!The Tales of the Hippy Dippy GardenerBy Jim Fritz

37-39 The Hydroponic Worldof North America

45 The New Valoya ExtensiveHorticultural Lighting GuideBy Lars Aikala

And our usual features: Editorial 6 • Industry News 8 • People inthe Industry 30 • The HydroponicWorld of North America 37 (US), 39(Canada) • Notes & News 39 • Q & A 48

VOLUME 8 ISSUE 3 • NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2012 • www.theindoorgardener.ca

| THE INDOOR GARDENER

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EDITORIAL

FROM CHINAWITH LIGHT…

In the last two years, the market for horticultural lighting has been submitted to anintense competitive assault from Chinese factories which, from the region of Shenzhen,flood the market with more or less serious product ads that are often difficult to gauge.Those businesses sell LED grow lamps and other derivatives under names that are oftensimilar and even confusing. B2b sites such as alibaba.com or chinavavion.com sell tonsof (often faulty) Chinese gadgets and are very effective in this kind of market. They arealso known to be the kings of scam on the Internet.

We are now submerged by emails and products from this type of companies. Each istrying to apply various marketing techniques used in the West. In general, the companyname contains the word “Sun.” We have been contacted by Kelly, from Sun LampCompany (“leader in the field of LED grow lights with five years of experience”), by Ruby,from Hong Kong Green Sun Industrial Co., Ltd. (with only four years of experience!), andGary, from Shenzhen GIP Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. Oh! I was forgetting Nick, from SunriseTechnology Industrial Co., Limited, and Tiger (!), from China Energy South PowerEquipment (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.

All are working in the “Marketing” department and give themselves familiar Anglo-Saxonor Western generic names. We’ve been contacted by a bunch of such freshly re-baptizedguys or gals (we’ve already talked about some of them in this magazine) like “Robert” or“Linda” from Rayleich, “Mary”, “Angela” or “Alice” from Ohmax Lighting, and finally,“Linda” (there she goes again, but is she the same Linda?) from Desire PowerInternational Group Co., Ltd. and, last but not least, “Rocket” from Global LED LightingCo., Ltd!

They all offer LED bulbs with the following characteristics (from the data provided by“Kelly” from Sun Lamp Company):

• our compact LED grow lights will give you nice bushy plants, thick leaves and sturdystems;• an effective full spectrum inside, which is essential to plant photosynthesis;• a focus on the red spectrum for flowering and fruiting, a focus on the blue spectrumfor the plant growing, as well as other aspects of the spectrum with a color emissionsimilar to that of the sun;• the realization of your dream in indoor gardening, with a shorter growing period andat least a 25% increased performance in your system.

How can we get an independent opinion? Who can we trust? Have YOU tried the Chinesebulbs? If so, please send us your comments at [email protected].

[email protected]

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INTEGRATED CONTROLLERFOR TEMPERATURE, HUMIDITY AND CO2

• Manages ALL indoor garden’s climate parameters.

CO2 CONTROL WITH HIGH TEMPERATURE SHUT OFF

• Easy to install and set up;• Display with day/night selection;

• Adjustable CO2 set point from 100 to 4,900 ppm.

FLEXTIMER

• A precise control for lighting,or irrigation,

or any cycling process.

INTEGRATED CONTROLLER FOR TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY

• Intelligently manages 4 actions: heating, cooling (AC or fan), humidifying and dehumidifying;

• Prioritizes actions according to a logical sequence;• Allows temperature and humidity’s differential

adjustment.www.novabiomatique.com

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New from Botanicare

Premium high pithcoco blended withHydrolite® Cocorox isa blend of Botanicare’shigh pith Cocogro®coir fiber andHydrolite®, a silicabased rock bufferedwith Pure Blend Pro®.

Formulated for use inre-circulatinghydroponic systemsand run to wastecontainer gardens, thisultra-convenient growmedia provides anideal air to water ratiothroughout the rootzone. Its high CECrating accelerates plant growth, while strengthening cellwalls, leading to robust root systems, and increased yields.

The product’s main characteristics are:

• Blended with silica-based Hydrolite® for stronger, hardierplants. • Double washed coco-coir for low salt content. • Naturally aged and composted to remove tannins fromcoco-coir. • Optimum air to water root zone ratio. • Increases nutrient availability between feedings. • Decreases nutrient leaching due to high CEC rating. • Maximize yields by fertilizing every watering without riskof salt build-up. • Nutrient buffered. • Ecologically responsible alternative to conventionalpotting soils.

VitaminoVitamin and Amino Acid Supplement

Twenty essential aminos and select vitamins for balancedplant growth. Balanced growth is essential for optimumplant health and high yields. The demands placed on plantsin accelerated growth environments can negatively affectthis balance. Vitamino’s breakthrough formula helpsprovides the nutrition necessary to maintain balanced plantgrowth in accelerated growth environments

Vitamino’s twenty aminos are: • glycine; • alanine; • valine; • leucine; • isoleucine; • serine;• threonine;• aspartic acid; • glutamic acid; • asparagine; • glutamine;• lysine;• arginine; • histidine; • cysteine; • cystine;• methionine; • proline;• phenylalanine; • tyrosine;• and tryptophan.

ZHO Rhizosphere Root Inoculant is a unique, proprietary blendof endomycorrhizae and trichoderma fungi that builds anatural microbial system in and around plant roots whichnaturally improves plant and root growth, vigor, andproduction. Benefits: ZHO improves rooting and soil structure,increases nutrient uptake and root mass, and is water soluble.

INDUSTRY NEWS

If you would like to send us your company news item or new product releases for publication,please submit your text and pictures with any additional information at [email protected].

(The Indoor Gardener magazine reserves the right to determine which press releases areappropriate for publication, and may edit for length, content, or style.)

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Price per copy is S4.76 for Canada, $6.95 for the U.S., and $10.95 for international customers.Some issue may be out of print. Green Publications, P.O. Box 52046, Laval (Quebec) H7P 5S1, Canada

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Please enclose your check or money order together with back issue order and mail to: Green Publications, P.O. Box 52046, Laval (Quebec) H7P 5S1, Canada or fax this page at 1 450 628-7758 and pay later, or sendyour request at [email protected], and pay later.

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THE INDOOR GARDENER | INDUSTRY NEWS

Pest Control: An Insider’s Top 10

Doktor Doom’s Top Ten PreventiveMeasures before the Plants AreComing In or How to Eliminate thePotential of Infestation

1. Make certain that you fully clean and fumigate yourgrowing area prior to introducing your plants. Wash allsurfaces well with warm soapy water and allow them to dry.After this, for an extremely sterile environment, you canapply the new Doktor Doom Surface Deodorizer—thisproduct is registered in the USA as a hard surfacesanitizer—and will leave an invisible barrier on all treatedsurfaces that eliminates mildew, mould, fungus and bacteriabefore they can set in. It is particularly effective on powderymildew and gray mould. Once this treatment is completed,proceed with treating all surfaces within your growingenvironment with a residual-based insecticide; DoktorDoom’s Residual Surface Insecticide Spray is the idealproduct for this use. Apply it liberally to cracks, crevices,walls, floors, ceilings and to any growing equipment: pots,sticks, baskets, growing medium (rock wool, lava rocks,etc.)—this lasting residual will kill insects for weeks afteronly one application.

2. Intense grow lights require fresh air. Even very fine meshfilters do not adequately catch all insects being drawn in bythe fans. Doktor Doom’s Residual Insecticide spray kills theinsects before you bring them indoors. As an extraprecaution, treat the filters and the inside of the ventingtubes.

3. If growing from clones, be certain that your supplier isproviding you with insect-free clones. If in doubt, applyDoktor Doom’s Botanics before you introduce the clones totheir new growing environment.

4. Once your room is up and running, you must keep adiligent eye out for insects, as you have now created theideal environment for them to multiply quickly.

5. When pruning and removing dead foliage, always removeit from your growing environment immediately—this is aprime breeding area for insects.

6. Be certain to always wear sterile clothing within yourgrow room. Insects are mostly microscopic and will hitch aride from outdoors: wearing clothes washed in very hotwater and always using the same, unexposed to the outsideclothes will dramatically reduce your odds of bringing bugsinto your growing environment.

7. Do not allow visitors in your grow room, unless they toohave extremely sterile clothing.

8. Do not allow your pets in your growing environment, asthey too will carry microscopic insects.

9. Regularly use Doktor Doom’s Total Release Fumigators inthe grow room. These fumigators will flush out anderadicate insects prior to them becoming a full-fledgedproblem. The Fumigators can be used throughout the entiregrowing cycle; we do recommend that you discontinue theiruse in the last couple of weeks of plant growth. If you seeinsects at that point, use Doktor Doom’s BotanicsInsecticide Plant Spray—it is safe for use up to three daysbefore harvest.

10. Identifying the insect pest and learning about itsevolutionary lifecycle is crucial for you to clearly understandwhat you are up against.

Check out the Doktor Doom products available in the USAat doktordoom.com/productsusa.htm. If you live in Canada,check the products available in your country at:doktordoom.com/catca.

Using the above methods of insect and odour control willprovide you with fewer headaches and a bountiful harvest.

Contact Doktor Doom at [email protected] 1 800 452-0023 for more information and to find thedistributor closest to you.

Happy growing!

Winter Escape

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First, we are here to give you the most up to dateinformation about the villas and the locations. Just browsearound our website and check out different kind of villas torent in Bali, supported by descriptions and pictures, videosand documents. After that, please feel free to contact us withyour enquiries about your desirable Bali Pool Villa. You canenquire anything, from the locations, facilities andavailabilities to the prices of short term rent or long termrent in Bali.

Come to Bali or Lombok with the whole family and beprivate in a luxury Bali villa to experience the Balinesehospitality in a total escape and privacy. Bali Villa Pointalways ensures to provide you with the most accurateinformation and reliable assistance to help you plan yourstay at luxury private villas in Bali. Our professional, friendlyand reliable service will give you the luxury of having asatisfying and memorable stay during your holiday in Bali.

Call us: +62 81805426600.Or visit: balivillapoint.com.

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A PASSION, A LIFESTYLE:

HYDRO!Carried Away!

This little picture gallery will allow you to take a quick glanceat the current state of my new indoor gardening space. Soon

I will be able to let you in on the complete results of myamazing and often unexpected hydroponic adventures.

By Glenn MilbrandPhotos by Glenn

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I will try to share my indoor-gardeningexperiences with you in short form, in the

hope that we’ll be able to get into moredetail at a later date, in an upcoming issue.

I began gardening indoors mainly topropagate seedlings for my spring

planting, but as you’ll see, I have sincegone way beyond that. I hope you enjoy

my experience as much as I do.

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GROWING EXPERIMENT | THE INDOOR GARDENER

Propagation

I must say that it became obvious I was starting to take mygardening seriously when I constructed my very first“propagation chamber.” The chamber measures 1.2 x 0.8 x2.1-metres tall. It has three levels, each equipped with sixfluorescent lamps and a thermostat-controlled heatingcable. The entire chamber is encased in clear plastic, whichcan be opened on all four sides. It’s also equipped with athermostat-controlled electric heater for heating thesurrounding air. It’s well vented for air circulation. What’sreally great about it is that it can hold six standard nurseryflats on each level, for a total of over 800 seedlingsdepending on the size of cells I use.

My results to date are really quite remarkable. I’m able togerminate even the most stubborn pepper seeds in about aweek or two, with about a 99.9% germination rate! Afterthe seeds sprout, the seedlings grow by about 0.6centimetre per day, because after four to five weeks, theplants are 25 to 30 centimetres tall. Just totally amazing!Given the opportunity in an upcoming article, I’ll explain indetail the construction of the chamber and what feeding,temperature and light schedule I’ve been using.

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THE INDOOR GARDENER | GROWING EXPERIMENT

The Growing Area and the Setup

I’d like to take a moment to briefly describe my indoorgarden area and the equipment setup I’ve been using. I usean area in my garage that measures about 3.6 squaremetres with a 3-metre ceiling.

I have a forced hot-air furnace for heating, and a 1.3-metresceiling fan for air circulation.

I have four large horizontal light reflectors mounted on asolar-revolution circular light mover. I have two 400-watt MHballasts, two 600-watt HPS ballasts, and two 1,000-wattswitchable ballasts that I switch around based on whatgrowth stage my plants are at.

I also have a 25-centimetre intake fan and a 30-centimetreexhaust fan for fresh-air exchange. I control all of this witha Plant Pro total-greenhouse controller.

The controller is able to control my light relay, CO2 level,temperature, humidity, and pump cycle. I also use sometower fans to help with air circulation and pollination of myvarious crops.

Vegetative Cycle and Experiments

Now let’s get back to some growing. Due to my curiousnature and my endless hours of reading and research, I usea few different systems for my growing. I have 24 GHPowerGrower® (drip irrigation) and an up-to-170-site GHAeroFlo® (aeroponic) system. I use various combinationsdepending on what it is that I am growing, all of whichseem to have varied results.

I have experimented with day length, nutrient strength andboth day and night temperatures. Last year I had planted200 strawberry plants and when they began to flower, Ipurchased a bumblebee hive to aid with pollination.

I’ve had some interesting experiences with my garden, likethe time I set up my 120-site AeroFlo on a large pallet so Icould move it around for cleaning or whatever. When I wentto move it, it collapsed and I had 120 pepper plantsfloating down the driveway.

When you don’t realize how large a pepper plant can grow,and you make no provision for staking or support, you endup with a gargantuan “pepper bush” filled with about

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4,000 peppers. Or when you decide to move the tomatoesfrom your PowerGrower to outside—only to find out thatwhen grown under perfect conditions, they will grow over 3.5 metres tall.

My Mission in the Upcoming Months

I would enjoy sharing these experiences and others in moredetail. I would also like to write an up-to-date column, adiary of my garden as I am growing it, using growingsuggestions from other readers. I could explain in detailwhat it is I’m doing and my theory as to why.

I could add pictures so we can all see the results. We couldexperiment with different nutrients and strengths and seethe real-life results.

We could possibly test some new equipment and again seethe results. I think it could be a lot of fun and we all couldgain some valuable knowledge at the same time. I knowthat I will have a hard time waiting for the next issue tocome out to see where we’re at every month!

With that, happy growing, everyone!

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“EBB & FLOW”GARDENING

“EBB & FLOW”GARDENING

A while back, we presented a long article on hydroponic andaeroponic cultivation with, among others, a brief

presentation of an ebb and flow horizontal table system. Hereyou will be able to read more on the experience of one of our

collaborators with this system. He made two successiveexperiments: one with impatiens, one with Boston lettuce.

Both were very successful.

By Y. Dignard (with W. Sutherland)Photos from the authors

The ebb and flow tables have been designed to remove nutrient solution fromthe growing medium by creating slanted groves to pull away the water from

the growing medium. Water sits on flat surfaces, leaving a puddle for theroots to sit in. Having the drain groove on a slope actually pulls the wateraway from the growing medium, giving more oxygen to the root system.

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Characteristics of Ebb and Flow Cultivation

With this system, you protect the roots from light: light androots do not belong together. By blocking out light,humidity will be considerably higher at the root zone.Because roots do not dry out, they can expand further intheir search for plant food. More roots mean bigger,healthier plants. It is a great system for aeroponics. Justdrill holes in the top plate to insert misting lines. It canalso be used for nutrient film technique (NFT): just slopethe table and apply water from one end of the table,gathering water at the other end of the ebb table.

Each complete system comes with an ebb and flow table, adrain fitting, a fill fitting, tubing, a pump, a reservoir andgrowing medium. You may also need a bigger reservoir tohold larger volumes of water (models are available for 160litres or 240 litres of water). For the brand I use, there arethree different models available on the retail market: thesmallest one with a table size of 3’ x 6’, then a table sizeof 4’ x 4’ by 6’’ (30 holes) and the biggest one with a tablesize of 4’ x 8’ (41’’ x 88’’ inside—64 holes). It also comeswith a jet type mister in the complete kit (4’ x 4’ completekit or “kit 30” and 4’ x 8’ complete kit or “kit 64”).

The ebb and flow system main characteristic is to offer aperforated one-piece tray that can be affixed directly on theflood table. The system I used was placed in a 1.55 cubicmetre room, 1.6 by 2.9 meters, with a 2.1 metre highceiling. Such a setup can be a little bit expensive, but canoffer very significant yields.

Watering – Irrigation

Fill the reservoir with water, start the pump and make sureall the jets work. If the nozzles need to be adjusted, putyour hand through the hole and adjust by turning thenozzle in the desired direction. Place the well-rinsed claypellets in the mesh pots, the pots in the system’s holes,and you are ready to plant your cuttings. Make sure youperiodically trim the roots around the drain, or it could clogup and cause a flood.

The required watering frequency depends on the quantity ofwater—the strict minimum required for the plants – thatflows through the hoses for each row of containers. The

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THE INDOOR GARDENER | GROWING EXPERIMENT

watering is automated and triggered by a sequential time(sec./min./hour). The watering sequence required for growthis three minutes of watering for 17 minutes of rest. Inflowering, the sequence is three minutes of wateringseparated by 20 minutes of rest.

Ventilation

Ventilation is taken care of by an installation that isspecifically adapted to the size of my indoor garden, andthat is programmed to change the air every 1.5 minutes(this should be kept under five minutes).

I used a Dayton supply air fan for incoming air (265 CFM)as well as a Dayton supply air fan for outgoing air (265CFM). I have also added to the set-up the German-madeOdorXtractor (250 PCM) carbon filter, which lasts between ayear and a year and a half. It is set on a 15 centimetre (247CFM) Aeroflo® 150A fan made by Elicent®. I do not use aCO2 system, because the narrow space in my garden doesnot permit me to do so.

Lighting

Lighting is a crucial element in any indoor garden. If thelamps give off too much heat, your plants will fry. If theydon’t give off enough light, you will wait in vain forflowering and will harvest disappointing results. Lightmovers can help you, but there are a few things you shouldknow to be able to use them well. Light movers get thelight down between the plants.

Since there is no wind in an indoor garden to move thebranches, light movers allow the light to get in between thebranches. By changing the angle at which the light hits theplants, you can get more light to reach down to lowerleaves.

The Light Rail 3.5 from Intelli-Drive is the most reliable lightmover in the industry. The variable travelling distanceallows you to use the Light Rail 3.5 in a garden of any size.Just cut or extend the rail. A built-in time delay device stopsthe motor at each end of the rail for one to sixty seconds.

Use it to achieve a more even growth of the canopy. Thelamps may be placed much closer to the plants. I do not

VOL. 8 ISSUE 3 | 21


recommend moving the light more than 84 centimetres fromthe center of the rail. Use a straight wood board to stopthe track from warping; it will also make it easier to mountit to the ceiling.

Lighting varies in function of the plants’ cycle. I havechosen two 1,000 watt metal halide lamps (MH) for growthand two 1,000 watt high pressure sodium lamps (HPS) forflowering.

Once all 64 rooted cuttings are placed in the clay pellets,all that is required is to set the lighting cycle for 18 hoursper cycle. Then, when the height reached is sufficient totrigger flowering, the light cycle should be readjusted to 12hours to induce flowering (usually when the cuttings arestill under 20 centimetres).

One could also start seedlings by placing seeds right intothe clay pellets. This is a quick and efficient method: noneed to mess with a dome, a fully sterile rootingenvironment, etc.

Choosing Nutrients

The product combination I use is the same one used bymost modern gardeners, but I specifically add Jurassicproducts, which gives me better results. After only sevendays in the table, the cuttings are already starting to havebeautiful, strong and vigorous roots! Remember thatJurassic’s Carbo-Boost is a supplement; it does not containany fertilizer. This product should be used as part of acomplete nutritional program only. Consequently, theJurassic supplements must always be used with basicnutrients for better results. During the growth phase, treatthe plants only once a week. I add some strong nutrientsformulas like a Grow A + B formula for the growth cycle, abooster mix at the very beginning of the flowering cycleand a Bloom A + B formula from the onset of flowering untilthe end of the cycle. When flowering begins, I also add amixture of vitamins, hormones, macro and micronutrients(generally available under the generic name of “Thrive”formula). Finally, to maintain the nutritive solution’s pH, Iuse Green Gold Hydroponics pH+ (Up) and pH- (Down) aswell as Green Gold Hydroponics Peroxide 35%. For all mymeasuring, I trust Hanna Instruments pH/ppm combo.

Happy Growing!

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SEEDS OFVIRTUES

The aphrodisiac qualities of some plants have been known sinceAntiquity. Our ancestors knew all about the seeds of virtues!

Aphrodisiacs work in two ways—igniting passion by eitherworking on the mind—, or by affecting parts of the body.

By Mimsy Phoebus

“Every seed we plant has the possibility of virtues. Plant an aster and you plantenchantment. You also plant patience. Set the seed of Delphinium and you plant

lightness and an open heart. The hydrangea that you plant brings gratefulness ofunderstanding. With Heather you find good luck and admiration. The Stargazer

lily bulb grows to represent wealth and prosperity. From the peony rhizome willbloom romance, good fortune and a happy marriage. The rhizome of an irisbrings forth faith, valor and wisdom within the three upright petals of each

flower. Plant a drift. The seeds the snapdragon holds both deception andgraciousness. Care for it and you will be blessed with graciousness. Plant Gladiolus

and you plant strength and integrity. Statice blooms remembrance. From thesunflower we gain happiness, adoration and longevity.What are you going to

plant in your garden next year? When the seed catalogs come, think aboutplanting virtue. To find out what other virtues you can plant, check out the

symbolism and meaning of flowers. The virtues here are found at teleflora.com.”— Donna (gardenwalkgardentalk.com)

PART 1

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BOTANICAL DICTIONARY | THE INDOOR GARDENER

Ajuga reptans (Bugleweed): An ornamental plant, bugleweed, alsoknown as “carpenter’s herb,” is often used as a medicinal plant. It hasthe supposed ability to stem bleeding.

Allium ascalonicum (Shallot): The shallot was widely consumed inancient times by the Greeks and Romans. The Romans considered itas much an aphrodisiac as a food. Many historians and botanistsbelieve that the shallot was introduced into Europe by crusadersreturning from the near East. Whatever its origin, this herb isparticularly popular in France, a country recognized for the quality of itsshallots.

Allium Cepa (Onion): Onions are used to treat certain medicalconditions. They contain anti-inflammatory, anti-cholesterol, anticancer,and antioxidant properties and are thought to have aphrodisiacproperties.

Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi (Bearberry or Bear’s Grape): Bearberrycontains a considerable amount of tannins (up to 40 percent) making itone of nature’s most powerful astringents. It also contains anassortment of chemical compounds, especially arbutin, that are activeagainst many of the pathogens commonly found in urinary tractinfections. In fact, the leaves of this European herb contain 10% of themost active principles of arbutin, which splits into glucose andhydroquinone in the kidneys. It has been used traditionally for centuriesfor genitourinary and immune support, as well as for its aphrodisiac andpurifying properties.

Artemisia absinthium (Wormwood): Historically wormwood has beenused as a parasitic worm killer, an aphrodisiac, a tonic and to induceperspiration. Other traditional applications include regulatingmenstruation and reducing fever. Most famous however is the mixing ofthe wormwood drug absinthol with anise to produce the intoxicatingbeverage known as absinthe. Wormwood is employed today in themaking of vermouth, and accounts for this drink’s characteristic bitterflavour.

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): Ashwagandha, which if literallytranslated means “redolent of a horse”, has many beneficial properties.Traditionally, it was prescribed after an illness in order to strengthen theimmune system. It is hard to conceive that a small shrub ofAshwagandha is endowed with so many biologically active compounds.These compounds are extracted not just from its fruit (berries) but alsofrom its leaves and roots. It is therefore not surprising that its use hasbeen that of an anti-inflammatory agent, immune system protector,

antioxidant, tranquiliser, anxiety reducer, and anti-carcinogenic agent.

Asteracantha longifolia (Hygrophila): Hygrophila has too manypossible beneficial herbal uses to fully enumerate. However, it has longbeen used in India as a diuretic in the treatment of “dropsies”(accumulation of watery fluid in the tissues or in a body cavity),especially where there is hepatic obstruction, and also as a popularaphrodisiac. Medicinal properties are demulcent, aphrodisiac, diuretic,urinary tonic and hepatoprotective.

Astragalus glyciphyllos L. (Milk Vetch): Sometimes referred as the“over the counter penis pill”, milkvetch seeds have a long history ofuses to improve impotence, to enhance seminal emissions and tocontrol premature ejaculation. Currently however, much of the researchis focused on its immune-stimulating polysaccharides and other activeingredients useful in immune deficiency conditions.

Avena sativa (Oats): Since ancient times, oats have been believed tobe a rich source of energy. However the product which is supposed tohave aphrodisiacal properties and is now popularly referred as Avenasativa is actually the extract of wild oats straw. The extract from wildoats straw has long been believed to give a boost to the male libido.

Banisteriopsis caapi (Ayahuasca): Conceived of as a means ofopening the human perception of the spiritual world, the brew namedAyahuasca has been mainly used by shamans for a series of purposessuch as the diagnosis and treatment of a large variety of ailments:divination, hunting, warfare, and even as an aphrodisiac.

Begonia tuberhybrida (Tuberous Begonia) and Begonia rex: Begoniarex foliage is the bee’s knees in flower arrangements. Beautiful,streaking magenta, burgundy, teal, silver and blacks—there really isnothing else that can pack so much punch sitting next to a flower. Notonly is it gorgeous, but after the flowers die, you can root your begoniacutting to make a new houseplant. Between Begonia rex and flowers,it’s a love story. A possible aphrodisiac? For a romantic girl, no doubt,and also less slimy than oysters.

Betula pendula (European or Silver Birch): The graceful, ornamental birchtree, with its distinctive bark, provides beauty, important medicinal benefits,and delicious birch beer. The birch tree’s leaves, bark and sap have longbeen used to fight illnesses such as bladder and urinary tract infections,kidney stones, eczema, and is said to be wonderful for alleviating thepains of rheumatism, arthritis and gout. The birch bark is used to reducefever, banish headache, eliminate excess water and thin the blood.

Bearberry

Wormwood

Ashwagandha

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THE INDOOR GARDENER | BOTANICAL DICTIONARY

Boswellia carterii and Boswellia serrata (Olibanum): Olibanum isobtained from resin of trees of the genus Boswellia (Burseraceaefamily). The resin is produced predominantly by four species, includingBoswellia serrata in India, Boswellia carterii in East Africa and China,Boswellia frereana in Somalia and Boswellia sacra in Northern Africaand Arabia. The term guggals collectively refers to gum resins.Boswellia serrata is used in Ayurvedic medicine as an antiarthritic,astringent, stimulant, expectorant, and antiseptic agent while Boswelliacarterii (ruxiang) is mainly used in traditional Chinese medicine toalleviate pain and inflammation and for cancer.

Calluna vulgaris or Erica vulgaris (Heather): Around the time ofWWI, heather was used as a household remedy for all kinds ofillnesses (cystitis, diarrhoea, arthritis, rheumatism and hay fever) andcomplaints (dandruff, consumption, coughs, nerves, snake bites, eyeinfections, infections of the spleen, kidney stones and stones forming inthe internal organs, depression and heart complaints) and wasrecommended to nursing mothers to help them produce more milk!

Cananga odorata (Ylang-ylang or Ilang-ilang): Sensual and exoticylang-ylang is renowned for its aphrodisiac properties and is often usedin the name of love! Ylang-ylang means “flower of flowers”… and thatin itself conjures up romance! Its antidepressant qualities are wellknown in helping with sexual problems such as impotence and frigidity.Ylang-ylang is particularly useful with rapid breathing (hyperpnoea) andrapid heartbeat (tachycardia) and its sedative properties could helpbring down high blood pressure.

Carica papaya (Papaya tree): Papaya is oestrogenic, meaning it hascompounds that act as the female hormone oestrogen. It has beenused as a folk remedy in promoting menstruation and milk production,facilitating childbirth and increasing the female libido. See also our Vol. 1 – Issue 4.

Chelidonium majus (Celandine): Celandine is a prominent liverremedy, which covers many of the direct reflex symptoms of diseasedconditions of that organ. Take it carefully because it contains certainstrong alkaloids that aren’t recommended to be taken in largequantities.

Cicer arietinum (Chickpea): Chickpeas are naturally low in fat, high indietary fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals. Eating chickpeasregularly can help you manage your weight, boost intestinal health andreduce your risk of developing type-2 diabetes.

Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Cinnamon): Cinnamon has the effect ofmild stimulation of sex glands without any adverse effect of doping

Conium maculatum (Poison hemlock): Strangely enough, the effect ofpoison hemlock is opposite to an aphrodisiac. It’s recommended (afterconsulting your doctor) in the case of nymphomania or epilepsy. In thecase of impotence or frigidity, you have to consult a homeopath thatcan prescribe the homeopathic substance called Conium maculatum.

Coriandrum sativum (Coriander): Coriander improves bloodcirculation in the pelvis. As it can have adverse effects, you should takeit carefully.

Delphinium: It improves the pathways of the genital area. It normaliseslibido in people who are too emotional.

Digitalis laevigata (Fox glove): Digitalis are producing glycosides,which are forming in the second year leaves. They yield digitoxin anddigitalin which regulate activity of the heart.

Datura metel or Datura fastuosa (Devil’s trumpet): See our Vol. 7 – # 6.

Echinacea purpurea “Magnus” (Purple coneflower ‘Magnus’):Extracts from this plant are used as an herbal remedy to relieve coldand sinus ailments.

Echinocactus grusonii (Golden barrel): See our Vol. 1 – Issue 6.

Ephedra viridis (Green Mormon tea): This kind of mountain tea,valued for the blood and kidneys, grew in remote California inland area.Local Chumash Indians used it in their traditional medicine. As theChumash tradition says: “We are constantly walking on herbs, thevirtues of which no one knows.” Thankfully, their ancestors and herbdoctors made sure to test those herbs for medicinal purposes.

Erysimum hybrides (Wallflower): The wallflower oil has a pleasingperfume if diluted, but in full strength a disagreeable odour. Thealkaloid is useful acting on nerve centres and on the muscles. BotanistGalen says that yellow wallflower works more powerfully than any ofthe other kind. It cleanses the blood, and the liver and reins fromobstructions, promotes menstruations, removes the hardness of thespleen, reduces inflammations and swellings, comforts and strengthensany weak part. It cleanses the eyes from mistiness and films, andulcers in the mouth, or any other part, and is a singular remedy for thegout, and aches and pains in the joints and sinews. In homoeopathic

Chickpea

Star AniseCelandine

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BOTANICAL DICTIONARY | THE INDOOR GARDENER

medicine a tincture of the whole plant has been found useful in theeffects of cutting the wisdom tooth.

F. magellanica gracilis and F. magellanica riccartonii (Fuchsia):Ancient Incas prized the hummingbird pollinated fuchsia’s berries andflowers, enjoying them not only as a delicious snack but also usingthem for treatment to cure depression and heartache; thus creating thetraditional name of the flower as corazon (heart).

Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel): Chewing fennel seeds after meals canstimulate digestion and relieve symptoms of bloating and stomachpains. Plus, they serve as an excellent natural mouth freshener. Theycan also be consumed as an aphrodisiac, but use it moderatelybecause the consumption of large quantities of seeds can causenervous crises and hallucinations.

Gentiana Verna (Spring Gentian): Spring Gentian is a blue wildflower.It is considered bad luck to bring the gentian into a house, as theindividual would risk being struck by lightning. Also, folklore suggestedthat death would follow if the flower was ever picked.

Green anise: Anise is a cardiotonic. It activates the parasympatheticnervous system and stimulates the release of hormones. It can causemild euphoria.

Hemerocallis (Daylily): The Chinese called it plant of forgetfulness(husan t'sao) because their flowers' beauty last only for a day.

Hordeum vulgare (Common barley): Barley improves blood circulationin the pelvis and cleanses the pelvis and genital pathways.

Hyacinthus orientalis (Hyacinth): According to ancient Chinesemedicine, hyacinth symbolically procures joy to the heart and is said toattract love and luck. Hyacinth essential oil is antiseptic, balsamic,hypnotic and sedative, and it is also mentally invigorating and helpfulfor stress-related conditions.

Indian hemp: Indian hemp as an aphrodisiac? Yes! Doctors with anexpertise on sexual behaviour have demonstrated that consumingIndian hemp increases the duration of excitement and the pleasureresponse. You be the judge!

Illicium anisatum (Japanese star anise): Star anise is highly toxic,therefore it is not edible; instead, it has been burned as incense inJapan, where it is known as shikimi.

Kiwi fruit: Kiwi fruit is the most nutrient-rich of the top 26 fruitsconsumed in the world today. It also has the highest density of any fruitfor vitamin C and magnesiumóa limited mineral in the food supply ofmost affluent countries and a nutrient important for cardiovascularhealth. Among the top three low-sodium, high-potassium fruits, kiwifruitranks number one, having more potassium than a banana or citrusfruits.

Mandragora officinarum (Mandrake): The aphrodisiac properties areoften ascribed to the mandrake, probably because of the phallic shapeof the plant’s roots. However, the mandrake has the opposite effect.Today, we know that it contains the substances used for anaesthesia.Instead of arousing sexual desire, you’re more likely to begin to feelsleepy.

Matanuska Tundra (Thunderfuck plant): See our Vol. 8 – Issue 2.

Marula Fruit (Sclerocarya birrea): The African Marula fruit has delicatesweet-sour taste and is found to have more than four times the VitaminC of an orange. The kernel consists of two or three cells each with itsown kernel. The kernels are used as a protein substitute for meat aswell as a meat preservative which has proven to make meat last aslong as six months. The kernel has high oil content at 56% as well as agood dietetic ratio of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The oil isused in cooking and as a preserve, but it proves to be effective in themaking of face paints, which are used in African tribal rituals. The oil isalso used in keeping animal skins and leather, soft and moisturized.

Melanium (Pansy): The pansy is symbolic of friendship, attainable onlythrough the three virtues of patience, good temper and courtesy. Pansy,whose scientific name is Viola tricolor, suggests one rule of three. Thename Viola tricolor explains why pansy is sometimes called the HerbTrinity. It also explains its pet name of “Three-faces-under-a-hood”.

Mimosa: The plant is well known in the medical world for itsregenerative properties on epidermal tissue. It restructures skinweakened by ageing and helps skin damaged by environmentalfactors, cosmetic surgery or severe dryness to recover its integrity.

Morinda citrifolia (Indian mulberry): Noni, or Indian mulberry, has beenextensively used in folk medicine by Polynesians for over 2,000 years.It has been reported to have broad therapeutic effects, includinganticancer activity. The mechanism for these effects remains unknown.

To be continued.

Mimosa

Indian Mulberry

26 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 3

THE INDOOR GARDENER |

VOL. 8 ISSUE 3 | 27


HydroponicEquipment

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28 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 3


Maitake (Grifola frondosa) is an adaptogen, meaning thatit helps the body adapt to stress and also normalizes bodilyfunctions. Its healing properties are related to its highcontent of a powerful polysaccharide called beta-1, 6-glucan.A polysaccharide is a complex carbohydrate made up ofsmaller sugar molecules. In laboratory studies, this substancehas been shown to stop the growth of cancerous tumors.Studies have also shown that it improves the activity of keyimmune cells known as T-helper cells, a type of white bloodcell. Maitake have other medicinal properties and have beenthe subject of research against HIV. For instance, they areuseful for diabetes, by controlling blood sugar levels. Maitake

have been shown to decrease high blood pressure in diabeticpatients. They can also be used to reduce chronic fatiguesyndrome, hepatitis and obesity.

You can purchase Maitake as a food item, in capsule, extract,or as a tea. They grow in the wild, but it wasn’t until the late1980s that a technique for artificial cultivation of Maitake wasdeveloped in Japan making it possible to conduct research onits properties, and they are now cultivated in mushroomgrowing facilities on logs or artificial logs. One can alsopurchase a kit that comes with everything needed to growyour own Maitake mushrooms at home.

THE MEDICINALMUSHROOMADVANTAGE

It is estimated that there are some 38,000 species of mushrooms, ofwhich 50 are known to be poisonous and another 50 have medicinal

value. Indeed, several important historical figures–Claudius II, PopeClement VII, and Buddha–died after ingesting poisonous

mushrooms. And every year, wild mushrooms intoxicate and evenkill after being consumed by careless people. Thus, the image of

mushrooms as potentially dangerous lingers on in some minds. Inthe last decade, however, there has been an increased recognition

in the western world of the beneficial effects of certain types ofmushrooms. In Asian cultures, legends about the ability of medicinal

mushrooms to preserve youth and increase longevity dates backthousands of years, but only in the last 20 years has scientific

research provided a factual basis for these legends.

By Brandon Pillon

VOL. 8 ISSUE 3 | 29

DISCOVERY | THE INDOOR GARDENER

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is considered an immunemodulator, meaning that it helps the body adjust and tonethe systems of the body, and is a staple of Eastern medicine.The Chinese name, ling chih, means “mushroom ofimmortality.” There are six types of Ganoderma lucidum: red,purple, green, white, yellow, and black. The red mushroom isthe most studied and is said to possess the most healingproperties. The Japanese government lists Reishi mushroomsas helping with the treatment for cancer. Reishi containsmany active ingredients including: polysaccharides andtriterpenes. Triterpenes are steroid like molecules that stophistamine from forming and being released in the body, andhave anti-inflammatory properties, and is useful in thetreatment of arthritis. The triterpenes in Reishi are known asganoderic acids. The polysaccharides are known as Beta-D-Glucans, and studies have shown it stimulates the immunesystem to help fight cancer. Rather than attacking tumorsthemselves, researchers believe that they stimulate theproduction of T-cells to fight the afflicted cells.

Through research studies, today’s scientists have found thatReishi has anti-allergic properties by blocking histamine. Italso has anti-inflammatory properties useful for arthriticconditions, anti-viral properties very useful during cold andflu season, as well as anti-bacterial, and antioxidant,properties that help a person overcome illness, and releasetoxins from the body. A protein isolated from Reishi—LingZhi-8—may reduce the risk of transplant rejection aftersurgery. Reishi is available in syrups, soups, teas, tinctures,and capsules. Reishi mushrooms grow in the wild onhardwood logs, and are also cultivated in mushroom growingfacilities and for the DIYer one can buy a kit online for athome cultivation.

Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is said to be one of the mostpopular gourmet mushrooms in the world. Shiitake may nothave the same reputation as the medicinal mushroompowerhouses as Reishi or Maitake, but make no mistake,there are some very healthy benefits to consuming thesemushrooms, and their use dates back at least one thousandyears. What makes Shiitake such a popular medicinalmushroom is that it contains lentinan, a polysaccharide withstrong anti-cancer properties. For this reason, studies showthat Shiitake mushrooms are especially beneficial for thosesuffering from stomach and colon cancers. The compounds inShiitake’s can cause many beneficial changes in the body.

And they are thought to have the following benefits: cancerprevention, anti-fungal by helping overcome fungalinfections, anti-viral useful during the cold and flu season,general anti-infection properties, lower cholesterol by helpingremove cholesterol from the body, and reduce bloodpressure.

In test-tube studies in Japan it is indicated that LEM (shortfor Lentinula edodes myucelium), a powerful extract ofShiitake mushrooms, is said to be more useful in treatingHIV-infected cells than other well-known medicationdeveloped to delay the progress of AIDS. The studiesindicated that LEM may stimulate the body to produceantibodies, like white blood cells. Research into the healthbenefits of Shiitake’s started in the 1960s and has continuedto show positive results in laboratory studies to date. It wasnot until the 1940s that these mushrooms were commerciallycultivated in mushroom growing facilities. And again for thedo-it-yourselfer out there you can buy a kit and start to growand harvest these healthy and very tasty mushrooms in yourown home.

Maitake, Reishi, and Shiitake mushrooms not onlystimulate the immune system but are a rich source of aminoacids, vitamins, and minerals while containing little fat orcholesterol and few calories. No mushroom though has beenfound to provide the health benefits of Maitake mushrooms.With hope, spread the spores of knowledge and health intothe minds and bodies of the people.

References:

healthcastle.comlivestrong.commushroomcompany.commushroominfo.commushroom-appreciation.commycosource.com1stholistic.com

30 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 3


A Dream Made Reality for Guillaume BoulangerBy Jessy Caron

This profile is part of a series which aims at keeping you abreast of what ishappening in the hydroponic industry and agri-food industry through

presentations, anecdotes and visits to companies, as well as with profiles ofthe main movers and shakers in the North American hydroponic gardening

and agri-food industry network. With it, we hope to open a window oncareer opportunities in the many fields related to gardening and

agriculture. Guillaume Boulanger, of “Paysagiste Roche Inc.” in Montreal(Quebec), is our third feature.

LANDSCAPINGDESIGNER

A Young Career

Born in La Guadeloupe, 100 km south-east of Quebec City,Guillaume Boulanger developed a strong interest in naturevery early on. Throughout his childhood and adolescence,this passion continued to grow and when he had to choosea career, he did not hesitate: landscaping was going to behis life. In 1997 he joined the Quebec Agricultural,Horticultural and Food Technology Institute, in Saint-Hyacinthe to study landscape marketing and ornamentalhorticulture. During his studies, he managed to keep a part-time job in a local garden center. After his graduation in2000, he completed an additional year of studies in gardendesign at the Faculty of Environmental Design at theUniversity of Montreal.

With this rich academic baggage, Guillaume was hired inthe spring of 2001 by Paysagiste Roche Inc., a Montrealcompany that operates primarily in Nuns’ Island, an upper-class neighbourhood offering opportunities for large-scale

private landscaping contracts. Over the years, PaysagisteRoche Inc. has gained a loyal and renowned clientele withhigh-quality, rich and creative projects. Guillaume made hisdebut in the field. Gradually though, he began working withclients, assessing their needs and developing a financialestimation of their projects. In the office, he was firstmainly in charge of management and project designs(garden layouts and blueprints) as well as administrativework. With time and experience, he was given moreautonomy, more complex tasks and greater responsibilities.

In 2006, Guillaume’s responsibilities were extended to coverthe full spectrum of client services, selling projects,estimating their costs, preparing contracts and overseeingtheir realization to the client’s full satisfaction. He alsocoordinated the work of the supervisors involved in theexecution of his projects. He even got involved in marketdevelopment and new products. One of these was a boldChristmas-inspired landscaping that was quite extraordinaryand had great success.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 3 | 31


Meanwhile, Guillaume also got involved in other projectsrelated to his profession such as the International FloraMontreal exhibition, at the Garden Locks in the Old Port ofMontreal. There, he gave a series of lectures on the mostbeautiful gardens of Québec, in collaboration with the APPQ(Quebec’s professional landscapers association). He alsowrites articles for the magazine Fleurs, Plantes et Jardin,and is the designer of eight projects that won distinctionsat the landscaping contest organised by the APPQ.

A Glance at ITA St.Hyacinthe

The Quebec Agricultural, Horticultural and Food TechnologyInstitute is a network of three specialized collegeinstitutions and centers including the campuses of LaPocatière, Saint-Hyacinthe and McGill University’s MacDonaldCollege.

The Agricultural, Horticultural and Food Technology Institute:

• employs over 300 persons dedicated to the developmentof skills in many areas of expertise;• offers training in seven specialized technical programs tomore than 1,000 students annually, or nearly 70% of thoseenrolled in training programs related to the agri-foodindustry;• has granted degrees to more than 9,000 graduates since1965;• enjoys a generally higher level of success for its studentsthan the provincial average and...• ...a hiring rate of close to 100% for its graduates;• provides nearly 9,000 hours of part-time courses per yearto about 4,000 students;• has developed an internationally recognised expertise intraining agro-food specialists and exports its talent to over25 countries in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe;• operates an impressive campus infrastructure: schoolfarms, dairy and food processing plants, school gardens,composting centers, professional greenhouses, etc.

The Institut de technologie agroalimentaire de Saint-Hyacinthe (Agricultural, Horticultural and Food TechnologyInstitute, ITA) was inaugurated in 1962. Over the years,graduates of ITA have become essential actors in theindustry. See how you too can become one by visiting theInstitute’s website!

ita.qc.ca

Let me take you, if I may, to a small first grade classroomin the great city of Seattle. This particular classroom islocated more than two decades in the past, but except forthe lack of computers, it’s really not all that different fromthe first grade classrooms of today. There are great bigpaper letters on the walls, marching around the top of theroom to form the alphabet. There are student-made papersnowflakes hanging in the windows, each created using thetime honored fold-it-cut-it-hope-it-doesn’t-fall-apart method.And there is a teacher, smiling secretively as she carries ina huge, mysterious-looking plastic tub, which she places onher desk with the aura of a priestess about to perform animportant ancient rite. “Today, class,” she announces witha gleam in her eye, “you are going to become gardeners.”

I can still remember the excited hum that arose as twoparent volunteers handed out thick black markers and shortstrips of masking tape, telling us to write our names. Oncethis was accomplished—the more artistic among usembellishing the makeshift labels with little stars andflowers, the pragmatists simply writing their names and lastinitials—we were each given a disposable plastic cup totape our labels to. Then we were instructed to line upsingle file around the room. The mystery tub wasuncovered—it contained a large amount of potting soil, richand brown and fragrant—along with a paper bag full of big,fat sunflower seeds. We children marched around the roomone by one, choo-choo train fashion, filled our cups fromthe tub, and selected and planted a seed. Then we

continued on to the sink at the back of the room, whereone of the motherly volunteers helped us to water ourseeds. And presto! Suddenly we each had our very owngardens.

As I’m sure you can imagine, this was a very messyendeavor. There was more than a little water spilled andsoil ground into the flooring. In fact, I can rememberoverhearing two of the mothers talking about it later withmy teacher, Mrs. Barnum. The moms were wondering whyon earth Mrs. Barnum hadn’t just asked one of thegrownups to fill the cups and present them to the students,already pre-planted. But Mrs. Barnum, whose wisdom Iwouldn’t even begin to appreciate until I was grown upmyself, said that would have robbed the children of anessential part of the experience. We needed to get a feelfor the soil, and there was no way to do that without ahave little dirt spilled. She then added that there was noquicker way to get your average six-year-old interested in aproject than to allow him or her to make a great big muddymess in the middle of the classroom. Letting us plant theseeds ourselves meant we’d be much more engaged andcurious about our seedlings’ fate.

She was right. A huge sense of excitement overcame theclass a few weeks later when we all came to school todiscover that one seed—Sam S’s, if I remember correctly—had actually poked its first tiny shoot of green above thesoil. After that the competitive spirit took over, and soon

THE SEED IN

THE PLASTIC CUP

By Kerrie R. Barney

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ADVENTURES IN GARDENING | THE INDOOR GARDENER

there was a daily contest to see which plant had grown themost.

We were a pretty fair-minded group. Life had already taughtus that the tallest child wasn’t necessarily the best at mathor the most gifted at sports, so there were severalcategories established in which one could win honors. Theowner of the thickest stalks, as well as the one with thelargest number of leaves, earned bragging rights equal tothe owner of the tallest plant.

Now, I would have been happy if my plant had achievedany of these honors. Unfortunately, my plant stayed smalland spindly. It poked up its first false leaves and then justsat there, doing nothing. It didn’t earn so much as anhonorable mention in any of the categories. So, whenSpring Break came and all the other kids took their plantshome, I rather peevishly stuffed mine into the back of mydesk. And then promptly forgot all about it.

I’m sorry to say that at the age of six, my housekeepingskills were such that the plant might have been forgottenforever. Our desks were simple constructions, consisting ofmetal legs and a plain wooden top, with a u-shaped metalcubbyhole nailed underneath. It was very easy for thechild-me to keep every day essentials like crayons andpencils in the front of the cubby, while old spelling papers,math tests, and—I’m now very embarrassed to confess—theleftovers of my brown sack lunches got stuffed to the back.They crumpled together into the first grader’s version of acollapsing black hole, never to be seen again.

At least, that would have been true if it had only beenpapers I’d stuffed back there. Math tests and spellingpapers both tend to decompose gracefully, often takingmany decades before they yellow and finally crumble away.Sadly, the same cannot be said for leftover bolognasandwiches, which like to give off plentiful odors as theydie. The day we all came back from Spring Break, Mrs.Barnum tactfully suggested that I stay in at recess andclean out my desk.

She must have done it very tactfully indeed, because I don’tremember feeling like it was a punishment. Instead I feltvery grown-up and serious as I sat in the quiet classroom

alone with my teacher, carefully emptying out my desk. Itwas an interesting kind of archeology, almost like openingup a mini-time capsule as I looked over my old projectsand assignments, remembering what we’d done weeksbefore. In particular, I found one math test that made mefeel quite smug, because I knew that if I’d taken the testagain that day, I could have answered the questions a lotmore easily. But my smugness was fairly short lived. Rightat the very, very back of the desk, I found an overturnedplastic cup. And I knew immediately that it contained mylong abandoned sunflower plant.

I remember that I drew the cup out of the cubby hole withan intense feeling of guilt. I truly expected the littleseedling to be dead, and I knew it was my fault forneglecting it. I think I had some vague plan of disposingof the cup very quietly in the classroom garbage can,carefully covered with the rest of my garbage so Mrs.Barnum couldn’t tell what it was. But the plant wasn’tdead.

It wasn’t healthy. It was spindly, weak, and colored a verysickly white from the lack of light. Still, it had grown—quite wonderfully, it seemed to me. The tiny seedling hadtransformed into more than two feet of fragile, ghostlywhite growth, creeping and twining towards the tinyventilation holes cut in the back of the desk which hadbeen its only source of light. It was certainly much longerthan any of my friends’ plants had been before they tookthem home. I shouted in excitement for Mrs. Barnum tocome see.

But much to my surprise, Mrs. Barnum wasn’t as excited Iwas by my find. Instead, she just looked sadly at my plantand shook her head. “Poor little thing,” she said.

I was astonished. I thought I had made a wonderfuldiscovery. My plant was alive and had grown more than I’dever expected. Surely that meant I could now take it home,where it could grow into a big, big sunflower. But when Itold Mrs. Barnum this, she just shook her head again. “No,Kerrie,” she said gently. “Plants need lots of water andsunshine in order to grow strong enough to face the world.This one never had a chance. Look how pale and weak itis. To grow outside, it needs to be sturdy enough to stand

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THE INDOOR GARDENER | ADVENTURES IN GARDENING

up to the wind, and its leaveshave to be green in order to makefood from the sun. If you triedtransplanting it now, it would dieof shock. I’m afraid it’s too latefor it.” She looked at the plantsadly one more time, then touchedit with a finger, a respectful lookon her face. “But it really didquite well, given what it had tocontend with. Isn’t it amazinghow living things keep trying togrow, no matter what?”

She then took the plant away andplaced it in the big classroomgarbage can before she went backto her own papers, blissfully unaware of the horrified six-year-old girl she’d left behind. I felt, to put it plainly, justlike a murderess. The fact that my carelessness hadn’t justhurt this little plant, but had actually maimed it to thepoint where it could never recover, was a very soberingthing. Now, every human being needs to learn that theyhave the power to harm the things around them, and mylittle lesson certainly had a great effect on me. From thatday onward I was much more careful with any living thingthat came under my care, as a long string of happy pethamsters and rabbits will attest. Still. No six-year-old childcan have the perspective to see that far into the future, andat the time I was mortified and struck with grief. The horrorof finding that white little plant stayed with me for a very,very long time.

Now, though, that I’m an adult, I can see that this eventcontained another lesson, too. And it is one as joyous andextraordinary as the other one was painful. The lesson wasthis:Life keeps trying.

It’s really true. There is some inherent quality in the verypulse of life itself that keeps it from giving up, no matterhow overwhelming the odds. Looked at that way, myspindly white seedling isn’t a sign of failure. It’s actually asymbol of triumph. And the brave, wise teacher of a lessonthat I, and perhaps a few of you out there struggling in theworld right now, really need to remember now.

Life keeps trying.

It’s a lesson I’ve come to reflect on often in recent years, asboth my personal life and the lives of my country andworld go through their own cycles of hardship anddarkness. It’s a lesson I made myself remember when mybeloved Border collie MacAiogdh became epileptic andstarted having grand mal seizures several times a month. Itsang in my head the day my parents called to tell me thatthey’d lost their retirement income and that their home, the

20-acre homestead I grew up on,was being foreclosed on as aresult. And I clutched it withespecial force the week that twoof my doctors sat me down andtold me that I needed to finallyswallow my pride and apply fordisability benefits, since in theiropinion my health issues wouldnever allow me to work a normaljob. Life keeps trying, I toldmyself then. Life always keepstrying.

Because it does. To see this lawin evidence, all you have to do islook around you. Every

supermarket parking lot has its crack where the dandelionshave taken hold. My dog, once his seizures are at an endand he’s had a chance to rest, always brings me his favoritetoy with a wagging tail, as if to say “What are you still soupset about? Come on, let’s go play!” My magnificentseventy year-old Dad has decided that losing his retirementfund is simply the world’s way of telling him that it stillneeds him, and is beginning a brand new job in a brandnew state.

And me? I am learning to accept the fact that even if mylife is not turning out the way that I expected, I still *am*living, part of the great web of existence and able tocontribute in many ways that aren’t necessarily reflected onan income tax form. More to the point, I’m not going to leta particular diagnoses stop me from loving, from healing, orfrom continuing to see what’s around the next bend.Whatever the universe finds to throw at me next, I will keeptrying.

We will all keep trying.

We can’t help ourselves. The same force that caused mylittle sunflower to grow anyway, to stretch out and seek forthe light, is in every one of us. Even as our world vibrateson the edge of total economic collapse and more bad newsseems to come every day, I am certain of it. To quote theclassic science fiction author James P. Hogan, “we belong toa tradition in which the concept of defeat has no meaning.”Countless millennia of natural selection has simply bred thesurrender gene out of us.

It doesn’t guarantee success. Perhaps one day, like my littleseed in the plastic cup, we will eventually find that theforces arrayed against us are just too much. But until thatday, we will continue to grow, to strive, to find newsolutions. And when it comes to the final score, theultimate tally of success—well.

I know which way I’m betting.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 3 | 35


36 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 3

THE INDOOR GARDENER | ELECTION DAY

It All Started at the Wagon Wheel

The story of the Wagon Wheel Restaurant andBar goes a lot farther back than just the timeof my first Congressional campaign (see Vol. 8– Issue 2). In fact the start of my history withthe Wagon Wheel goes back 14 years, when Ifirst moved to the Plateau Valley. Ed Ball wasthe first owner and he was proud to offeranything from elephant steaks to ostrichburgers. Old Ed was also into the exotic gameand as a hobby he raised exotic birds. Hispeacocks and exotic Chinese pheasants werehis pride and joy. With my foster son Jeremy,we once tried to sell him a pair of our whiteturkeys dyed in pink to add to his exotic birdcollection. We coined them ‘Rocky MountainFlamingo’ after they had accidently fallen in

my pink dyed floral vat (see Vol. 7, issue 6)!Jeremy put the beautiful pink Rocky MountainFlamingos into an ornate birdcage and headedto the bar in pursuit of a buyer for them. As wewalked into the place, the birds immediatelycaught Old Ed’s eye! “What kind of birds doyou got in that cage?” Hippy Bob asked. Hewas just sitting at the bar with his usualinquisitive stare looking at those birds andbroke out laughing! Perhaps that might havegiven us away but Old Ed was just about topay $50.00 for a mated pair when someonesuggested that those birds’ legs were mightyshort for flamingos!

Thousands of stories have been told at theWagon Wheel but this one may go on forever!Indeed the Bar at Collbran was renamed The

Rocky Mountain Flamingo when my friendKole told the story to the new owner. The talemight have been embellished a little but for afew years the bar was named after that event!

A VICTORYMARCH!

The Tales of the Hippy Dippy GardenerAn Epilogue to my First Congressional Campaign – Part 2

By Jim Fritz

Six years ago, I was one of the most unlikely candidates in the United StatesCongressional election for Colorado’s District 3, which includes the cities of

Grand Junction and Durango. I did very well indeed and I am proud to say thatI came very close to being the third candidate on the ballot since just 300 to

500 more signatures on my petition would have put me there. In the process, Ispent an amazing $1,388 and received three standing ovations from a majorityof the crowd that I spoke to. I obtained an amazing 233 signatures at the TwoRivers Convention Center, at the Candidate Forum, which amounted to over a

third of the people that attended! But let’s go back in time about 10 years,when I was working at a wonderful restaurant and bar in Collbran.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 3 | 37

ELECTION DAY | THE INDOOR GARDENER

Friend Kole is dead now, I was told. How fastcan the days of our life pass! Darla and herfamily bought the restaurant from Ed Ball andthe family has run it all this 14 years up untilthe time of this writing. Sometimes even I missthe grill but my asthma has forced me to seeka job away from the combined smoke of thegrill and the cigarette.

On the Campaign Trail

And how could I ever forget the day Darla toldme I could make the Wagon Wheel mycampaign headquarters. She even suggestedthat we hold a fundraiser dinner and charge$25.00 a plate to gather the funds for my

website and business cards along with thepaper work and long distance phone calls thatare essential to a campaign. My friend MikeLaw then helped me update my old computerso that I could have a decent website andsoon my Republican friends, Dave and Darryl,were designing the first edition of my webpagefor free. From then on, I faithfully promised thevoters of Colorado that “I will spend no morethan 5,000 dollars for the whole CongressionalRun!”

As soon as I was recovering from a heartattack which coincided with the launch of mycampaign (a very bad timing indeed), mysister Kari and my campaign secretary Betty

Cool made an appointment with Skip Mottram,Head of the Mesa County Democratic Party.He invited me to speak at the IntellecturesCandidate Forum, at Two Rivers Plaza. I can’tdescribe to you the gratitude and appreciationI give him for the chance to run for USCongress.

I walked into the Forum wearing the elegant$3.60 suit that the ladies at Migrant MinistryCommunity Thrift Shop in Palisade had soldme (they had even taken the time to help mewith the final selection guiding me to a trimgrey suit that any politician would be proud of).I was placed next to Bernie Buescher andindeed I was the second speaker. Bernie

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THE INDOOR GARDENER | ELECTION DAY

seemed a little nervous at first, but quicklysettled down and started to discuss realissues! That made me realize where I was andthe next 7 minutes would be some of thehardest minutes of my life. I always praysilently (“Abba, Father! Speak through me!”)and plunge right ahead with the subject athand. This moment was on that scale and Ismoothly proceeded to tell them about howwelfare programs could be more self-sufficient.

Then I was trained for more speeches. Withmy friend Duke, we really had an enjoyableride all the way to our next event in CanonCity. We stopped at a store to purchase a fewthings for our dinner that night: a few hot dogsand Kool-Aid and some chips made for acheap supper. I had suggested that Duke andI camp at a little campground at the head ofPhantom Canyon. I had often stayed at thatsame spot on my way to Colorado Springs onpast trips. As we pulled in to the campground Inoticed no one had cleaned up that same oldpile of roofing shingles that had been there forat least the last 5 years. I couldn’t help butthink to myself “This would be the perfect kindof job to hire the homeless for.” It upset memad to see the first campground at thebeginning of the Gold Bond Tour of theRockies scattered with trash, Our country hasindeed fallen into disgrace to let that happento such a beautiful secluded little campground.

That evening I took Duke on a walk up to alittle side canyon to show him the array ofwildflowers that Phantom Canyon has alwaysdisplayed to me: Wild Blue Flax, Scarlet Gilia,Lupine, Artemesia and Prickly Pear in pink andyellow. Phantom Canyon has other interestingfeatures, including a vast array of beetles thatonly live there. I had met a fellow at thecampground that told me about its interestinginsect life and how many people escaped thecity to find solace in that narrow little canyon.

A Presentation at the Hilton

Duke and I were up early the next morningand after a quick breakfast we were soon onour way to the conference. We arrived at theHilton before anyone else. As Duke backed upto the Service entrance, a sophisticatedgentleman showed up to help us unload ourbaggage. Duke and I stated that we just hadour computer and Power Point show tounload. He looked at us in blue jeans andcasual wear and asked where we wanted ourbaggage to go? I told him we had nobaggage, that unlike the other congressionalcandidate, we were camping out at PhantomCanyon to save money and that we were partof the cost reform movement. He looked

straight at us and mused, “You mean you arenot staying at the Hilton! And you’re runningfor Congress?” He just couldn’t believe that Iwas a Congressional candidate and notstaying at the Hilton!

My computer and Power Point presentationwere set up before anyone else had thechance to say no. I hit the computer buttonand started the show saying which candidatesI supported and why! Many articles from theDaily Sentinel dealt with waste of taxpayermoney by some of the CongressionalContenders. I felt the delegates should knowwho was thrifty before the votes were cast.We then told one of the aides that I wished tospeak to the delegation later. Duke and Ithen took a little drive around theneighborhood. Very soon we realized that thearea surrounding the Hilton was very poor:very small houses built close from oneanother. My next step was to find a thrift storewere I could buy a nice clean shirt I couldwear to speak to the delegation.

Duke spotted an ARC Thrift Store that soldused clothing. I soon was fitted to a very niceshirt for less than $4.00 and went back to theHilton to be near my Power Point show and tospeak to anyone stopping at my table. Duringthe day I would listen to the candidates andcheck out the voting by the delegates.Sometimes I didn’t feel that the process wasquite right as every delegate had to sign hisname to the ballot he voted on. I, as well asmany of the delegation, felt that needs to bechanged. I believe a signed vote invitesintervention to change your vote later. Havingthought that I would speak to the delegation Iwaited politely and, at last, asked when I wasto speak. I was told that the committee haddecided not to wave the rules even though Ihad asked the night before to have that doneas did Randy Frick, another petition candidate.He was voted to speak, I was not. I made mereally angry, that I wouldn’t be able to at leastexplain my point. And I started unplugging mycomputer so that I could leave the Hilton andgo home!

John Salazar, the Democratic Party candidate,saw me leaving. He stepped right up andasked me why I was leaving. I told him aboutthe committee’s decision to not wave the rulesfor me as they did for Randy Fricke. John’sface got beet red. I could tell that he was nothappy with that! He told me not to move as heactually ran to ask why I was not able tospeak? Within a few minutes he returned totell me: “Jim, I’m sorry, they will not give you 3minutes; instead they are giving you 7minutes.” Then he told me to give them hell.

By now he had a big grin on his face. At thatmoment I knew what kind of man JohnSalazar was. The people’s best possiblechoice for a Congressman!

I was the last speaker. By the time I spoke,the final intermission was already starting andonly about one third of the crowd stayed tolisten to what I had to say. The extremelynoisy crowd celebrating the close of theconvention made it just about impossible tohear what I was saying. A couple of peoplefrom the audience indicated that they couldn’thear a word over the celebrating competitionand I decided that everyone should hear atleast some of what I was proposing. I clearedmy throat to gain some control to absolutelyno avail. I tried speaking louder but thepartying conventioneers just got louder! Idecided at that point that I would shout withenough strength that they would at least quietthemselves for a moment. When I had someattention, I began explaining my ideas on thecampaign

I started by explaining that I indeed had aproblem supporting a candidate that owned a56 million dollar home. I stated that I felt aman with that type of home could have nopersonal feelings on conserving our naturalgas or electricity as his utility bill would runmore in themselves than I had ever made in ayear .We need a first lady that knows how todo her own dishes, not just eat with the family.We need a first lady that instills theimportance of a job well done, a first lady thatknows the importance of spending timeteaching children the responsibility of doingthe chores. That’s when I got a loud standingovation from the one third that had stayed tohear what I had to say. And the rest of theattendees could hear that applause. I went onand on with the rest of my program on how torestore respect for politicians by instillingmoral values into our public life. When Istopped speaking, I received another standingovation and when the applause ended, I musthave looked somewhat shocked.

But as I walked by an elderly lady, shegrabbed my hand tightly and told me: “Youngman, so much of what you said touched meand was right to the point! But there is just onething wrong!” I asked her: “What that was?”She then pointed to the crowd that wascelebrating in the background “You see thosefolks, they’re just not listening, but please don’tgive up! There is a time coming very soonwhen even they will listen.”

That one little lady made my day and changedthe long ride home into a victory march!

VOL. 8 ISSUE 3 | 39

INDUSTRY NEWS | THE INDOOR GARDENER

A New e-book fromKerrie R. Barney

For several years now, the faithful readersof The Indoor Gardener magazine havefollowed with interest, emotion and oftenamusement the horticultural adventures ofour colleague Kerrie R. Barney. In thetradition of literary masters of the past,the Washington state-based author turnsthe little things of everyday life into shortsagas.

For those who missed episodes or wish toplunge again in her enchanting universe, a

self-published collection in e-book form isnow available online at Amazon.com. Itbrings back some of Kerrie’s accomplices,the late-MacAiogdh, a border collie bestremembered as the photo model forseveral articles in our own pages, Brian,her resilient golden pothos plant, herparents, uncle, aunt and even cousins. Allthese form an endearing and comfortingworld that will keep you turning the pages.

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Ah, winter, a dreaded season for most but not all. Ullr, Norse God ofwinter, returns from his southern sojourn, bringing with him the gift

that all snow riders have been waiting for since last spring’s closing day.Yes, snow begins to fall and the mountain playgrounds open. Some of

us are fortunate to live in areas known for their early season starts;Killington in southern Vermont comes to mind, as do the Canadian

Rockies and much of western North America. Less fortunate souls maketravel plans to get to the goods wherever and whenever they can.

But where is that the avid winter vacationers should look for a trulymind-expanding mountain experience? Fear not. We are here to helpsort through the maze. Welcome to our guide to the best places for

your winter vacation. We are presenting places to go with a warmreception and plenty of casual snowbirds. Some places will always

remain a secret. Whether you are looking for high-speed carving orbottomless turns, slap some fresh wax on the boards, remember that

bones are not designed to be broken and head for the hills!

SNOWY SLOPESHOLIDAY GUIDE

By M. James (myspace.com/headsmag)Pow(d)er to the people!

VOL. 8 ISSUE 3 | 41

HOLIDAY GUIDE | THE INDOOR GARDENER

Big Sky, Montana

Big Sky Resort in south-western Montana boasts the most vertical feet (4,358) of any ski area inthe Lower 48 states. It is also blessed with over 400 inches of dry fluffy powder every year, andthere’s a relatively low population of gapers, but the best reason to pack your board and head forBig Sky is that it’s quietly tucked away in the anarchy capital of North America. In Montana, thereare few, if any cops, almost everybody parties all the time, amateur, pro, etc., and the guy with thebiggest truck/dog/gun is always right…

One of Big Sky’s most thrilling features is Lone Peak tram, which deposits skiers on the summit of11,166-ft Lone Mountain. From the peak, skiers have their choice of dropping down Liberty Bowl onthe south-facing slope, or a series of extreme chutes down the east. It should be noted that thechutes (Big Couloir, Little Couloir and the A-to-Zs) are expert only. As local telemark-honch, theFrankstigator, says: “Cowards won’t go and the weak will die.”

Unless you’re feeling like the board-bound-Bodhisattva of the mountain, save the session until afteryou’ve survived the summit. There’s over six miles of trail to cruise between the top and the bottomso even the most voracious of sightseer has ample opportunity for a scenic meditation break.According to the Frankstigator, the best place on the mountain to achieve levity is a secret snowlodge, called “The Buddha Hut”. To find it, simply offer to pack some cold beers to pretty much anylocal on the mountain, and they’ll happily show you the path (or run, as the case may be) toenlightenment.

The only draw back to riding Big Sky is that there’s pretty much zero nightlife. It’s a strictly“burn’n’turn” mountain. Of course, every shredder needs to start the morning with some powerfulnosh, and the best picks are the tasty Blue Moon Café and Bakery and the super-friendlyHuckleberry Café—they have been voted “The Best Breakfast in Big Sky”—where the atmosphereis always fresh and clean (no-smoking), with hand-painted murals on the walls of local wildflowersand trout. Both are located below the mountain in the Gallatin Valley.

(bigskyresort.com)

Sierra-at-Tahoe, California

Thee are over ten different resorts around the crystal waters of Lake Tahoe—so why Sierra? Notbecause it’s the biggest, or the steepest, but for the vibe—and for the trees. After a dump has gonethrough California’s Sierra Nevada, there is a rush to get first tracks to all resorts. At Heavenly Valleyand Squaw hundreds are queuing for runs that will be tracked out within an hour. At Sierra, thelocals know their turn will come after the lifts have been dug out.

Once at the top, eager riders head for their favorites stashes. It definitely takes some localknowledge to weave your way through tight trees and pop a 30-foot air over the ice cliffs that dotAvalanche Bowl. Not too keen on life threatening surprises? Jack’s Bowl offers a feast of powderpockets for those prepared to search through the pines. When in need of a quiet sheltered spot tospark one up, there is a cozy little cave on the left-hand side, half way down a run called Castle Run.

There is no accommodation on the hill, and with just the one bar, everyone meets together at day’send to share stories and down a couple of cold ones. If the snow is still good down low and you don’tmind breaking a couple of laws, you can poach some last turns on the Highway 50 pass back intotown. South Lake Tahoe has a plethora of choices for an evening’s entertainment. Nevada’s casinos

42 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 3

THE INDOOR GARDENER | HOLIDAY GUIDE

offer great places to get super cheap drinks and eats if you can withstand all the glitz. However youmay prefer to escape the city and head to one of the tranquil little towns, like adorably fruit-namedStrawberry on the other side of the resort with friendly pubs and genuine mountain people.

(sierratahoe.com)

Jay Peak, Vermont

Smack dab in the middle of Vermont’s rural Northeast Kingdom, Jay Peak feels like it’s a long wayfrom nowhere and that’s just how the locals like it. One of the East Coast’s best kept secrets, JayPeak is an anomaly amongst typically icy or groomed East Coast’s fare. With its non-characteristicsmorgasbord of glades, chutes and off-piste ridings, Jay Peak has exactly what the doctor orderedto cure your “groomed to perfection blues”.

If that’s not enough, wait for a good dump (which is a weekly occurrence) and catch one of theindestructible Austrian-built tramcars to the summit while scanning The Face Chute for lines. Onceon top, climb the staircase to the ridgeline and take a deep breath. That “I can’t believe this is theEast Coast” feeling you’ve got is real. Above treeline and Chewbacca hairy, The Face Chute servesup Big Mountain riding for those who are willing to make the drop. If riding down exposed cliffs isn’tyour bag, hop over to the backside where, over the years, the locals have cleared some great linesfor some sweet tree skiing.

Chill out in the woods with your gang before you pop out onto Route 242 and if you don’t mind ridingin the back with the dogs, a friendly local will gladly give you a lift back to the base. Blessed with aunique meteorological condition, locally known as “The Jay Cloud”, Jay Peak often receives twiceas much snow as anywhere else in the area and it is not uncommon to experience clear conditionson the drive up only to arrive in full-on winter storm conditions at the hill.

With a super-friendly staff and even friendlier locals, it doesn’t take long before you start feeling likepart of the family. Come closing time, if the snow’s still puking and you know tomorrow’s gonna beepic, stop by the Jay Country Store where they’ll hook you up with some tasty food, fantasticmicrobrew and point you in the direction of inexpensive lodging where you can rest your bones sothat you can get up and do it again tomorrow.

(jaypeakresort.com)

Lake Louise, Alberta

Canada’s biggest, so the slogan goes. This claim and the fact that the Lake Louise ski area lieswithin Banff National Park in the Rocky Mountains lead to crowds. It’s inevitable. Banff is one of theprime ski tourist destinations in North America, so be prepared for hordes on the hill, in the townand anywhere else there is an opportunity to spend cash. Be nice to the staff though, they’re outthere for the same reasons as you and the last thing they need is another series of dumb questions.

So why go? Why trek through a parking lot the size of a football field only to end up standing in line?Because it is the biggest ski hill in Canada: four thousand acres of riding and a season that lastsfor six months are two reasons why the locals stick around. The package tourists, easily seduced,follow the marketing campaign of “a green run off every chair”. Avoid these easy, man made,

VOL. 8 ISSUE 3 | 43

HOLIDAY GUIDE | THE INDOOR GARDENER

groomed runs and you’re in for a memorable alpine experience. More than a week would berequired before runs could be repeated and that’s just in bounds. Louise is known for access tosome sweet backcountry terrain that is not all hike in and hike out.

Epic Purple Bowl is a mere twenty minute hike. Once on the ridge it becomes obvious why the Lakeis top rated for scenery year after year. Mountains stretch as far as the eye can see and touristsbecome a distant memory. Drop into the bowl that hosts Powder 8’s championships and find out justhow much you’re acclimatized to the diminished oxygen supply. Suck it up and the turns seem tonever stop. The tracks in the gully head in bounds and before long you’re drying out in Temple Lodge.

If you’ve hooked up with the right guides you might get the more rustic shack just off Marmot. It’s abit rough around the edges but everyone comes out ready to charge. You might be ready foranother round up to Elevator Shaft or heck, why not check out one of the other three mountainfaces. The yokels stay clear of Summit Platter. Having a frozen plastic disk wedged up your crotchisn’t all that fun but the backside chutes of Whitehorn are worth it. No matter what the conditions,the Lake always has a pocket waiting patiently for the fortunate few who make the effort.

(skilouise.com)

Mt. Cain, Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Mt. Cain in on Vancouver Island, off the west coast of Canada, and like much of the enterprise outthere, it is tucked away for safe keeping. Getting these requires a 4x4 and nerves of steel. Peopleunfamiliar with tire chains are advised to try another mountain. A convoy begins on Friday nightswith camper equipped crew cabs, chained up and packed with die-hards eager to get at four daysworth of the Pacific’s goods. Three-foot overnight dumps are not uncommon. Being open onlySaturday through Monday ensures that there are freshies for all that survive the logging-road rally.

A bare-bone area, the one thing that no one misses at Mt. Cain are crowds. Lift lines are unheardof and that’s a good thing as there is only one base area lift to access powder. Trying to follow thehoots and hollers through the trees is pointless. The locals know their stashes but snow iseverywhere and there is no rush to get at it before it tracks out like most hills. Pack like a boy scoutbefore you go. Old Glory and other summit runs have been known to swallow everything offered tothem during a cart-wheeling yard sale.

Accommodation is “The Lodge”. It sleeps up to 20, but bring your sleeping bag. The mattresses onthe floors in the “rooms” (which are more like sleeping closets) are recent. They’re comfortable,although few visitors to Cain seem to remember the feel of the mattress or the chill of the night.Most sleeps at Cain are fairly short. A few of the full-timers live in small campers. They are parkedin early October and quickly become buried in the snow.

Après-ski often means 10 people climb down the steps, squish in for a few bowls and crank up thecar stereo in the camper van. If the cutting edge is in Whistler then Mt. Cain is undoubtedly thetrailing edge. It has some of the best snow in BC, the friendliest people, awesome food, and crazyterrain. Going there will restore your faith in snowboarding or skiing: but like any pilgrimage worthundertaking, it is not without some preparation and discomfort.

(mountcain.com)

44 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 3

THE INDOOR GARDENER | MUSIC HISTORY

Things started to change in the mid-nineties. In 1995, AlainPeddie met Sean Hill, a Jamaican friend, and together theycreated the band Rootsy Kali, a reggae-influenced group.After playing for some time at student parties, the two wenttheir separate ways but Alain had caught reggae fever andwould not quit. With other musicians whose primarilyinterests were in various musical forms, one in classicalmusic, another one in jazz, or a third one in rock songs,Alain put together a new group and named it Kaliroots, aninversion of his first group’s name. They soon became alocal attraction climbing on stage every Friday night at theJailhouse Rock Cafe during the summer of 1997.

In February 1998, at the Medley Club in Montreal, theyplayed the first gig for the legendary Wailers, Bob Marley’smusicians. At the same time, they recorded their firstserious demo CD under the title Roots Rock Kébec. Some ofthe tracks from this album were among the very first

distribution successes in a mp3 format on the Internet inQuebec. In the summer of 1998, Kaliroots resumed itsweekly parties, this time, at the Medley, one of the city’smost famous stages. They launched their self-producedalbum Rien à perdre in May 2000 and performed at severalimportant festivals such as Woodstock en Beauce, Festivaldes Musiques du monde de Lévis, Montreal’s Francofoliesand the Journées québécoises de la solidarité internationale

In 2001, the group won the Félix for best world music artistof the year at the ADISQ Awards (Quebec’s Grammys). Thisrecognition prompted them to release an instrumental dubversion of Rien à perdre entitled Kaliroots Dub (2002). In2003, for D.E.P., a label famous for the quality of itsproductions, they recorded a new album in Washington, atthe studio owned by Jim Fox, a reference among reggaemusicians. Junior Marvin, of the Wailers, joined them forthis recording session and subsequently for a series of

KALIROOTS

KÉBECREGGAE

Kaliroots is an eleven musician world music band from Quebec.They are the first French-language reggae band to succeed and

earn recognition from rastamen all over the world. While thegenre has always generated interest among Quebec artists overthe years, especially among young singers in the seventies, fewfully identified with this style. You can count on the fingers of

one hand the reggae tunes from the likes of Claude Dubois, BouleNoire, Pierre Bertrand, the Colocs and Rudeluck, for instance.

By V. Green

VOL. 8 ISSUE 3 | 45

INDUSTRY NEWS | THE INDOOR GARDENER

concerts. This second album of original material, MissionInternationale, was released in June 2004. The band hastoured regularly since.

The Montreal Francofolies featured them again in 2010 and2011 and a remastered issue of Rien à perdre was alsoreleased. Their show “Gainsbourg Reggae” was a centerpiece at last year’s Francofolies. For this concert, Kakirootsbrought a dozen new members to the stage and a largehorn section that made a huge impact.

Their program, based on French pop legend SergeGainsbourg’s reggae hits, was decidedly 100% Québécoisand 200% reggae. Twice, they received the accolade of thelegendary Wailers, for whom they had already opened ashow in 1998 at the Medley. Last November, Junior Marvinattended yet another of their concerts. And as the sayinggoes, “When the Wailers agree, it’s gotta be good!”

Kaliroots has what it takes to make it outside thefrancophone sphere. So far, however, they prefer to lead afamily life within their community rather than live the rockstar life all over the world. Make sure to download theirmp3 on iTunes!

Discography

1998: Roots Rock Kébec2000: Rien à perdre2002: Kaliroots Dub2004: Mission Internationale2011: Rien à perdre (Special Edition)

NEW PUBLICATIONS

Valoya Launches ItsHorticultural Lighting Guide

This new guide (Plants, Production and Products: AHorticultural Lighting Guide) contains a great deal ofinformation on the effects of light on plants and theunique, wide spectrum LED-technology, provided byValoya. Among the topics extensively covered is the useof artificial light under different indoor setups and itsimpact on various phases of plant life. It also describesvarious horticultural applications of LEDs on growthrooms, roof-lighting, moving lights, inter-lighting andmultilayer systems.

The guide documents severalexperiments where Valoya LEDlights have yielded excellent results.Those include interesting cases ofcucumber, strawberry and flowerproduction. They show that Valoya’sLEDs enhance growth, save energy,and improve the quality of plants.The document can be downloadedfrom Valoya’s website (valoya.com).

About ValoyaValoya is a provider of energy efficient LED grow lightsfor professional use. Valoya LED-lights have beendeveloped using the company’s proprietary LEDtechnology and extensive plant photobiology research.They are currently used for a wide variety of plantspecies in 18 countries. Valoya’s customer base includesnumerous greenhouses and research institutions all overthe world.

Valoya has a complete range of products to addressvarious plant lighting needs: The L-series in a T8 formhas been designed to replace fluorescent tubes in lowproximity applications. The R-series is a powerful rooflight that replaces High Pressure Sodium (HPS)installations. The B-series bars are perfect for inter-lighting, mid height installations and special cultivationspaces within residential areas.

Hydroponic FoodProduction—7th Edition

CRC Press/Taylor and Francis Group have recentlypublished Hydroponic FoodProduction, 7th Edition, byHoward M. Resh. This book will beof interest to our readers. To findit or get more information aboutthis and other publications fromthe group, please contact SharleneGlassman, ([email protected]). The bookis also available online atAmazon.com.

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THE INDOOR GARDENER | PUZZLE

WORD SEARCHCelebrating Gardening with USDA Forest Service

By Stephanie Lock Leiva

These are the 33 Words to Find:

Apples, Bugs,

Compost, Corn,

Cucumber, Drought, Farmer,

Fertilizer, Flower,

Green Thumb, Grow,

Harvest, Herb, Hose,

Manure, Mulch,

Orchard, Patch,

Peppers, Plant,

Pumpkins, Rabbits,

Rain, Raised, Rose,

Rototiller, Scarecrow,

Shovel, Sprinkler, Tomato, Topsoil, Weeds,

Wheelbarrow.

Please find the words in the apple puzzle below (Gardening Word Search):

Answer Keys

On the right, these are the answer keys for the wordsearch puzzle above. Did you find all the words?

(In the Gardening Word Search Answer Key,the answers are highlighted in yellow)

Make your own gardening word search puzzles at:fs.fed.us/wildflowers/kids/wordsearch/index.shtml.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 3 | 47


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QuestionHi,I have a nice plot of plants growing outdoors. Where I liveit gets cold early in the year, and I’m afraid that it will betoo cold by the time my plants are ready to harvest. Isthere any way I can flower them early?Thanks, – Nigel, from Manitoba

AnswerDear Nigel,It is very difficult to get plants to flower early when theyare kept outdoors. The problem is that the light cycle mustbe cut shorter than the critical point for flowering. Thecritical point for flowering differs for each variety of plants,but a plant usually needs between ten and fourteen hoursof darkness for a few days before it will start to flower. Ifthe nights are shorter than that, then the plant will have tobe protected from the light for at least part of the day. Atent could be erected over one or two plants if it was thickand heavy enough to block out the sun, but it would beimpractical to try to seal out the sunlight from an entiregarden. Another solution might be to protect the plantsfrom the cold, and flower them at the normal time. Theplants can be covered at night to keep them from freezing.Use heaters if necessary. Creating good air circulation inand around your garden will prevent freezing as well, as thecoldest pockets of air are always right at ground level. Inan extreme emergency; sprinkle the plants with water.Maintaining a thin film of water on plants prevents

temperatures beneath the film from dropping belowfreezing, even though ice may form. –

QuestionHello,I need help bad. I left my plant alone for three weekswithout water. When I came back the whole plant wasdrooping. I put in a lot of water, but the plant never perkedup again. Now all the leaves are dry and crumbly. Whatshould I do?– Your friend, as always, Lizzy

AnswerDear Lizzy,Call an undertaker. That plant is dead. –

Q & A

We return to the question and answer formula which was metwith enthusiasm in our previous issues. Continue sending us

your questions (at [email protected]), our green thumbsare awaiting them impatiently! To keep on getting the bestservice available, our gardening specialists will answer your

questions and comment your remarks in every issue.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 3 | 49

Q & A | THE INDOOR GARDENER

QuestionDear Indoor Gardener,Here’s a growing tip from me toyour readers. The last time I didclones in rockwool, I noticedthat if I had too big of a holeand it didn’t touch tight againstthe stalk, the clones would diealmost immediately. I triedputting rubber bands around thewool to tighten it against thestalk and it worked, but therehad to be a better way. Then a guy from a hydrostore toldme to turn the cubes upside down. That way the hole isn’tthere and I can make whatever size of one I wanted. Itworked great. I usually took the cut part of the stem Ithrow away and poked a hole with it, then put the cuttingin. Sometimes the stem piece was just a little short to use,so I now just grab a toothpick and the hole is always niceand tight around the stem. Plus with the cube big sidedown, they stay upright better also. Later, – Gosling

AnswerDear Gosling,Thanks for the tip. I always used a pinch of rockwool fromthe corner of the cube to seal up the rest of the hole if itwas too big, but your way sounds better than that.Readers, if you see something here that you think you canimprove upon, or if you have a good tip for growers andwould like to see it here, then send it on in, along withyour grower’s questions. You just might see your name (oryour alias?) in our magazine! –

QuestionHello,In a past issue of your magazine, there was an article abouthow to build your own greenhouse. Is it possible to haveall the dimensions in metric measurements? I converted thedata (eg, 10 feet = app. 3 048 cm) but to order wood,these dimensions are not practical. Can I just give anapproximate conversion to my wood supplier? Can you helpme please? Thank you!– Émilien Delétain

AnswerHello,In response to your request, I suggest that you let yoursupplier do the conversion himself from imperial (inchesand feet) to metric (meters and centimetres). He certainlyhas the equipment (a software, probably) that will allowhim to produce a precise conversion. Dimensions calculated approximately by a non-professionalwill generally not yield satisfactory results. Have yourcarpenter read our article before ordering wood. By the way, we have a table of conversion on our Website.It might help you (theindoorgardener.ca/uploads/050327-conversion_table_TIG1-HJ.pdf). With all this, I sure hope youbuild the most beautiful greenhouse for next Spring.Sincerely, –

QuestionHello,I would like to know more aboutFred Leduc, who wrote an articleon the company AquaCartis in aprevious issue of The IndoorGardener magazine. Is he anemployee of the companyAquaCartis or a freelancejournalist? Sincerely,– Bruno Weymiens

AnswerHello Mr. Weymiens,Fred Leduc is a cactus gardener and a freelance journalistbased in Montreal. His website isfredsmagicgarden.weebly.com.Regarding the AquaCartis article we published earlier thisyear, Fred Leduc conducted an interview with the company’sMontreal importer: Mr. Pierre Boileau, AquaCartis NorthAmerica, 2292, boul. Industriel, Suite 209, Laval, Qc,Canada, H7S 1P9, tel: 1 450 669-3038 or 1 877 614-7423,fax: 1 450 669-6796, email: [email protected] hope this information will be usefulSincerely. –

QuestionHello,I want to subscribe tothe French version ofyour magazine TheIndoor Gardener andbuy past issues. Can Isubscribe online andpay by Visa or PayPal?I live in France.Regards,– Claude Portais,France

AnswerHello Claude,We are no longeraccepting internationalrequest for subscriptionsfor our French magazinefrom Europe because ofthe prohibitive costs ofdelivery.

However, you can view, free of charge, all the past issuesonline at:

• French magazines: theindoorgardener.ca/Archives-Fr.php• English magazines: theindoorgardener.ca/Archives.php.

You can also print articles that are of interest to youdirectly from the website and free of charge. –

“Lizzy, call an undertaker. Your plant is dead.”

Find out how to buildthis E-Z greenhouse inour Vol. 3, Issue 5(pages 54-56).

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Documents

The Indoor Gardener Magazine November December 2012