FROST TOLERANCE CHART Each year, this chart is updated by adding or deleting whatever you have planted. Keep it posted on the wall or in your garden journal for easy reference. The chart is organized by air temperature, rather than alphabetically by plant. As cooler weather approaches, keep an eye on the current night temperatures for ease in knowing what plants may need special attention. |
PLANT: First, decide on the plants you wish to grow. List them alphabetically on a planting chart similar to the one above. You may want to create a chart for annuals, one for perennials (including trees and shrubs) and a separate one for flowers. BED: During coning sessions, ask the Nature Intelligences the best location for each plant. First, tell them how much yield you would like. For example, let them know that you like to eat about 10 carrots a week throughout the year and that you would also like to store about 50 pounds at harvest time. The Nature Intelligences may then suggest that you plant 50 - 60 seeds in beds 4 & 6. They also may suggest that you continue to plant more throughout the season (succession) in various locations. The Garden Maps are useful for this purpose. The entire garden is mapped out with each map having a reference number and each bed having a name. Other features, such as paths, water features, greenhouse, exercise area and seating areas are also on the map. This helps the Nature Intelligences know how you plan to use each area and keeps a log of where everything will be located. During coning sessions the Garden Maps helps with planning. As an example, Ditoh had an exercise place next to the greenhouse. When I asked for the best location to plant two cardoon plants, it was suggested that I plant them on the side of the greenhouse. I have never grown cardoon before, however, as a result of creating the Planting Guidelines, I remembered they were quite large plants. When I checked the Planting Outline for cardoons, I discovered that indeed, they can be as much as three feet wide. The cardoons would take too much space for that location. So, I asked where the next best location for the cardoons would be.
Often if a plant is started when the soil is cooler than recommended, they will suffer and be stunted throughout their life cycle. PLANT DATE: This is the suggested time frame to plant the seeds in our location in Arizona, USA.
O = Direct sow the seeds Outdoors in their bed T = Transplant
As the harvest approaches, we keep an eye on overnight temperature lows. By listing the Frost Tolerance by temperature (rather than alphabetically in this chart), we know which plants to bring in, cover or harvest before reaching a temperature that could kill the plant or destroy the harvest.
keep the soil balanced. Time will tell if I can do it simply from a request. SUCCESS?: Succession planting for this purpose refers to planting the same crop at different intervals instead of all at once. The plants mature at staggered dates, establishing a continuous harvest over an extended period. Lettuce and other salad greens are common crops for this approach. FERTILIZE: For the past three years, the only fertilizer we have used is Barlean's Greens. This is a powdered green drink we purchase at our local health food store. What we do is quite unusual. Each Wednesday, during the regular coning session (read about this on our Nature Spirits page), I ask the Nature Intelligences if any plant needs to be fertilized. If they say, "yes," I will use the planting chart to find out which plant(s) need the fertilizer. Then I ask what kind of fertilizer do they need. If they say "Barlean's Greens," which I find out by dowsing, (see our Dowsing 101 page), I use the following method.
or the Nature Spirits of the specific plant you wish to fertilize to assist you. Request that they use the vibrational frequency of the substance in your hand and transfer it as needed to the plant(s) they have requested you fertilize. Wait a few moments for them to complete the process. Once they have transferred the frequency from the Barlean's, it is no longer useful. If you dowse, you will find that the substance no longer has a frequency, in essence its energy is void. Once you have added the Barlean's to your hand, be sure to either re-seal the container that holds your product or move away from it. Otherwise, the Nature Spirits may end up depleting the vibrational frequency of the contents of your container. During each weekly coning session, I ask if any plants need to be fertilized. Some plants are heavier feeders and may need to be fertilized more often than others. If you decide to garden with the Nature Spirits, try to think out of the box and ask if things can be done other than what is normally accepted. You may find your plants doing incredible things such as what is happening at Perelandra in Virginia Findhorn in Scotland and our backyard! NOTES: This is where I keep track of special needs of the plants, reminders for myself and questions for the next coning session. Once I have completed the task, I add it to the WEEKLY JOURNAL. |
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WEEKLY JOURNAL EXAMPLE On the weekly chart, at the top I note that week's current moon cycle. The week is Sunday to Saturday. I log the date, what I planted and how many seeds per hole, that way I can see how well the seeds germinated. I also make note of special events such as the first frost, last freeze, dates fruit trees bloomed, etc. and where I planted them. If I don't have a lot to do on a particular week, I will put my "to do" notes in pencil on the weekly journal chart, otherwise, I keep them in a notebook. |
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PLANTING CHART Below is an example of the planting chart I use to keep track of my garden activities. See below for more information on how to use this chart. |
ROOT DEPTH: 2 ½ - 3 FEET GUILD COMPANIONS: Bush green beans FROST TOLERANCE: Spring and fall frosts will kill the plant. They thrive in hot weather. Their growth will slow to a crawl during cold nights. Provide plenty of protection for tender seedlings. Use hotcaps or coldframes on cool nights or when frost is a possibility. A fall frost will not damage the fruit and it can still be harvested. PLANTING DATES: May 1 - June 1 DAYS TO MATURITY: 80 to 90 days for baby bush varieties, and 90 to 100 days or more for the larger varieties. Peak season June – August. YIELD: 8 to 40 pounds per 10-foot row, more if trellised. 10 to 15 pounds per person. VARIETIES/ PURCHASING: Short-season variety: 'Garden Baby' PROBLEMS: Watermelon is susceptible to a variety of pests. Cucumber beetles will rob the plant of nutrients, eat pollen, and spread plant disease. A variety of other pests will also enjoy the watermelon plants in your home garden. A wide variety of viruses and fungi can affect your crop. Of particular note is powdery and downy mildews. healthy plant is the first step in disease control. This includes weeding, pruning and proper spacing to allow good air circulation, especially in wet and humid weather. Watermelons are prone to fusarium wilt, especially in the north. To avoid it, rotate crops each year, plant disease-resistant varieties and sow radishes in your melon patch - they deter cucumber beetles, which transmit the disease. Poor flavor and lack of sweetness is due to poor fertility, picking melons unripe, low potassium, magnesium or boron. Poor growth can be due to cool temperatures, wet weather, poorly adapted variety or loss of leaves from disease. Poor pollination may be caused by wet, cool weather, lack of bee pollinators, and planting too close resulting in excessive vegetative growth. A heavy rain when melons are ripening may cause some of the fruit to split open. STORAGE: Watermelons do not ripen after picking. Refrigerate whole melon up to 4 days. Refrigerate cut fruit in a covered container or tightly wrapped for up to 3 days. Keeps well for 3-5 months, if kept from freezing. Medium-cool (40 to 50º F), moist (80 to 85% relative humidity) conditions. SEED SAVING TECHNIQUES: Vines on melons have male and female flowers on each vine. If you want to save seeds for next year, grow only one variety, all watermelons cross-pollinate freely. Seeds can be saved about 5 years. MISC: Male and female flowers are separated on the same plant. Bees must carry pollen from flower to flower to ensure good fruit. Fruit in contact with soil may develop rotten spots or be damaged by insects on the bottom. Place a board or a couple inches of light mulching material such as sawdust or straw, beneath each fruit when it is nearly full-sized. Placing newly developing fruit on a buried tin can with the ends cut out will promote ripening. WATERING: Critical watering period: flowering or fruiting Watermelon plants like an inch a week. Make sure to add water during dry spells. Keep the soil moist at all times. FERTILIZING: Fertilize regularly. Use a high nitrogen fertilizer until flowers form. Then, switch over to a high phosphorous and potassium fertilizer. Also recommended is the use of liquid fertilizers and foliar feeding. PLANT SEEDLINGS INDOORS WEEKS EARLY: 3-4 weeks Requires special care to transplant after there are at least 2 true leaves. SEED PLANTING DEPTH: ½ - 1” SPACING BETWEEN PLANTS: Watermelon hills should be 6 to 10 feet apart, and rows 7 to 10 feet apart if a path is desired between rows. pH: 6.0 to 7.5 SOIL TEMP: 70-95F DAYS TO GERMINATE: 7-10 SOIL: Watermelons need a light, sandy, fertile loam that is well-drained yet retains moisture. PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS: Watermelons are heavy feeders. Add generous amounts of manure, compost and leaves to the planting site. Prepare the soil well at planting time, even if you've added plenty of organic matter earlier. For each plant, dig a hole two feet in diameter and a foot deep, and add at least a shovelful of compost or well-cured manure and a trowel or two of bone meal. Apply a thick organic mulch to hold in moisture, deter weeds and keep the melons clean as they grow. Sow watermelon seeds in hills or rows. For regular watermelons, sow three to four seeds per hill, spacing the hills six to ten feet apart. Space the rows ten feet apart or more, if you have room. When planting in rows, space the seeds four to six inches apart and thin seedlings to ten to twelve inches apart. For bush varieties, final spacing can be cut in half or even more if you are tight for space. Thin watermelon seedlings in each hill, to two seedlings one week after they have germinated. HARVEST: Note when the plants are in full bloom: watermelons should be ready to pick about 35 days later. Become familiar with the variety being grown to determine the best stage for harvesting. Signs include: • Ceasing of growth • Yellowing of the underside • Drying or shriveling of the stem near the base of the fruit Cut melons with 2 inches of stem after adjacent vine tendril withers and white skin on bottom of melons turns light yellow. Thumping a mature melon produces a hollow sound. |
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This page is dedicated to showing you how to create gardens and "Places of Peace" with the help of the Devic Realm and Nature Spirits including charts to make it all happen. Many of these principles are inspired by the work of Machaelle Small Wright at her Virginia research garden, Perelandra, and the beautiful gardens near Findhorn, Scotland. Click here for more information on the co-creative gardens at Perelandra and Findhorn. Visit the Nature Spirits page for more information on who these Beings are, their role as co-creators on earth and how to communicate with them effectively during a Coning Session. Click here to download Garden Coning Session Dialogue, an adaption of the basic Four Point Coning Session tailored for the purpose of enlisting the aid of Nature Intelligences for gardening purposes. Discover several methods of communicating with Nature Spirits, Angelic Beings and your "Higher Self" on the Dowsing 101 page. Find many useful suggestions on the Garden Tips page. For more information on Theresa's other publications and how you can communicate with Nature Spirits and Be-ings from the "Other Side," visit: http://theresacrabtree.wordpress.com |
Co-Creating with Nature Spirits There are a number of things to prepare before co-creating with Nature Spirits. The first step to creating a place of peace, whether it be a garden, a landscaped lawn or interior design, is to set the parameters of the space you will be working with. Draw a crude map of the area, noting features that are or will be permanent, such as structures or trees. The examples "Map 2 and Map 3" below were used to mark the location of some of the terraces in a mountainside garden. Numbering the maps and naming specific areas, such as terraces is especially beneficial during Coning Sessions. For example, let's say I want to ask the Nature Intelligences or the best location to plant snow peas. I can ask, "Is the best location to plant snow peas on Map 1?" If my pendulum gives me a "no" answer, I then ask, "Map 2?" No. "Map 3?" Yes. Then I pull out Map 3 and ask, "Terrace A?" No. "B?" No. "C?" No. "D?" Yes. "Is the best place for the snow peas on the left side of the terrace? No. "The middle?" Yes. Another shortcut using the maps during a coning session is when I ask the following question. "Is there anything in the garden that needs my attention?" Yes. "Is it on Map 1?" Yes. Thus we can easily pinpoint areas that need attention. It is helpful before a coning session to list anything you would like added to the area you are co-creating. For outdoor areas, this could include permanent objects such as a greenhouse, trees, irritation lines or seating areas. Also list items such as an herb garden, specific edible plants or flowers, bird feeders and baths... anything that gives you pleasure and is within your budget. Indoors list any items yet to be purchased that you intend to add to objects you already own. Remember that Nature Spirits cannot read your mind. If there are objects you no longer wish to use, either remove them, box them up or let the Nature Spirits know that they are not to be included in the design. When calling coning sessions, it is best to keep the session under an hour in length to avoid energy drain. Thus, it's good to have your notes and questions prepared beforehand. Shortcuts, maps and charts make it quick and easy to get the job done. Most importantly, the garden maps are an easy reference and reminder of where you will or have already planted your seeds and transplants. |
WHAT TO GROW IN YOUR GARDEN I have been amazed at how many people will grow a ton of tomatoes and squash because they are easy, giving away most of the produce, while not growing foods they prefer. It made sense to me that if I was going to go to use my time, energy and money, I wanted to grow my favorite foods. When it came time to create my first garden, I didn't know what would grow in the region nor how tedious some plants are to grow. So, I collected information on all of the foods that I enjoyed eating and then choose the plants that I wanted to grow. To make the notes more readable, I created a basic outline for each plant using the outline below. . This information has been invaluable and also cuts down time and questions during coning sessions. I would like to suggest that you only use seeds that are organically grown. Ingesting GMO foods genetically alters humans and animals who ingest these products. When possible, select heritage seeds from plants grown in your region because they are already acclimated to your climate. Northern Arizona is blessed to have two professional seed savers in their area. Bill McDorman's seeds can be purchased at: www.seedstrust.com Thunderfoot's seeds can be purchased locally at Mount Hope and New Frontiers. The following is an example of the Planting Guidelines for watermelon grown at 5000 feet in arid Arizona. PLANTING GUIDELINES FOR: WATERMELON (WTR) |
GARDEN CONING QUESTIONS Click here to read or download the Garden Coning Session Dialogue. The Devas hold the blueprint to anything in form. The Nature Spirits create each plant using the Devas blueprints. The Brotherhood of Light oversees the evolution of everything in our galaxy. So, there is no question that cannot be answered when you have a conference with these Beings. The following is a sampling of some of the questions I ask the Nature Intelligence representatives during the weekly Garden Coning Sessions. Are there any energy processed to do this week? (These are in "Garden Workbook II" by Machaelle Small Wright) Are any soil amendments needed this week? Do any of the plants need fertilizer? Is this the best week to plant anything? Is this a good week to transplant anything that is in pots? Does any plant need to be watered? Are there any problems with the irrigation system that needs my attention? Are there any specific plants that need my attention? Are there any issues with insects that need to be brought to my attention? Are there any questions I am not asking that would be beneficial for me to ask? |
GARDEN CHARTS
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The information on this page and much more is included in the book: Gardening with Nature Spirits by Theresa Crabtree. For more information and to view the Table of Contents, see the grey box below. |
Gardening with Nature Spirits Visit the TADA Store to order your copy today! (Available in Paperback and as an eBook) HERE'S WHAT'S iNSIDE |
Foreword by Theresa Crabtree
Chapter One: Message from the Devic Realm
Chapter Two: Message from the Wee Folks
Chapter Three: Conducting a Garden Coning Session
Chapter Four: Setting Guidelines
Chapter Five: Planning the Landscape
Chapter Six: Blessing the Land
Chapter Seven: Opening the Garden
Chapter Eight: Planting Instructions
Chapter Nine: Tender Loving Care
Chapter Ten: Harvest Time
Chapter Eleven: After the Harvest
Chapter Twelve: Closing the Garden
Chapter Thirteen: Composting
Chapter Fourteen: Setting Intentions
Chapter Fifteen: Creating Places of Peace
Appendix A: Garden Devas and Nature Spirits
Appendix B: Dowsing in the Garden
Appendix C: Moon Cycle Charts
Appendix D: Planting Chart
Appendix E: Frost Tolerance Chart
Appendix F: Sample Planting Guide Sample
