A Minute of Mud Week 1 - ‘How to make gold, SAD lamps and ghost ponds’
This week I have really felt the seasons changing. It’s been chilly! I always dread this time of year… or maybe I should rephrase that. I dread the thought of this time of year. When it actually appears I don’t mind it so much. Waking up to condensation on the windows gives me cosy vibes, the natural instinct to hunker down and get warm, safe inside while watching nature change outside. I think the hardest part for me is the longer, darker nights. I don’t mind the cold or the rain, but not being able to enjoy the garden after work (unless the garden is your work) or not being able to see outside while you make dinner is a hard sacrifice. I have a young daughter and our after pre school routine is going out into the garden to decompress, talk about our days and do something planty. The darker nights make us less keen on doing that.
I was given one of those light boxes, otherwise known as a ‘SAD lamp’ by a friend last year. The idea is that you sit beside the light for an hour or so a day and it helps replicate the sunlight that is missing in the winter months. I suppose it tricks your brain and does something chemically that makes you feel better. I must confess that I haven't actually used it yet and maybe that’s the answer to my winter woes. I would be keen on hearing from anyone who uses one and maybe I just need to get my arse in gear to set it up. I will update you all with my progress in a few months' time.
Now enough of all that, the light is still with us right now and we can still enjoy a few hours of precious light while we begin those autumn tasks. One on my list that I try to do around this time of year is making gold, or gardeners gold. In fairness, my alchemy only extends to leaves and in all honesty nature does the magic rather than my own wizardry. ‘Gardeners gold’ or Leafmould is a delight to gardeners. It’s just decayed leaves that make an excellent soil condition, mulch and seed compost. It’s so easy to make as well and a perfect job for this time of year, it just takes time.
Gather your leaves – sweep them up, rake them in, or just scoop them into a pile
Bag or cage – stuff them into old compost bags (poke holes in for air) or build a simple leaf cage with wire mesh
Add a splash – if the leaves are dry, sprinkle some water. Slightly damp is perfect
Leave it be – nature does the wizardry. All you need is patience (at least a year).
Enjoy your gold – when crumbly and earthy, you’ve struck treasure.
The video series I am beginning on social media and these accompanying weekly blogs are about finding some happiness in nature and the world around us. A small antidote to what is increasingly a negative and scary world. Every week I will offer some positive, soil, mud or nature based news stories from around the world, to give us a smile and a bit of motivation. This week ‘Mud in the News’ comes from The Guardian and it’s a cracker. The title reads ‘It’s resurrection’: 1,000-year-old seeds could grow ancient plants in England’s ice-age ghost ponds’ and fascinatingly explains how experts from University College London have uncovered a series of ice age ponds formed by melting ice over 10,000 years ago. Unfortunately nothing spooky going on, these ponds have perfectly preserved ancient seeds from plants that grew long ago. They are often rare species lost from other ponds nearby, giving a unique glimpse into what was growing at that time and a hope to continue growing them long into the future. Staff from Kew Gardens are now analysing the sediment at their seed bank at Wakehurst.
That’s it for this week. I wish you well in sweeping up those leaves and enjoy the lighter nights while they last.