Recent mulch delivery at 4-plex

This is a great opportunity for a household ready to take the big leap to live its dream for participating in the creation of a more sustainable city by example.  Take a look and see if your household qualifies:

Large two bedroom available in transit rich/bicycle friendly permaculture oriented neighborhood (about 3 miles west of downtown and 4 miles south of the Observatory as the crow flies).

The Beverly-Vermont Community Land Trust (BVCLT), a non-profit organization committed to securing permanently affordable, environmentally sensitive housing for low to moderate income households, owns a 4-plex in the L.A Eco-Village that it intends to convert from rental units to affordable condominiums in the next 3 years.  BVCLT is currently taking applications for a one-year lease with an option to purchase if the renter’s household meets purchaser qualifications and demonstrates timely rent payments. The building is located on the southeast corner of Bimini and White House Place. Opportunity to become a member of the LAEV Intentional Community. Approximately 1000 square feet, 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, dining room, living room, kitchen, laundry room, shared front and back yards, extra closets.  Rent: $1200 per month plus gas and electric.  No parking. Car-free household or “on your way to car-free.”  Minimum of 2 people, not more than 4 people; families with children encouraged to apply. Length of lease: one year.  No pets. No smokers (residents or guests). Must be aligned with LA Eco-Village core values and BVCLT tenant guidelines

Move-in costs:  $3,000.  Includes 1st and last of  $1200 plus $600 cleaning deposit.

If you are interested, please email Kris Benjamin (140Bimini@gmail.com) to set up a time to view the unit and go over the application. Applications are due as soon as possible, and candidate selection will occur sometime in April.

Income restrictions:
Combined annual income of all people in the household
-Not less than $29,000
and
-Not more than $39,780 for a family of 2
-Not more than $44,760 for a family of 3
-Not more than $49,680 for a family of 4

Credit check and rental application fee:  $25. -4-year rental history check (provide addresses and contact information of previous residences)-Verification of employment and 2 months of pay stubs or comparable

Throughout the walk myrtle was observed encroaching on other plants and the building.
Maybe that’s why Greco-Romans used myrtle as an emblem of love. (wikipedia)

pittosporum in clutches of myrtle The p. flowers are small, white and similar in shape to those of the Orange tree, so it is sometimes called mock orange.

George observed that quince needs pruning.

mexican “sage” one of several plants intruding on public sidewalk.  Prune, maybe re-locate.

peach – branches extend over fence; and lure passers-by into picking fruit and often breaking branches. Recommend prune back fr. fence; remove compost pile next to trunk; think about replacing tree as it’s getting old.

mandarin

pomegranate

background: almond (pink flowers) -not bearing, bark split; foreground – fig.  There’s a smutty  orange tree in there someplace; oranges don’t ripen.

olive tree supports grape vine;

North side 117 bimini

Agave in trash can area overflowing into path.

Myrtle encroaching on apricots, nectarines.

Watering challenge in this area due to run-off.

potential planting space north wall.

more live oaks (& a dead one). Large live oak in background is 8 feet from foundation.

Courtyard

We were getting tired, so just noted that many plantings in need of systematic watering here; plantings in pomegranate area heavily infested with aphids; myrtle needs taming; plum needs re-evaluating – hope it perks up when greywater re-connected; 2 nectarines and apricot aren’t producing; may be able to graft onto apricot as it is very hardy stock. Peach seems to be OK.

The “nightshade tree” is rubbing against the roof tiles.

Many, many thanks to George for generously sharing his time, gardening and landscaping knowledge and familiarity with LAEV gardens.

Peter harvested the avocados the hard way today. He called it the fun way.

Re: composting.  Now that a significant red wiggler population has established itself in each of the above ground compost sites, I’ve begun transplanting some of the wigglers (and their composting allies) into the new compost sites.  Let’s see if that enhances the composting process.

This is an issue that is near and dear to the hearts of many of us who have followed the events and on-going disasters at Fukushima.

• visiting a friend in Toronto;
• pregnant with the 2nd;
• exhausted by the 1st son’s frenetic attempts to leap tall buildings at a single bound.  (Did he emerge from my womb, or a telephone booth?);
• sitting on bleachers that surrounded the sand-filled arena of parent-kid heaven: every imaginable climbing devise, swings, tunnels – and no way to escape, because we were all surrounded by a gigantic net.

Releasing the burden of vigilance, I was able to have a real conversation with my friend.

Living adjacent to the trampoline at LAEV, I’ve noticed that it seems to be a conversation magnet.  Now, sitting on it, entertained by the staggering toddler who bounced, rolled and fell safely against the net, I could, again, release the burden of vigilance and enjoy an adult conversation with the child’s mom.

During the dry heat last week, I harvested it & set to dry.  A few days later I cut off

some of the dry seed heads & spread them on clean paper to began the great “shakedown”.

Beating with a stick loosened some seeds, (black), and a lot of other dry plant parts.

Eventually I had to strip the stalks by hand to release the seeds, dehydrate my skin

and expose my hands to the plants’ prickly hairs.

In an hour I got bored and poured the mess onto a winnowing frame, allowing seeds

to drop onto the paper while the breeze carried off some – but not near enough – of the

lighter ”chaff”. (Sounds biblical).

So I shook the frame over another clean paper. Most of the seeds & some chaff fell through.

A grand 1/8 cup of amaranth.  We need to create an efficient – or at least a group -

winnowing process.

I soaked the amaranth seeds and cooked it with some quinoa.  It tasted OK. There are

still many heads left, so help yourself to a grainy treat.  Watch for the next crop of

amaranth volunteers.  The leaves are tasty and nutritious, as the plant’s deep

roots reportedly pull up nutrients not available to more shallow rooted greens.

http://odewire.com/134910/the-power-of-strangers.html