Upbeat Times


17th


Annual SUMMER Guide #1


2016 Under Earth’s Surface


Santa Rosa, CA. ~ Whimsy is about in the garden! Won- derful Flame Freesias with their kooky orange petals and red centers are mingling with


lovely faerie wands


of Cali- fornia native, Heu- chera maxi-


ma. Te combi- nation


is pure magic. Dark,


inviting soil is warming up enough to plant tomatoes, peppers and other heat lov- ing vegetables at last. Fra- grant herbs are filling


gardens


and pots, lining paths and add- ing excitement to the flavors in the kitchen.


Edible


flowers are dot- ting gardens with splashes of color. Te warmth of summer is here! Have you ever


wondered about what is going on below the surface you walk upon? Well, I recently had the rare op- portunity to in- terview Robert Kourik and chat about this amaz- ing topic and more. He has so many articles that have appeared in Na- tional publications it makes


ible Landscaping was pub- lished in 1986. His book on Permaculture followed be- fore anyone even knew what Permaculture was! He has written 15 books, four are EBooks and five others he did with co-au- thors. His favorite is


Edible Land-


scaping and I rec- ommend it as one of my ‘must haves’. Discussing


companion plant- ing he tells me that it’s mostly myth. Gasp! Cer- tainly


there are


Dandelion roots can reach a depth of 4ft!


plants that don’t grow well togeth- er but, there are very specific stud- ies that contradict companion plant- ing altogether. Kourik’s advice is not to assume anything!


Do in your garden/s.


your own research It’s oſten


apparent which plants do


my head spin. His multi- farious books are excep- tional and will delight the curious gardener. His collections of root draw-


ings from Germany, Russia, Austria and Hungary will amaze. Kourik’s first book on Ed-


by Kimberly Childers • kimberlychilders@att.net Tomatoes and basil


well together and those that don’t.


growing together improving flavor of both? You decide. Toxic soil is quite a hot


topic these days. Te sci- ence of using living plants and their roots to treat in- dustrial waste and detoxify certain contaminated areas by Phytoremediation, as it’s called, has proven less ex- pensive than other means of restoration.


In Kourik’s


book Understanding Roots he notes examples of hyper accumulation, plants grow- ing and absorbing toxins in the soil and water, lead, cadmium, PCB’s. Of course the plants must be disposed of by taking them to special incinerators or toxic waste facilities. In 1990 Kourik was fully


entrenched installing grey- water systems in Santa Bar- bara. He mentioned Art Ludwig and his many books on Greywater Systems. Daily Acts is the local non-profit collective installing grey- water systems, Laundry to Landscapes. Call them if you like at 707-789-9664, check out their amazing web site dailyacts.org and get started recreating. Get involved in their Homegrown Program and be a part of their ‘Solu- tion Revolution’! Discover all of Robert


Kourik’s enlightening books on Permaculture, Edible Landscaping, roots, lavender and so much more. His books are easy to read, understand and oſten entertaining! His website


is robertkourik.


com where you’ll find ref- erences to the many, many articles he’s written and re- views of all of his books.


you aren’t a gardener now you may change your mind and be swept away for good. Look for his used books on


“A clear conscience is the sure sign of a bad memory.” ~ Mark Twain If


527-7277 - open Mon-Sat 9-5 www.buckstoves.net


225 West College Ave., Santa Rosa UPBEAT TIMES, INC. • June 2016 • 23


line, used book stores and remember you can also or- der his new books on line at robertkourik.com. Purchase ‘from the source so writers can keep on writing!’ Huge marshmallow clouds ... continued on page 32


June 2016 • 23


“You should eat a waffle! You can’t be


sad if you eat a waffle!”


Lauren Myracle


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32