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Brooke Wilde's avatar

Omgosh Amy! This is exactly what I needed this morning. This was like a shooting star for my soul. I am gonna start planning my garden ðŸŠī 💚

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Amy Bauer's avatar

You have no idea how much this comment means to me!!! ðŸĨđðŸĨđðŸĨđ

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Chessa's avatar

Please beg Jess to move to Substack 😂. I’ve basically quit FB/IG except to check DMs from family (and my brain just can’t handle the frenetic energy of TikTok), but I miss Jess and wish she was on here!

Just put in two seed orders. I’m super lucky to have a dad living next door with a gorgeous greenhouse, and he is my seed midwife in the garden world. He starts the seeds, then I take the seedlings and give him the food! It’s a great system.

LOVE that your koi are named for TNG characters!

Also, always love your links - thanks for including them, I always find something super interesting that I end up forwarding to someone else!

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Amy Bauer's avatar

Haha I will pass that along to her!! Oh my gosh I have such greenhouse envy for your dad!! You’re so lucky âĪïļ

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SK's avatar

Congrats on your No-Buy win! That's the stuff right there. My rules have saved me from impulse buys multiples times already. Even though the things I was tempted to buy were from businesses I love and want to support, reminding myself that I'm "just not spending money right now" works.

I've met Vandana Shiva! My husband and I used to own a very small organic/farm-to-table restaurant. (Before that became a total cliche and/or scam. We actually sourced organic ingredients from sugar to spices to onions, and used only local or organic meat/dairy/eggs, and bought the bulk of our produce from local farms. No, we did not make any money LOL) and she came in to eat with some of the board members of the Red Hills Small Farm Alliance here in Tallahassee FL, who had brought her to town for an event. She is an inspiration.

I'm off to see if my library has A Life in the Garden, and to figure out what to bake with my new desem sourdough starter that I've been building for two weeks. Excitement! :)

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Amy Bauer's avatar

I’m so jealous you met her!!! I adore her writing so much. And I love the sound of your old farm and restaurant — doing things the right way ðŸŦķ🏞 and yay congrats on the new starter!! Bet you’ll bake something yummy 😄

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Brittany's avatar

Love StoryGraph! I made the transition in December and I'm loving it too!

@britpettis if anyone wants to connect on there :)

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Amy Bauer's avatar

Oh yay!!

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michaela morgan's avatar

I love this idea! Thanks for sharing. When I started watching ambient YouTube videos I came across a channel called The Silent Watcher, which has some gorgeous nature videos if you’re not in the mood for the AI vibes! Still really good for reading and relaxing.

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Amy Bauer's avatar

Ooooh I will certainly check that out!! There are so many amazing ones, and it’s such a nice alternative to music which is what we usually have playing.

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Jen's avatar

Reading this gave me a little spark of hope this morning after werks of alternating between fury and blah. Im glad to read about Storygraph as I downloaded it months ago & just never made the shift - and now off to check out agave zinnias 😁.

PS - any news source you recommend? And - check out the Animal Crossing music channels on YT - good for reading & so cute. Solace Crosding & Cafe Relaxing Music are my faves â™Ĩïļ

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Amy Bauer's avatar

Oh my gosh I love animal crossing so I will check that out tonight!! Lately I have only been listening to Meidas Touch podcast like once or twice a week to get top line news — I also love that they have dethroned Joe Rogan for the top spot!! And I’m glad to have provided some small spark of hope. I try to find bits of it each day wherever and however I can âĪïļðŸŦķ🏞

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Melissa Wendt's avatar

Love this post! The cat keeps pooping in my garden, though, so I have to use planters. Would love any tips you have. I’m committing to doing a better job this year than last, especially if, as a teacher, I’m not able to get a summer school gig. Thanks again for your motivational, uplifting post.

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Amy Bauer's avatar

When I gardened in Santa Monica, CA I had issues with stray cats! I found hardware cloth or chicken wire draped over the soil to helpful — a physical barrier so they couldn’t get in there.

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Sarah's avatar

I have no desire to be a bad influence in the war against consumerismâ€Ķbut you could not pry my soil blockers from my cold dead fingers. Those things are ESSENTIAL gardening kit!

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Amy Bauer's avatar

Hahahah I mean I think I will ask for some for Christmas!!! But I have great air pruning seed starting trays right now and don’t *neeeeed* soil blockers, though I know I will love them and they’ll be a great tool!!

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Robot Bender's avatar

My plan (already underway) is to have three planting tables of various vegetables this spring. I've started a few things and I'm waiting for others to sprout. We're retirees in SW MO.*I figure I have 6 weeks or so before I can think of planting in the tables outside. I'm new at this, but it helps me feel like I'm doing something to help us in these trying times.

*I'm using the tables because I have a bad back. They're such a great idea!

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Amy Bauer's avatar

The tables are an amazing idea!! I love that they make it more accessible for folks ðŸŦķ🏞

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You Move I’m Here's avatar

Oh my gosh, this was like a conversation with a good friend. I was nodding and making gardening plans, then thinking about frame tvs, laughing at memes, wanting to take every rabbit trail link, but was also riveted to what was in front of me. You brought delight to my soul this morning and I will be returning to this post all weekend. I’ve been trying to figure out where to direct my attention, I’ve slowly been starting seeds, but also thinking about writing, but really into movementâ€Ķ I think you’ve helped me find the best place to direct my attention. I’m already a kinda gardener and it’s my happy space, so why not jump in and get some good exercise in at the same time.

I just need you to know you’ve made me so happy this morning. Thank you for taking the time, you’re impacting a household in Southern California âĪïļ

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Amy Bauer's avatar

Stop this comment almost made me cry. You have no idea how much it means to hear that, so thank you! I started writing the newsletter I would like to receive, and it’s a nice way to work through my own feelings about life currently. Like a little life and garden diary and talking to friends ðŸĨđ

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Gracie Stafford's avatar

Thank you so much for the ambient YT video recommendations! I’m always looking for something new to have on in the background while doing my homework 💕

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Amy Bauer's avatar

There are sooooo many good ones out there!

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Gem's avatar

Loved this Ames!

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Amy Bauer's avatar

Thank you, friend!!

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Untrickled by Michelle Teheux's avatar

My plan is a Little Free Herb Garden for out front. I get a lot of pedestrians because there’s a church nearby. It’s subtle subversion!

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SK's avatar

LOVE a subtle subversion!!

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T.'s avatar

Check out Deborah Madison books too - she’s an absolute queen when it comes to veggie recipes for every veg you could ever imagine but she’s not on social media or the like so she doesn’t get the love like Alice Waters and similar company. Vegetable Literacy is a big old compendium of veg stuff and she has one specifically geared toward what you might find at farmers markets too!

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Amy Bauer's avatar

Yes!! I have vegetable literacy and absolutely adore it. I’ll check out more of her work!! ðŸŦķ🏞

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User's avatar
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Feb 21
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Amy Bauer's avatar

I love all of this so much!!!! I’m obsessed with reading about permaculture — it’s fascinating and truly makes so much sense. Working with nature instead of against it. You can do a lot in not much space when you plant it intensively and intentionally. Amazing work!!

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