Green Resolutions: Kale Indoors or Out
I love that quiet week between Christmas and New Year’s, where old friends return to their family homes, get their fill of said family, and escape to the local pubs to see friends who have flown in or driven over from across the country. I was talking with one friend about her New Year’s Eve resolutions of years past. She greets a new year similar to those who give something up for lent, seeing if she can, day by day, go a whole year without something that she feels a bit too dependent on.
How do you set intentions and resolutions for a new year? Do you have a hard time keeping them? In 5 Goals That Will Change Your Life More Than a New Year’s Resolution, MindBodyGreen writer Natasha Uspensky notes that it’s important to take the pressure off yourself this year, and set goals that you can meet. Two in particular stood out to me. HUG people. That seems doable – and I generally do greet people with hugs, which, like one’s handshake, tells me all kinds of things about them. (Nervous to meet me yet?)
The other is to eat dark leafy greens every day: “They boost your immunity and lower your risk of disease. To make this step super easy, shoot for having one green salad a day made with at least a full cup of kale, arugula, or spinach.” Or add them to your breakfast eggs. What better than to eat the greens from your own garden? It’s a doable New Year’s Eve resolution, one that you can feel soooo good about. I don’t have a yard to plant in, so I’m going to check out growing kale in a container. Over at Gentle World, Alisa Rutherford-Fortunati has a great list of the various ways to grow kale, a hardy plant that actually thrives in cold climates. As an L.A. girl, I’ll be taking my chances with the fact that it gets a little bitter and tough in heat over 80 degrees. I hear you, kale, I hear you. I’m a 75 degree girl, too.
Per Alisa: “The pot or container must have at least six square inches of space for the plant to grow in. Plant your seeds or starts in the center of the pot, following the same fertilization and depth suggested for garden planting (a good layer of compost, with seeds planted ½ inch deep). Make sure to move kale grown in containers into a partially shaded area when summer arrives.” And check out the City Farm’s watering can to care for your new, growing greens.
What are you resolving for your green and garden ways for 2014? Do you generally keep your New Year’s Resolutions? Tell us in the comments, or over at Twitter: @TheCityFarm & @RebeccaSnavely
(Photos: Kale – GrowThis; Watering Can – TheCityFarm.com)
