[Scpg] Scpg Digest, Vol 81, Issue 8

[mary lassila]

please take my email add. off of your list.  Thanks, Mary L.

On Sun, Sep 6, 2009 at 9:04 AM, <scpg-request at arashi.com> wrote:

> Send Scpg mailing list submissions to
>        scpg at arashi.com
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
>        https://www.arashi.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/scpg
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
>        scpg-request at arashi.com
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
>        scpg-owner at arashi.com
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of Scpg digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
>   1. Re: is ice plant a good edible permaculture plant?
>      (John Valenzuela)
>   2. Van Jones resigns from White House (Quail Springs)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 02:30:20 -0700
> From: John Valenzuela <johnvalenzuela at hotmail.com>
> To: <lbuzzell at aol.com>, <scpg at arashi.com>,
>        <sbperm2006 at googlegroups.com>,  <sbogc at yahoogroups.com>,
>        <sbfoodfuture at googlegroups.com>
> Subject: Re: [Scpg] is ice plant a good edible permaculture plant?
> Message-ID: <BAY125-W25AA18BDE337643E4B75F4DBEC0 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
> Linda, your useful information and propositions concerning iceplant have
> really got me going on a little rant here!
>
> Iceplant is barely edible to me, definitely not a 'good edible permaculture
> plant'. Our grandparents may have found iceplant quite useful, but many of
> them were not aware of the value of native plants in thier ethnobotanical
> and wildlife habitat functions, as many of us are still not aware of today.
>
> Wow! With all the useful, uniquely native, and other relatively
> non-invasive plants to promote, are we entertaining the idea of planting
> something that we all have all observed spreading locally and creating huge
> monocultures, even taking over some relatively stable native coastal plant
> communities? OK, it may be a very interesting and useful plant, but it
> doesn't mean we have to plant it, to use it- Don't we have enough of it to
> use already? From my perspective, planting iceplant would be a lazy choice.
> For others, do the cost/benefit analysis and compare to other plant options
> (and combinations) to see what your best choices might be.
>
> from the website you linked to (
> http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/carpobed.htm):
> Conservation status
> Carpobrotus edulis is not regarded as threatened in its native habitat, but
> it is invading natural areas in other parts of the world and threatening the
> survival of other species. In California, where it has been used since the
> early 1900s to stabilize the soil along railway tracks and roadsides and as
> a garden ornamental, it has naturalized and is invading coastal vegetation
> from north of Eureka to Rosarita Bay. It is known as the highway ice plant
> in the USA.
>
> from another source:
> There is evidence that iceplant also competes indirectly with native
> species. It has been reported that iceplant can lower soil pH and also
> affect the root morphology of some native shrubs (D'Antonio, 1990a;
> D'Antonio and Mahall, 1991). It is also possible, because iceplant does not
> seem to be palatable to most native herbivores, that its presence could
> increase browsing pressure on native flora and influence the species
> composition of herbivorous fauna. (3) Invasion by the alien succulent, C.
> edulis , has become a common occurrence after fire in maritime chaparral
>
> also see:
> (
> http://www.cal-ipc.org/ip/management/ipcw/pages/detailreport.cfm@usernumber=25&surveynumber=182.php
> )
>
> I am definitely not suggesting that I only use natives in my plantings, but
> come on! Let's be a little more creative than planting something that can
> actually lower bio-diversity, like ice plant does!
>
> Now having gotten all that out, Thank you for all the useful information on
> iceplant, as I am actually quite interested in the many uses of locally
> invasive (well adapted), or overly planted, seemingly useless landscape
> plants, (such as Agapanthus, or the various shrubs known as Broom).
> Considering all the qualities that were noted, perhaps it's economic values
> can be used as an incentive to harvest and remove it, to fund replacement
> with a more diverse, locally unique, and productive assembly of plants. If
> the plant selection criteria is to have some fire resistant, good tasting
> fruit and medicinal uses, how about some diversity plantings, starting with
> native prickly pear and some Aloe spp., Agave spp., and so many others. . .?
>   Rather than more of the same old-monoculture, lets plan for more diversity
> and complexity of relationships!
>
> be fruitful-
> John V.
>
>
>
> Cornucopia Kitchen Gardens and Food Forests
> John Valenzuela
> Permaculture Services
> Horticulturist, Consultant, Educator-
>
> California, Hawai'i
> phone: (415) 246-8834
>
> e-mail: johnvalenzuela at hotmail.com
>
>
>
> From: LBUZZELL at aol.com
> Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 14:34:14 -0400
> To: Scpg at arashi.com; sbperm2006 at googlegroups.com; sbogc at yahoogroups.com;
> sbfoodfuture at googlegroups.com
> Subject: [Scpg] is ice plant a good edible permaculture plant?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Iceplant (Carpobrotus edulis aka Hottentot Fig) has a bad
> reputation in California these days, although its usefulness was much
> valued by our grandparents' generation.  It's an
> attractive, low-growing groundcover plant now considered invasive and
> governments are spending a lot of money ripping it out and replacing it
> with native plants.
>
> But perhaps from a permaculture point of view it's worth another look? It's
> an amazing plant that performs multiple useful functions.
>
>  Yields an edible fruit which has been eaten by humans
>  since archeological times. Fruit is fleshy, 35 mm in diameter, shaped
>  like a spinning top, on a winged stalk, becoming yellow and fragrant when
>  ripe. The outer wall of the fruit becomes yellowish, wrinkled and leathery
>  with age. The seeds are embedded in the sticky, sweet, jelly-like
> mucilage.
>  The fruits can be eaten fresh and they have a strong, astringent, salty,
> sour
>  taste. They are not as tasty as those of C.
>  acinaciformis (purple iceplant, can be used to make delicious jam)
>  and C. deliciosus (purple or pink iceplant) which are sweeter. See
> http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/carpobed.htm
>
>  Edible by some wildlife as well. Flowers draw bees and
>  are also eaten by animals. In S. Africa, leaves are eaten by tortoises.
>
>  Holds water and thus is an effective fire-resistant
>  barrier around house or in foothills in fire-prone areas.
>  Drought tolerant
>  A coastal plant
>  Low maintenance. Vigorous and will grow where little
>  else wants to grow
>  Wind resistant
>  Controls erosion by binding hillsides, stabilizing
>  sandy dunes.
>  Shallow-rooting so good for roof gardens
>  Like most succulents, a useful "living mulch"
>  groundcover.
>  "Can be planted on flat, sandy ground, on loose sand dunes, gravelly
>  gardens, lime-rich and brackish soils as well as in containers, rockeries,
>  embankments and will cascade over terrace walls."
>  Pretty yellow flowers and attractive rusty coloration
>  even when not in bloom (you can see its autumnal-toned beauty in many
>  paintings of coastal California scenes).
>  Has medicinal uses and is a first-aid plant. "The leaf
>  juice is astringent and mildly antiseptic. It is mixed with water and
>  swallowed to treat diarrhea, dysentery and stomach cramps, and is used as
> a
>  gargle to relieve laryngitis, sore throat and mouth infections. Chewing a
> leaf
>  tip and swallowing the juice is enough to ease a sore throat. Leaf juice
> or a
>  crushed leaf is a famous soothing cure for blue-bottle stings - being a
>  coastal plant it is luckily often on hand in times of such emergencies.
> The
>  leaf juice is used as a soothing lotion for burns, bruises, scrapes, cuts,
>  grazes and sunburn, ringworm, eczema, dermatitis, sunburn, herpes, nappy
> rash,
>  thrush, cold sores, cracked lips, chafing, skin conditions and
> allergies...The
>  leaf juice also relieves the itch from mosquito, tick and spider bites
> both
>  for people and their animal companions. In the Eastern Cape of South
>  africa it is also used to treat diabetes and diptheria."
> So what do you think?  It is worth another look?  Could this be a
> useful plant for various garden and permaculture designs? Or should it be
> shunned as uncontrollable?
>
> Linda
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> With Windows Live, you can organize, edit, and share your photos.
> http://www.windowslive.com/Desktop/PhotoGallery
> -------------- next part --------------
> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
> URL: <
> https://www.arashi.com/pipermail/scpg/attachments/20090906/fa3b413d/attachment-0001.htm
> >
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 08:56:34 -0700
> From: "Quail Springs" <info at quailsprings.org>
> To: <scpg at arashi.com>
> Subject: [Scpg] Van Jones resigns from White House
> Message-ID: <003901ca2f0a$9c38ff80$d4aafe80$@org>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>
>
> Dear friends,
>
>
>
> As a friend and supporter of Van Jones and progressive government, hearing
> of his resignation from the White House - I am sad today, again, at the
> state of our country, and yet so inspired by Van Jones' courage, and happy
> and proud that he is part of our movement for healing the planet and human
> communities.  Below is what I found of his resignation statement, and a few
> links that help get to the story.
>
>
>
> ~  Kolmi Majumdar
>
> kolmi at quailsprings.org
>
>
>
> >From Van Jones' resignation statement:
>
> I am resigning my post at the Council on Environmental Quality, effective
> today.  On the eve of historic fights for health care and clean energy,
> opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me. They
> are using lies and distortions to distract and divide.  I have been
> inundated with calls - from across the political spectrum - urging me to
> "stay and fight." But I came here to fight for others, not for myself. I
> cannot in good conscience ask my colleagues to expend precious time and
> energy defending or explaining my past. We need all hands on deck, fighting
> for the future. It has been a great honor to serve my country and my
> President in this capacity. I thank everyone who has offered support and
> encouragement. I am proud to have been able to make a contribution to the
> clean energy future. I will continue to do so, in the months and years
> ahead.
>
> Van Jones Resigns (at Think Progress.org)
>
> http://thinkprogress.org/2009/09/06/van-jones-resigns/
>
>
>
> Van Jones.net
>
> http://www.vanjones.net/
>
>
>
> NAACP Supports Van Jones
>
> http://www.naacp.org/news/press/2009-09-04/
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -------------- next part --------------
> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
> URL: <
> https://www.arashi.com/pipermail/scpg/attachments/20090906/cb9212cc/attachment.htm
> >
> -------------- next part --------------
> A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
> Name: not available
> Type: image/gif
> Size: 2051 bytes
> Desc: not available
> URL: <
> https://www.arashi.com/pipermail/scpg/attachments/20090906/cb9212cc/attachment.gif
> >
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Scpg mailing list
> Scpg at arashi.com
> https://www.arashi.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/scpg
>
>
> End of Scpg Digest, Vol 81, Issue 8
> ***********************************
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.permaculture-guilds.org/pipermail/southern-california-permaculture/attachments/20090906/b686c508/attachment.html>