Shavua Tov!
The Malkosh is the last rain of the season. It is something that we can know only in retrospect. I hope that during the next weeks there will be more rain and that the astonishing and surprising rainfall we had yesterday and today was not the Malkosh.
I think that other languages do not have special words like Matar and Malkosh denoting the first rain and the last rain of the season… The Malkosh opens the summer season. It is followed by no more precipitation. It is unique to our Mediterranean climate, during which it does not rain at all in the summer. Then comes the Matar, which opens the winter rainy season.
From Wikipedia: "Rashi interpreted (Ta'anit 6, 81) that the Malkosh is "rain during Nissan, just before the harvest, which fills and hardens the grain"; This rain is particularly important because without it, it will not be possible to start the harvest on time, and the saved grain in the barns from the previous harvest will run out."
For us, the holidays are always connected with agriculture, an ancient heritage of behavioral rules related to nature. Nature is what sustains us. I know this sounds a bit "spiritual"… but without it, with only technology and high-tech, we would not survive at a fundamental level. We'd have nothing to eat, breathe, where to be…. We need nature. We are connected to it. We are part of it.
So, I'm hoping for more rain to wash the haze away and to clean everything… To repaint the leaves in green, blue, purple, red… to allow us and them to breathe… to soak the earth which will nourish them and then nourish us…
Beside the fact that rain cleans the air and the leaves so that they may produce oxygen (photosynthesis), rain is always better for irrigating the garden. Irrigation by rain reaches everywhere and waters everything, unlike the irrigation from a hose with a drip. Drip irrigation is indeed a genius idea, but it is not the same. The taftafot drip exactly where they are and if the dripline moves a little distance away from the tiny plant which was planted next to the dripper, the little plant will not get water and nourishment at this critical early stage of its life .
In the garden it is easy and obvious to see different plants, of the same species, that were planted in the space of two weeks.
The first got precise help from nature. Now they look strong and beautiful beside those who received help only from us. Although we gave our best efforts, thought and love… It is not the same. They are less robust. We are not able to measure and imitate everything that happens here on its own…as a result of nature.
So come on, we need a little more rain!
The Spring Festival is approaching – for us it is characterized by a day like this and a day like that. A hot day, a wet day… all of which will give a push and a strong start to all of those who will nourish us until the next rains come. To that we will now have a new start, it is always good to start again. A new beginning, strong, clean and nutritious!
Happy Spring, nutritious and full of strong and clean beginnings!
Health 🙂
The garden staff and Maggie
In our Organic vegetable baskets we ca expect:
New Zealand spinach
Radishes
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
lettuce
Carrots
pumpkin
beets
celery
cauliflower
In the larger organic vegetable baskets, also:
Red cabbage
Bundle lure
coriander
Leeks
Organic fruit baskets, expect:
Temple Clementines
Oranges
Perlina Melon
In the larger organic fruit baskets, also:
Sweeties
Red Grapefruits
Sharante Melon
