Mindfulness Garden Games
by Joann Calabrese
author of Growing Mindful

Almost Solstice with Santa Lucia

New Moon Greetings – December 12, 2023 Tomorrow – December 13th – is the feast day of Santa Lucia Day (Saint Lucy). She is the patron saint of Sicily and many parts of Southern Italy, as well as the Netherlands. But what many people don’t realize is that December 13th was the date of Winter … Read more

Earth Day Mindfulness

Happy New Moon  April 20, 2023 Earth Day Mindfulness Earth Day is upon us (Saturday April 22nd) and I wanted to write about Earth Day Mindfulness, but have been challenged by opposing views. Mindfulness is of course paying attention to what IS, not about closing our eyes, and pretending things are okay when they are … Read more

Advice from Luna

Blessings at the New Moon – January 21 – 2023 A lion on the Serengeti  My dog Luna is an expert at finding places near the edges of the garden where she can merge with the background and camouflage herself. I have found her nestled in the sunchokes, hidden behind grape vines and in the … Read more

New Moon Mindfulness

Happy New Moon – December 23, 2022 It’s the December new moon – and this particular one arrives just two days after winter solstice .These events share many of the same energetic qualities. They both are times of darkness, but also are turn around points for increasing light. Winter solstice is the annual point, but … Read more

Yarrow & the Essence of Healing

Full Moon Greetings – December 6, 2022 Yarrow in the Garden Achillea millefolium, or yarrow, is a beautiful wildflower and easy to grow healing plant. The leaves are feathery, soft, and fernlike and flower heads are made of clusters of many tiny flowers. In the wild, yarrow is usually shades of white or pink, but there are … Read more

Fennel and Illumination

Fennel for Illumination

Happy Full Moon! Illumination as the Energy of Fennel It’s fitting on the full moon, to focus on fennel’s energy of illumination. Although, there are many other reasons to recommend the plant. Fennel’s distinctive licorice flavor makes it versatile as both herb and vegetable. Some varieties form a bulb at the base of the stem … Read more

Garlic & the Vibration of Confidence

Happy Full Moon August 11, 2022 The Vibration of Confidence Garlic is on my mind. I’ve just wrapped up my garlic harvest and am thinking about the varieties I want next season. If you are new to gardening you may not know that garlic is planted in the fall (just like many other bulbs) and … Read more

Eggplants, Mystery, & Mindfulness

Happy Full Moon – July 13, 2022 Eggplants, Mystery, & Mindfulness One of my goals this summer is to harvest more eggplant than I can possibly eat – and then give the rest away. I love eggplant and it is hard to get enough. Apparently, they grow wild in India. Can you imagine foraging for … Read more

Alien World of Fungi

Happy New Moon – June 28, 2022 The Alien World of Fungi The word alien is often used to describe beings from elsewhere – whether it’s another country or outer space. However the word alien can mean strange, foreign, odd, or simply something we know little about. And honestly, fungi absolutely meet that criteria. Although … Read more

The Antidote for Overwhelm

Lunar Blog Post Series – New Moon – May 30 2022 It’s the new moon – that part of the lunar cycle where the moon vanishes from the night sky. The funny thing is that it’s because the earth is in the way – it’s blocking the light of the sun. I keep thinking about … Read more

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