Looking for Silver Linings

New Moon Greetings – August 12, 2026

A Summer of Winning and Losing

The challenging gardening season in Denver so far has me looking for silver linings. After losing all of my apples because of a late frost, summer arrived with drought, wildfire smoke, and 100+ degree days. Plants and humans alike are struggling. I’ve covered most of the garden beds with shade cloth, but the cloth needs to be lifted each day so pollinators can get in and then pulled back down before the sun gets too hot (which is about 10 AM).

A number of plants have expired from the heat, and most of the rest are not happy, including some that I thought were xeric. The raspberries and currants produced significantly less fruit than any previous season. It felt like they were just concentrating on surviving.

Apparently, this is the new normal, figuring out creative ways to keep plants alive. Shade cloth has become a necessity. My front patio is cluttered with plants in pots where they are shielded from the worst of the sun. In some ways gardening is always about keeping plants alive, but this year it feels like the only task. That and being at peace when after trying my best, another plant succumbs. And strangely in the midst of all of this, there are some silver linings.

Silver Lining #1 – Fig Tree is Fruiting

I have small fig trees in pots that I have grown for quite a few years, but they have never produced any figs. Suddenly this summer, one of them has figs developing. Apparently they are happy with the heat, smoke, and drought!  They are protected on my patio from the worst of the blazing sun, but that’s where they are every year and this is the first year with fruit. So I am celebrating that!

Silver Lining #2   Cotton Plant is Flowering 

One of my many garden experiments this year was planting cotton seeds in pots to see if I could get them to grow and produce any fiber for spinning. I did not expect much and so was very excited a few weeks ago to find one of the plants flowering.  And now where the flower was, the plant seems to be forming a cotton boll. If things unfold correctly, that should hold cotton fibers. I know I will not get enough to spin anything substantial, but just having any at all will be incredible! And I can spin a small amount for a wall hanging or solstice ornaments.

Silver Lining #3 Blue Tomatoes

This spring, when going through my stash of saved seeds, I found an envelope from my daughter Melody labeled “Blue Tomatoes, 2013”. No other information!  I wasn’t sure they would germinate, but decided to give them a try and I’m so glad I did. I started them indoors in a small hydroponic unit.  From there they graduated into pots and then out to the garden. They have been some of the heartiest and most prolific plants in this heat. And as a bonus they are absolutely beautiful.

Silver Lining #4 Eating from the Garden Every Day 

With all of the challenges, I still have a garden producing food – food that is not sprayed with pesticides or otherwise contaminated. Even though the raspberry output has been reduced, I am still eating raspberries every day. I have kale ( in a cool place on the front

patio), eggplant, zucchini, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, beans. I also have a bumper crop of flax for spinning, and calendula and amaranth for dying yarn. When I take stock, there have been lots of good things in the garden so far.

Silver Lining Lessons

I’m not crazy enough to think that every cloud has a silver lining. I mean look around. Some storm clouds just wreak havoc. But  taking the time to look for silver linings and celebrate them is important.  It is easy to get stuck in a loop of everything being negative.  Life can be hard. But in spite of that, sometimes it is just a matter of adjusting our focus and we might find silver linings even in the midst of tough times. Here’s hoping you find lots of silver linings this summer.

About this Blog Post & and Qigong Practice 

This post is part of my lunar blog series. I post each new moon as it is a great time to begin projects and set intentions with the increasing light.  Topics are related to plants and ideas featured in my book,  Growing Mindful.   Other topics are related to mindfulness, gardens, qigong, and intentional living. For more details and a list of past lunar blog posts, click here. 

About Qigong – I lead qigong at Bluff Lake Nature Center in Denver on the last Sunday of each month. You can find the schedule in announcements on the home page. I have also partnered with other graduates of the IIQTC (Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi) to offer virtual HeART of Body Compassionate Self Care Practice Circles based on qigong and tai chi. Check out the information here: Global Healing Circles or contact me if you need more information.