Mindfulness Garden Games
by Joann Calabrese
author of Growing Mindful

Cultivating Wonder and Joy

Greetings on the Last Full Moon of the Year – December 26, 2023 It is easy to get lost in day to day responsibilities and the stream of difficult news, but mystics and seers have always tapped into wonder and joy even when things around them were dark. Tuning into wonder does not mean ignoring … Read more

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

Humble Beets & Balance

Beets and Balance

Full Moon Greetings – November 27, 2023 A Symbol of Balance  Beets (Beta Vulgaris) are a perfect symbol of balance. These earthy vegetables hold the energy of equilibrium both symbolically and in reality. At the dinner table the roots and leaves (all edible) represent a balanced and healthy choice. Beets are helpful in balancing both … Read more

The Map is not the Territory

Greetings at the New Moon –  November 13, 2023 The phrase “the map is not the territory” is attributed to philosopher and scientist Alfred Korzybski. Basically, it means that a map can never completely represent all aspects of a space. If it did so, it would just be the place itself. (Korzybski elaborates on the … Read more

Ancestor Altars

Rosemary for Remembrance

Full Moon Blessings – October 28, 2023 Creating an ancestor altar – a place of remembrance for those who have passed on – could take place anytime during the year. However many spiritual traditions align their remembrance with the end of October and beginning of November. These include the Celtic festival of Samhain resurrected by … Read more

Meditation Basics

New Moon Greetings – October 14, 2023 One of my favorite books on meditation and mindfulness is Eric Harrison’s The Foundations of Mindfulness, How to Cultivate Attention, Good Judgment, and Tranquility. The book is informed by Harrison’s 30 years as a meditation and mindfulness instructor in Australia. He was introduced to meditation in the 1970s … Read more

Quirkiness of Corn

Full Moon Greetings – September 29, 2023 Corn’s Quirky Nature You might not think much about corn (Zea mays or Maize) in your garden or on your plate, but it has fascinating and distinct characteristics from most other plants you grow. First of all, corn is a grain. (The grain family includes plants like wheat, … Read more

Attempting Figs in Zone 5

Happy New Moon – September 14, 2023 Ancient Figs Figs and fig trees show up in many myths and origin stories. The Egyptian goddess Hathor sometimes embodied a fig tree as she nourished and guided souls after death. In the bible story, Adam and Eve clothe themselves in fig leaves, which I always thought odd … Read more

Chrysanthemums for Transitions

Full Moon Greetings – August 30, 2023 Herald of Summer Ending Chrysanthemums are fall blooming perennials that announce the fading of summer. Mums (for short) are beautiful and tidy plants that come in a range of shapes and colors from deep orange and yellow to lavender and mauve. Flowers are shape shifters and may resemble … Read more

August Garden Chaos

Happy New Moon – August 16, 2023 The chaos of a typical August garden may make practicing mindfulness in your green space a bit challenging. Plants are producing abundantly and all a bit overgrown, tangling around and into each other. In addition to the usual tending of plants like weeding and watering, most of us … Read more