The sweet fragrance of basil (Ocimum basilicum) is filling up my kitchen as I make some final batches of pesto before summer ends. (Click here for my vegan pesto recipe.) From pizza, to sauces, to pesto, most people know basil as a culinary herb. But it has been used as a medicinal herb … Read more
Moving Beyond Labels Seeing with Fresh Eyes is an accessible mindfulness practice of shifting focus to see what’s before us. It’s accessible but not always easy because words get in the way. Language has obviously been a great boon for human development. However, it creates a barrier to the here and now. … Read more
The word surrender often has negative connotations. We have lost; we are quitting or admitting defeat. And yet there are countless times surrender can be the healthy choice. In the garden, I have had to surrender to the fact that plants I grew successfully in Pennsylvania are stressed by the Colorado environment. … Read more
Lavender, Usefulness and Tranquility Too Lavender plants flowering in four different parts of my yard are the inspiration for this week’s mindfulness focus – tranquility. If you are not familiar with the lavender plant, you are surely familiar with its fragrance. The scent of lavender reduces stress and promotes tranquility. And it … Read more
I am overrun with golden raspberries and can’t pick them fast enough. A great problem to have, I know! They are one of the most prolific plants in my garden – and so easy! I’ve grown the Fall Gold variety in Pennsylvania and now in Denver and they seem pretty happy in both … Read more
My New Mural My back yard is home to a new mural – a tree with curving branches and vibrantly colored leaves. Created by Amy Calabrese, it is painted on the side of my garage, and makes a backdrop for the currants and nettles. I can see the tree as soon as I … Read more
Summer Solstice arrives Thursday June 21st at 4:07 AM Mountain Time (6:07 AM EST). This marks the point when the northern hemisphere is at its furthest tilt toward the sun. Observers in ancient times would have noticed the sun moving in a northward direction and then stopping and heading back the other way. One … Read more
Stopping by the garden center to pick up potting soil can be a “dangerous” thing. I don’t need any new plants, but strangely, nicotiana, poppies, and lavender ended up in my cart. There was no plan on where they would end up in the yard, so once I got home I was stuck … Read more
Owning Our Story – this week’s mindful focus, inspired by amaranth Every plant has a story. Amaranth is ancient. It came back into our modern awareness about twenty years ago as a healthy, high protein, grain-like choice. I will get to the story in a moment, but one reason I’ve been thinking of amaranth is … Read more
If you drive through my neighborhood in mid-summer, you will see wild morning glories in almost every yard. But here is the thing, they are not morning glories at all. They are bindweed flowers (Convolvulus arvensis} masquerading as morning glories. And the name bindweed tells you most of what you need to … Read more
