Green organisms respond quickly to small changes in soil, water, sun, and wind. They also respond to other plants and insects by changing their own chemistry. Often this is instantaneous. It is hard to imagine what it would look like for a plant to not show up or be present. They don’t have … Read more
Tenacity is the mindfulness focus word for the week – the ability to hang on through numerous set-backs. It is inspired by the few plants in my garden that are just persisting despite the frost, cold, and winter on the way. Calendula is one of those tenacious plants. Calendula is an annual, … Read more
Rest As a Natural Cycle Red and golden leaves are falling from trees, seed pods have formed on annuals, and plants are hunkering down for the winter. For gardens in the colder regions of the country, we are entering a time of rest. There is a natural cycle to this that plants don’t … Read more
Praying Mantis as Garden Helper Praying mantises are elusive insects and quite carnivorous. They are a boon in a garden that is overrun with insect pests. But they are indiscriminate and will eat anything that crosses their paths, including other beneficial insects and their mates. I’ve been in Denver nine years and have never seen … Read more
Cosmos flowers, blooming everywhere in my yard, are the inspiration for this week’s mindfulness focus – dependability. Cosmos are annual flowers that blooms in mid to late summer. They grow easily and are at home in a wide range of soils.(1) They self seed, meaning they will plant themselves again for the next … Read more
Grief is like a river. Sometimes it is just meandering, and quietly tugging at your heart. At other times it is a raging river threatening to capsize the boat. But it seems to me that even in the worst of it, there are places of refuge. I am so grateful for the … Read more
In a week when I have lost one of the dearest people to me on the planet, writing is again a challenge. However I know that Sam (1) enjoyed reading my blog posts, most of which were inspired by things the two of us talked about. So he would be happy to know I … Read more
Quiet Beauty is the mindfulness concept for the week, inspired by comfrey (Symphytum officinale). Comfrey is blooming in my garden right now and it is the kind of plant that most people don’t pay attention to. The world is a pretty loud and noisy place. The things that get our attention … Read more
This week’s mindfulness concept was inspired by the irises blooming in my yard. When I first moved into my Denver home, a friend offered me iris tubers. I was happy to have them and assumed she was simply thinning hers, which needs to be done periodically. But no… she told me … Read more
Impermanence is the focus word this week, inspired by the loss of my tiny pears and apples that were just forming on trees. I was relieved two weeks ago when they made it through a severe Denver cold snap. And I wrongly assumed we were over the worst of the cold. During the … Read more
