Spring is Coming I know it is super cold in much of the country, but there are sure signs of spring if we are paying attention. The minutes of sunlight are increasing each day and seed catalogs are arriving in the mail. If you are not a gardener, it might be hard to understand … Read more
Arguing With Winter I am not a fan of winter or the darkness that accompanies it. The sun sets in Denver just after 4:30 PM this week, making for a very long night. And although the weather can be balmy here when the sun is up, temperatures can plummet twenty degrees after … Read more
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
75 degrees is the high today in Denver, but it will change to cold and snow overnight. I’ve pulled in all the green tomatoes, green beans, and basil, and covered hardier plants with frost cloth. Gardeners constantly have their eyes on the weather and know that it can be unpredictable, with quick … Read more
Hope in Action is the mindfulness focus this week, inspired by seeds forming on fading garden plants. I think there are more seed heads than flowers in the garden right now. Cosmos, calendula, echinecea, marigolds, sunflowers, and zinnias…seeds are everywhere. Seeds always seem hopeful to me. They represent new life even as the plant … Read more
Embracing What Is – that’s the mindfulness focus for the week. Dreary Days in Denver A run of cold dreary days has marked the beginning of fall in Denver. With the passing of the equinox last week, came clouds, grey, and rain. This is not the usual weather for Denver, where even in … 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
Is the Glass Half Empty or Half Full? My usual “pumpkinpalooza”, as my grand-daughter Amanda calls it, did not materialize this summer. My time spent in Pennsylvania and my distracted-ness upon returning certainly impacted the pumpkins. The okra were also a bust this year. My white currants were prolific, but life got in … Read more
