Y5 – Day 14 – Spring Questionnaire

What qualities of nature are you attracted to? Is it the happy faces of pansies or the scent of roses and jasmines that appeal to you? Is it a mass of tulips or a single hybrid lily?

What colors remind you of springtime?

Do you prefer to hike through high grassed meadows, flowered fields or shaded woods?

Do you have any spring rituals? What may they be?

If spring is your favorite season – why?

Birdwatching is a simple delight this time of year. Maybe you have even seen a nest in a tree. What are natural pleasures that make you smile in springtime?

I gardened today. I weeded, cleaned up leaves and twigs left behind by the winds. I watered the dry earth, revived the parched plants and ruminated. I reminisced. I recalled years of gardening tasks and moments – digging, pruning, blessing new transplants, shrieking at earthworms and tamping down living, lush, dirty soil with my bare hands. Sacred hours and quality time in our gardens, that is true bliss. Ultimately, be grateful for every breath you take, and every waking moment.

My experiences and my relationships are priceless.

 

 

Y5 – Day 13 – May Day 2017

I treasure springtime and the rebirth of our living planet.

THINK ACTION: If you love to draw, maybe sketch and color a flower, a shrub or a tree. Do you enjoy photographing buds, blooms and insects? What colors do you prefer in the yard and borders? Use more of it in your landscape this year. If you don’t own a patch of land, could you join a community garden or share a plot? Borrow a friend’s neglected stretch of backyard? Have you ever tried container or raised beds? Why not place a few herbs and African Violets on your windowsill? Like cooking, gardening is a way to teach the young in a playful manner. How could you involve them in your next project?

 

Y5 – Day 12 – Garden without Fear

Everyone has had letdowns with plants. Don’t allow that to defeat you from trying again this year. Disappointments and lessons learned are a part of life and gardening. Make sure to enjoy the season anyway, get your hands dirty (wear gloves) and take pride in your victories, however small or large. There is great satisfaction and pleasure in watching a bud appear and consequently reach full bloom. With this in mind, what a fabulous pastime to share and pass down to children.

We labor in our garden plots in April whether we weed, shop, choose, plan, transplant, water, mulch or sprout seedlings. We set the scene for summer with hope filled toil, no matter how small-scale our territory or where we are located.

Y5 – Day 11 – Climate Zones

Meanwhile, the roses we pruned in January are in full bloom. Pruning times depend on your climate zone. Furthermore, every landscape has its own microclimate zones. For example, below a slope will most likely be your dampest spot and could be up to ten degrees cooler than the rest of your yard, a great place for ferns and ivy. But, don’t expect sunflowers or most flowering types to survive those conditions. Likewise, an area with partial sunlight and shade might be too cool and moist for a succulent.

Vegetation can be quite finicky. Various plants enjoy solitary situations. Others prefer to be in a community of varied species. Still, a few need to be staked like tomato and bean bushes.

Then again, every zone has its easy to raise seedlings, foliage and flowers too. Morning Glories are a weed in my garden. Purple plumed Mexican Sage – a gigantic, grassy, overgrown mess right now, needs to be controlled. Freeway Daisies flower even if I forget about them. Honeysuckle blossoms, spread and climb without a care. Nevertheless, I admit, as a dedicated gardener, I still kill easy to grow plants, out of pure neglect or unknown reasons, like geraniums.

Y5 – Day 10 – Bulbs

Bulbs surprise, springing up since we often forget where we have planted them in the fall and don’t see them till warm days arrive. Daffodils, also known as jonquils, sweep the road paths along the mountain roads near my home, in swaths of yellow, green and white. Teeny yet fragrant purple and white Hyacinths are common first tubers to sprout, often bursting through an unexpected snowfall in most of the continental states. When your spring bulbs’ blossoms wither, rather than chopping off their stems, bind them into a braid or a simple twist with raffia or tomato ties. As a result, the underground bulb gains renewed strength for next year. Set annuals, such as pansies (if you live in a cool zone) or petunias (for warmer climes) between the knob corms (bulb seeds). You can cut back the stalks once they look dry and brittle.

Y5 – Day 9 – Springtime Gardening

Springtime Gardening

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” – Cicero

Daisies, lilacs, tulips, daffodils, lilies, hyacinths, ranunculi, roses, poppies, sweet peas and freesias!!  These are a few of the flowers that bloom and headline the scene at springtime.
After a monochromatic winter has kept us inside with dry heat, I urge you to get outside, appreciate the fresh breezes and smell the multicolored blossoms. In April, wherever you live – color, fragrance and new growth permeates. First, explore the wildflowers on hillsides, between crevices of rocks, lakeside, near river beds and alongside highways. Notice the pops of color. For instance, ice plants, burst at the seams with fluorescent fuchsia and pink-violet by the seashore. Second, breathe in the perfume. Freesia bulbs, jasmine vines and sweet peas scent the outdoors with their delicate, pastel blooms.

Y5 – Day 4 – Bring Spring In

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” – Cicero

Daisies, lilacs, tulips, daffodils, lilies, hyacinths, ranunculi, roses, poppies, sweet peas and freesias!!  These are a few of the flowers that bloom and headline the scene at springtime. Go outside and enjoy the fresh breezes and blossoms! Note the surrounding changes. In April, wherever you live – color, fragrance and new growth permeates. Search for wildflowers on hillsides, between crevices of rocks at the beach, lakeside, near river beds and alongside highways. Notice the pops of color. Ice plants, used as ground cover, burst at the seams with fluorescent “take me back to the 70s” hot pink and fuchsia purple mania. Smell the air. Freesia bulbs, jasmine vines and sweet peas perfume the outdoors with their delicate, pastel blooms. 

Daffodils, also known as jonquils, sweep the road paths along the mountain roads where I reside in swaths of yellow, green and white. Teeny yet fragrant purple and white Hyacinths are commonly the first tubers to sprout, often busting through an unexpected snowfall. When your spring bulbs’ blossoms wither, bind their stems into a braid or a simple twist with raffia, strips from an old nylon stocking or tomato Velcro ties. This allows the underground bulb to gain renewed strength for next year. Set annuals, such as pansies (if you live in a cool zone) or petunias (for warmer climes) between the knob corms (bulb seeds). You can cut the stalks back once they are dry and brittle. 

 

Y4 – Day 360 – April

EXCERPT FROM TITLE PAGE FOR APRIL from upcoming book – Goddess Musings – 365 days of Inspiration for women

April

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.” –Thoreau

April cleanses the earth’s Northern Hemisphere with spring and rain. We dig into the soil and plant summer bulbs. At the same time, we watch as tulips and daffodils rise out of the ground and flower. We smell jasmine, orange blossoms, hyacinths and freesias. The bees buzz, the birds chirp and they sing. Meanwhile, leaves bud and unfurl on deciduous trees, in vivid Kelley green. The land and sky appear on the horizon as clean, wide and fresh, anew with life and water.

April stimulates our senses, inviting us to step outside of ourselves. At the same time, April draws us into our soul’s gardening shed to re-tool, re-organize and re-order our plans. We clear out our closets, put things in place and sow seeds of faith.

In April, we will experience birth and creation, growth and mindfulness, as well as discipline. With clarity, we will arrange and adjust our surroundings and ourselves. Last month, we worked hard on forgiving and releasing. This month, we replenish and refill our mind, body and spirit with bright, lofty thoughts and actions.  Along with your wellspring of hope, grace and curiosity, the painted hues of April rouse the imagination and tempt desire as an eager butterfly to nectar. I beckon you to turn the page with childlike awe.

I appreciate the natural beauty of the earth and will honor and protect it.