What you are looking at, dear readers, is a photograph of an egg case full of fossilized grasshopper eggs that a mama grasshopper laid in the Earth 29 million years ago! They were found in Oregon by someone who does this kind of research.
I have been enchanted by grasshoppers since I was a young child. How could one not be? The jumping alone to a child’s eyes is magical! As an adult I see history. I see an ancient being. Ancient beings hold mystery and knowledge. I know when I look at the body, the markings of this creature I am looking at evolutionary decisions that were made over millions of years. I do not take that lightly. Indeed, I am captive to the realization there is no school or being who can tell me in detail about the processes that occurred to ensure longevity and endurance. So I stand enraptured by the lines, the coloration, that I can only begin to speculate about. I see a shield. I see protection. I see mobility. I see intention. I see a vulnerable warrior, a fierce protector. And I am humbled that I am able to bear witness to it all, for however many moments I am gifted.
I first became familiar with differential grasshoppers in New Mexico in my garden in September 2022. One came to the fence that holds my morning glory wall, first on the 13th and again on the 15th. I was surprised to see it back. And to my knowledge it never returned. This is rather my experience with grasshoppers. They come. They go.
Now, what you see here is a second differential grasshopper who showed up in my garden last July. Isn’t she awesome??
I admit when she first appeared I was charmed but did not dwell, most likely because, again, when grasshoppers show up it is usually for a day or two at most. I don’t expect it to stay around. I assume it is passing through. But this one had a pattern to her choices and it caught my attention that I would see her at certain times of the day in certain places. Clearly once the sun was up and the stucco walls were absorbing the heat of the morning sun she would emerge. From somewhere. As it became more of a regular occurrence I began paying closer attention. There were times I would not see her and I would assume she had finally moved on. But again and again, she would resurface on one of two stucco walls, either south or east facing. Where she went at night was always a mystery. Sometimes I would not see her for a few days so there was this endless wondering if she had finally taken her next step. But no. Once I saw her on the back wall and as I took a closer look, I realized she was pooping! I giggled the rest of that day that I had actually watched a grasshopper poop! How likely is that? Hilarious!
Eventually the weather shifted and nights were cold and I began researching, wondering just how long this was going to last! Summer sun was over. Fall was upon us. I asked my cohorts on Critters of New Mexico when grasshoppers disappear, and did they migrate, or…? Folks predicted by October that she probably did not have that much time. They were wrong. November she was still here. Every single day I would go out and look for her. Every day she did not emerge I said, OK, goodbye, little one. Over and over again she showed up. Nights were by now freezing. How was she doing this? I googled What do grasshoppers eat? Grass? There is no grass on this property! Ingenuity kicked in. I had planted dandelion seeds I had lifted from a neighbor’s yard one morning on a dog walk and lo and behold, in spite of a late start, they had sprouted. I began picking dandelion leaves for her which she happily munched down. Later I wondered where she would secure water. I’m in the high desert! I began sprinkling the dandelion leaves with water, which she immediately drank. This is when I observed that she seemed to have tiny green filaments next to her mouth which she I think she was using like straws! And then she would eat the leaves as one would expect. Can you imagine how I loved this? And at this point I’m pretty sure I am helping her stay alive.
But where oh where was she going at night?
I finally found her burrowing down into the bedraggled chrysanthemums I had left outside, hoping they would survive a desert winter. She would hide as far down as she could, and then emerge about an hour or so after the sun would rise, each morning appearing more half dormant, until at last, right before the first really big storm of the season, mid-December, she took her leave. She left her memory in my heart. Lingering questions–did she leave eggs in the soil? Was she somehow related to the one who had come in 2022? Of course I will never know. I remain profoundly grateful for her sharing so much of her story with me, here in our desert garden.
With gratitude and garden blessings,
Kathryn xoxo]]>Readers may be interested to know that, for now, used copies of Plant Whatever Brings You Joy: Blessed Wisdom from the Garden are available on Amazon from third party sellers of books, at reduced prices. New copies may be secured from Gallery Bookshop in downtown Mendocino. You can order from them by contacting them directly. I am in the process of making the audible book available on Amazon and am planning on later making a print and demand version available. Thanks for your support over the years. Watch me grow!
One of the greatest joys and unexpected pleasures of high desert living has been the stunning beauty offered by desert skies, which are awe inspiring and breathtaking! I wanted to share with you this morning some of the imagery I have captured, largely from the back patio of my home. What a treasure to have easy daily access to this imagery! Enjoy!
How do clouds make a square?
Clouds by Mary Oliver
All afternoon, sir,
your ambassadors have been turning
into lakes and rivers.
At first they were just clouds, like any other.
Then they swelled and swirled; then they hung very still’
then they broke open. This is, I suppose,
just one of the common miracles,
a transformation, not a vision,
not an answer, not a proof, but I put it
there, close against my heart, where the need is, and it serves
the purpose. I go on, soaked through, my hair
slicked back;
like corn, or wheat, shining and useful.
Dearest Readers, I do hope you have enjoyed this collection of high desert sky pics which has been my great joy to see and capture and to now share with you.
Love and garden blessings,
Kathryn xoxo
]]>Note to readers of Plant Whatever Brings You Joy: Blessed Wisdom from the Garden: reviews on Amazon have a shelf life. While nearly all my forty reviews are 5-star, they lose value from Amazon’s perspective. If you have read my book and have not posted a review–or rating–on Amazon, please do. Or, buy a copy! Prices are reduced at the moment! It would mean so much. Thank you!
On this last day of September, and synchronistically, a Friday, I am going to do a Flashback on the story of how I came to begin this blog and celebrate that it continues to this day! Now that I am more settled in my new home in New Mexico posts will be more frequent and I look forward to sharing all that I am learning about life in the high desert!
The Story
In the early 90’s I left my home in Mill Valley in Marin Co., and made my way up to the tiny town of Little River, on the coast of Mendocino Co. I simply wanted to “go to the country and get a dog.” So I did. Here I am with Moxie, my first Border Collie, whom I adored, in the woods, on our two acres, in front of our garage and guest cabin and our first little flower plot. Color us happy!
And there I planted a garden, the first in a long while, and this simple act became the inception of what was to become my book Plant Whatever Brings You Joy: Blessed Wisdom from the Garden. The path to publication involved more than one agent, more than one artist, more than one proposal, a sale and a deadline, and, a variety of other plans, and unexpected turns in the road, including a complete rewrite, and, finally, the decision to self-publish, as, ultimately the plan that worked involved my being able and willing to assemble the team of people who would get me across the finish line. Whew! It was, stunningly, an over twenty year process. When it was at last time to consider the marketing, I rang an agent in the City, an old trusted colleague of mine, updating him and asking for his input. “You need to start a blog,” he said. “What?” I replied, surprised. “I don’t have a book, yet. It’s not finished!” “Doesn’t matter,” he said. “You need a platform.” Apparently being a book publicist for over three decades was no longer enough. Things were changing. “Put on overalls,” he said. (Like that was going to happen.) “Put yourself out there. Now.” Huh. This was completely counterintuitive to my publicity beliefs, but I saw he was right. I took his advice, in my own style–I managed a hat–
— and began my blog, eventually finding the site Blotanical, a gathering of over 2500 gardening bloggers around the world, where Plant Whatever Brings You Joy became the #1 Most Popular Blog for over one year, was ranking in the Top Ten and Top Twenty Most Popular Gardening Blog lists, and was attracting a worldwide audience of over 40,000 people each month. It was on and through this blog that I met and developed friendships with gardening bloggers who to this day are a very treasured part of my life. Lifelong friendships have been formed, and I hold this network as one of the most precious gifts with which I am blessed.
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Plant Whatever Brings You Joy did not just open up the door to meeting like minded gardening lovers around the world. It also served as the vehicle for two amazing social media events–first The Scarf Initiative, [for full story explore The Scarf Initiative category in right column] and later, I made a decision to use the blog as a focal point for helping to save the animals in the Tripoli Zoo in the middle of the Libyan revolution. Yes, seriously. It’s called Plant Whatever Brings You Joy. And as readers have learned over and over again, the book Plant Whatever Brings You Joy embraces a wide range of joyful topics, that might well have stemmed from a lesson learned in the garden, but the intention, always, was to apply those blessed lessons in our everyday lives. The tagline for this blog is Heart + Meaning =Joy. Each individual must define for himself or herself what has heart and meaning, that will ultimately lead to abundant joy.
I am deeply grateful this blog has for the last fifteen years been a place of inspiration to so many–myself included. Maintaining it has always motivated me to learn something new, to go on field trips to explore a new place I might share, to document the life in my garden, as a careful nature lover and observer, to share my favorite recipes. I have always turned away “advertising opportunities” and kept the blog as a sacred place, an oasis, where folks might come and be uplifted. And where they might be inspired. And where they might learn. I’ve included reviews of books I’ve appreciated. I’ve shared my photographs, sending them out into the world where many have a life of their own, moving around the globe unhindered. “It’s just light,” I have told folks. “If I’ve captured something that people want to send along and share, well, good.”
“Stuff your eyes with wonder.” ~Ray Bradbury
I am so grateful for these last fifteen years, and what has come forth, and I look forward to continued exchanges with you, dearest readers. Thank you for your comments, your readership, your subscriptions, your own blogs, your loyalty and love.
Recently I put together a board on Pinterest that is, essentially, a tribute to this blog and to the publishing of my book, and its journey as it continues to find readers around the world. Did I think I’d still be writing this blog after fifteen years, and promoting my book after twelve years? It never really crossed my mind. But the path is still beckoning, and as the meme says, “Don’t quit before the miracle!” Can’t wait to see what happens next. Thank you for being with me on this journey! You are each so appreciated, more than you could possibly know.
Love and garden blessings,
Kathryn xoxo
Feeling enormously delighted that this corner emerged, especially in regard to the ever changing delightful morning glories, would it be any surprise to you that I was recently immediately drawn down the street in a neighborhood I was visiting, when I spotted a wall of purple flowers, determined to learn what they were? Imagine my amazement and delight to discover a kindred spirit gardener who had covered the back wall of her garden with morning glories! Mind you, this is not a common sight in this part of New Mexico in my experience.
Minutes later found me opening the front gate to this woman’s garden, marching up to her front door and leaving her a hand written message that I would love to interview her and showcase her garden on my Plant Whatever Brings You Joy blog! As spectacular as her morning glories were, I was entirely captivated by her entire garden, the only one I’ve seen in this part of the state that reflected what I regard as a Santa Fe look that I adore. Her stucco walls, her artistic sensibilities, her playful inclusions all delighted my imagination and eye. So I was thrilled that Charlene texted me a couple of days later and invited me to meet her and to photograph her garden. The following Friday morning we spent an hour and a half together, sharing stories and information about New Mexico gardening and the state in general. She has a rich familial history that traces back to not only pre-statehood, but pre-territory! She shared that she grew up in the countryside, which as a child she did not fully appreciate. She was delighted as a teen to move to Albuquerque, to the Big City. She later raised her children in Valencia County, where I am based, but as they grew to adulthood, she began to long for her early roots, and then impulse inspired her to create this beautiful private garden. I feel incredibly blessed to have met her and to have been invited to share a closer look.
I am utterly enchanted with her abundant use of nopales. This is just inside the front gate. And here is the most amazing thing you need to know. I asked Charlene what kind of stones we were walking on. I could not imagine something so wonderful I’d never discovered before. “I painted them,” she answered! She painted the rocks! What?? Brilliant! Who does this? And what an incredible effect! So now I really love her, right?
Nopales combined with various grasses:
Carefully placed yarrow:
This gate was exquisite. I asked Charlene where she found it. Her response? “My dad and grandfather built that.” #love
Behind this gate, laden with more morning glories entwined with trumpet vine, live two little pooches, ChaCha and Gordo, a pug. Gordo greeted me at this gate on my first visit. So cute.
When I first spotted this morning glory tower, I assumed it was growing out of a hanging pot, and I said to myself, oh how clever. But when Charlene gave me my tour I discovered that, no, the morning glories were actually growing out of the ground, and she had pulled them skyward toward a small metal wheel, where they were happy to entwine. Surprise! Charlene does things as she sees.
Other garden art loveliness that caught my eye:
Mi casa es su casa.
More nopales:
And the ever present morning glories:
What a lovely way to spend a morning with this newly found inspiring creative gardener! I am finding my way into New Mexico gardening with great joy!
Last fascinating note about this adventure. Two days after I conducted this interview/tour I received a text from a neighbor of mine who said, “I just walked by a house on [address, which is not in our neighborhood!] It is really pretty, a Southwest theme. When I saw it I thought of you and could see you introducing yourself. Use your maps and go past [adjacent address].” I laughed so hard and sent him back a copy of the first pic in this post saying, “Was it this one?? I just interviewed her!
Spirit clearly at work here.
Love and gardening blessings,
Kathryn xoxo
Buy a copy of my book Plant Whatever Brings You Joy: Blessed Wisdom from the Garden on Amazon here. ¡Gracias!
]]>Way way way back when I first started my book publicity business I had an upstairs office in downtown Santa Rosa that looked out back on a courtyard and a parking lot, divided by heavy wire fencing. That was not the view I wanted and I decided to plant morning glories on the fence to transform that view. Those of you who have read my book Plant Whatever Brings You Joy might remember that when I went out to plant seeds I was crestfallen to discover that the dirt at the base of the fence was only one inch deep. Below was parking lot asphalt. Soon I was relaying this to a dear friend on the phone, while looking out the back window. “I would need jackhammers to plant anything back there, Justine!” I lamented. Unbelievably just beyond the fence were several men digging into the asphalt with jackhammers. I got off the phone, scurried down the staircase and spoke with the man in charge of those workers who kindly and miraculously agreed to have them dig holes for me along the fenceline, deep enough to accommodate a small seed, and within a couple of months that fence was transformed into a wall of purple beauty.
Fast forward decades to my current reality in the high desert where the east, south and west of this property is nearly all fashioned into broad patios. Deeper exploration and consideration allowed me to imagine the heretofore unthinkable. I could garden along the wooden fence line between me and my west of me neighbors, which is four inches deep and forty-five feet long. Yes, really. I said, “This is what I’ve been given, and this is what I will make use of.”
As it happens I brought a lot of seeds with me from California. I augmented my stash with four kinds of morning glory seeds from a big box store, put my judgments and whinging behind me and shifted to a creative whimsical mindset that this was not only possible, I had done it before–incredibly under worse circumstances. I put in my seeds. As luck would have it, I had brought with me from my California garden some wrought iron border fencing, that “just happened” to fit into the chosen allotted space. They had something to climb on! Knowing they would need something once they reached the top I strung twine and various colored wool yarns from the metal border to the tops of the wooden fencing along which I was planting. Perfect. Fortunately, as they gradually emerged from the earth, they thought so, too! They are off and running. This is the fun part where they seem to grow inches overnight!
This particular fencing is built in sections. Two panels over I decided to put in nasturtium, which, happily, has now also begun to grow. No flowers yet!
What is not lost on me as I begin to claim and improve and be creative with the blessings I have been given in the high desert, is that I am largely working from seed. Given that Plant Whatever Brings You Joy: Blessed Wisdom from the Garden is, in its entirety, a book based on metaphors from the garden [indeed, the working title for my book was Metaphors from the Garden!] is that if there were ever a time to be beginning a new garden from seeds, now would be that time. And so I am. It is both humble and humbling. It is also inspiring and enlivening. I am not, much as I am tempted, going into a nursery and buying ready made plants. I’d have to put them in pots, for starters. That does little to connect me with this new earth I am exploring, digesting, adapting to and learning about. Putting a teeny tiny seed in the ground and watching the miracle of a seed transforming itself into beauty and food is a far more important life exercise for me in this moment. I walked away from a garden I had developed over a fifteen year period. It has been shared literally with thousands of people over that decade and a half. I am, in so many ways, Starting Over.
Mind you, I did buy a bunch of petunias when I first got here, in winter, and left them in their original pot, which I placed in a big basket and kept them in the house until the weather changed. I took the time to harden them and then left them outside. I was rewarded with not only their stunning beauty, but also not one but two amazing opportunities to catch on video hummingbird moths visiting them! (I will feature those in an upcoming post!)
I also early on purchased a jasmine, now in a pot and doing well, and a breath of heaven, which was one of my very favorite plants in my California gardens, living in a very large pot. I could not resist buying a small one and planting in a pot. Those two plants along with one geranium and a few pansies are my entire collection of potted plants at the moment and they have served as soul and heart comfort as I get my grounding here in the desert.
Oh, hold on. There is one more. My daughter bought me a desert willow on Mother’s Day! So, yes, there is that. It was the bridge from familiar plants that comforted me to the leap to desert plants that thrilled me. There is one very established one that hangs over the wooden fence from the neighbor’s yard. Lucky me, as 3/4 of the tree is over here, not over there. I have pruned it and talked to it and I may or may not have watered it a wee bit while she is away at work, and the result is that it is the most nourished most beautiful I’ve seen since arriving. I simply love it. So I’m happy and grateful to have one of my own in a large pot on the eastern patio. Very.
Gardens in New Mexico cannot be separated or viewed apart from the overhead skies. Here’s one from this week. Stunning.
I do hope you will join me in this high desert adventure. I am learning so much, particularly about the birds who live and pass through here. I am grateful to have the many longtime subscribers to this blog and I look forward to your comments!
Love and garden blessings from the high desert of New Mexico!
Kathryn
Postscript, because I know some of you are wondering: this village is 4800 feet high!
]]>Dearest followers of Plant Whatever Brings You Joy, when I wrote my last post from Northern California in all honesty there was nowhere on my conscious Bingo card that imagined my next post would be written from my new home in the high desert of New Mexico. But here we are! Border Collie Nana, tortie Coco and I made the journey down the entire length of California, crossing Arizona into northern New Mexico and headed south. And here we are in our new home. This post is to give you a visual overview of some of what we have seen and experienced.
Incredibly, the first part of our journey here, south of Albuquerque, unexpectedly included days spent at lodging where every morning more than fifty sandhill cranes flew in and spent the daylight hours nearby. They were absolutely Buddha like and their presence marked a memorable entry into high desert country.
Nana and I took early morning walks together into landscapes heretofore never seen. Nana always insisted we walk far enough to visit a family of five cows. Temps were freezing, but they were always outside near the fence where we walked.
Our walks meant we were seeing plants that were completely new to us. Here’s a beauty, whose name I still do not know.
After weeks of searching for a new home, giving us the opportunity to explore the area, ever refining what felt right, I at last found a home I knew we could settle into in New Mexico.
I could not imagine an environment more different from our years in Northern California. And certainly I did not anticipate last week’s dumping of snow, which Nana was thrilled to play in! And, yes, that is pampas grass just over the fence!
Here’s the view out my new office window:
One more amazing New Mexico sunset. The sky here is open and available and continually magically offering unlimited configurations to enjoy and appreciate.
From here it would appear that the scope of Plant Whatever Brings You Joy blog will expand. I am meeting fascinating people who are doing research into land erosion control and water preservation whom I want to interview. I also met a woman who helped two different communities create community gardens whom I want to showcase as inspiration. And my explorations have led me to a lovely man and his wife who have a honey apple farm! He has over 150 bee hives and numerous kinds of apples he sells on his property. I will introduce you to all these new people in my life and will share my learning curve and adventures. I am looking forward to sharing the journey with you! Please feel free to share any special New Mexico stories!
Love and gardening adventures,
Kathryn xoxo
Dearest followers of Plant Whatever Brings You Joy,
This morning a fellow gardener was lamenting that perhaps her garden was not quite up to being on display at an annual Garden Tour she participates in, and I was immediately reminded of this post titled Leaving Your Critic at the Garden Gate, and sent her a link. Rereading the post I realized that, synchronistically it is the perfect post to send out as an overview and reminder of what this particular garden has meant in the life of this blog over the years. And now I find myself letting it go to begin a new chapter in my life, and thus in the life of this blog. I will be creating a new garden elsewhere, yet to be fully revealed to me. And I will be creating it with this adorable new puppy, named Nana, who entered my life two months ago. She is a full blooded white Border Collie and continues an unfolding tradition of my life with Border Collies and gardening. Wish us well and stay tuned! Thank you for your continued readership and gardening love reflected here, for which I am profoundly grateful. Thanks also to readers of my book, Plant Whatever Brings You Joy: Blessed Wisdom from the Garden.
Blessings and much love,
Kathryn XOXO
Recently I’ve had an epiphany, and it’s about me and how I have felt about presenting my garden to the world. I know my critic has been voicing her little nags about this for a long time, and I’d like to say I largely ignored her, but that would not be true. The job of the critic is to protect us from being hurt, based on our notes taken as a little child, all learned from Mommy and Daddy as they laid down The Rules. The ones we were to obey if we wanted to be loved and accepted. It’s a big shift to become the adult in the room and to be able to thank the critic voice for her input (it’s her Job, afterall), but you are the conscious adult and you are in charge now, and able to reassess whether her notes are still pertinent, or were ever even true. So there was that. And I suppose I’d been thinking that as “a gardening blogger” my garden was “supposed to look a certain way.” Not Better Homes and Gardens, but, you know. Nice. So I would carefully select how I presented my garden in pictures, trying to avoid certain corners. Or, the whole big picture, if I’m being really honest, and that’s what this post is about.
I’d already begun to think about this, catalyzed by noticing I was surprised when an elderly neighbor came to visit my back garden, and given that she’s a kind of random gardener herself, I showed her every corner, thinking she would appreciate it. She did. After I walked her around she said, “I feel like I’ve been on a gardening tour.” Really? And then I was left wondering why I would be so surprised. What’s that about?
#darnCritic
But the real ah-ha moment occurred when a gardener I know was lamenting that at end of winter her garden didn’t really show well, and for some reason, that one clicked. Because what I recognized was that the voice of the critic was lying await under what she was saying. This led me to some serious and honest thinking, which led me to this conversation with my daughter this morning.
“I’m going to write about leaving one’s critic at the garden gate, my own included. And I’m going to stop thinking my garden has to be showcased as anything other than it really is. And what it really is, Antonia, is a very big DOG RUN with a LOT of things growing on each side, mostly roses.”
And we both cracked up laughing.
Because it’s basically true. I took one look at that near block-long yard ten and a half years ago, and I saw a place my overly energetic Border Collie, Conner, could happily be exercised and safely kept behind tall garden walls. I also saw a random garden created by various renters that allowed me to know I could pretty much do whatever I wanted, and that appealed to me very much. I could experiment, and pretty much anything I did create would have been an improvement. And it has been. Let me take you beyond the garden gate and give you a really good look at what lies behind it!
First, the primary motivators, playing ball. (They are the main attraction!)
And here’s where they get to play every day.
And.
That’s basically the dog run part. But there’s also a bit of patio, where we sometimes play, and this is a peek at some of that.
It’s a big back yard, and it has secret places. I somehow managed to arrange it as if it were divided into vignettes. Here’s the hammock.
And my most recent foray is something I’ve long thought about, as the true myrtle (one of my favorite areas) grows in rather a circle, so I’ve always imagined that I could put something inside that circle and create something special. And that one I’ve just begun, so stay tuned. I’m seeing videotaping little chats from an early morning garden, with tablecloths and vases of flowers and hanging lovely things in the trees. Can you see it?
Then there was the haphazard developing of the Rose Garden, which evolved out of taking out an enormous plum tree that did no one any good, ever, not even the birds, and a teen age neighbor boy who actually told me, “I’m the brawn, not the brain” plopped in a circle of roses I’d salvaged from some elderly folks on the block who had intended to trash these amazing heirloom roses! So that happened. And was I inclined to take out the volunteer borage? No. Not at all. I’m not that kind of girl. So I enjoy the contrasting blues and reds and pinks and yellows and the abundance of honeybees and bumbles that frequent my garden from early morning ’till dusk and beyond.
Also, compliments of same brawny teenager, the lemon tree got dragged into the center of the “dog run”, in the sun, and adjacent to a grape vine I put into a large pot who is getting bigger every year. Oh, dear. And I spend a fair amount of time making sure it doesn’t wind itself into the lemon tree or get in the way of focused doggies, which does happen on occasion. Poor grapes.
There’s a large picnic table on this end of the garden, well used.
And a honeysuckle screen looking out into that area.
And, of course, the Dr. Hueys.
Among the other blessings on this property are a fig tree, an organic apple tree, a plum tree (which had been hiding behind the one pulled up!), and the English walnut.
And what I’ve added includes three butterfly bushes, insuring tons of butterflies and pollinators, lots of herbs, raspberries, blackberries, roses and more roses, irises, lilies, campanula, and all manner of flowers. I am especially grateful for the perennials.
But what this garden most offers is a habitat for birds and critters. A safe one, free of pesticides, one where nests might be built. It offers respite from my work life. Fresh air. Quiet. Safety. No deer. No snakes. (Only black widows, which I watch carefully for.) All gifts for which I am incredibly grateful. And is it “perfect”? No. It is garden tour worthy? Probably not. Do I care? No. So I hope this sharing encourages you to have the garden that suits you. Please, please, leave your critic at the garden gate. Let things go a bit, and learn about the plants you are growing. How else would I know oregano can take over a veggie garden, had I not let it happen? Or that mullein is a magical plant if I’d ripped it up before it became a stalwart force in my garden? Where would I play with hummingbirds in the early morning, showering them with a spray from my hose? Learn about scrub jay fledglings? Let your garden be. Shape it as you will. But make it a place of joy and wonder and learning. Because that’s what it is.
Love and garden blessings,
Kathryn xoxo
Each year in May gardeners around the world celebrate World Naked Gardeners Day! This year I fancied gathering large red heirloom roses off the back arbor, as well as some small yellow rose blossoms and some branches from white lilac in the front garden, creating a floral wreath for myself as I “hid” behind a local painted fence. So fun! May is also a time when working in the garden becomes more a focus of our lives as the tasks of spring emerge and take our attention. These two activities brought to mind the chapter in my book Plant Whatever Brings You Joy: Blessed Wisdom from the Garden based on the simple lesson, “Nurture, nurture, nurture,” which here follows for your reading pleasure.
Nurture, nurture, nurture
Near as I can tell life on planet Earth is mostly about taking care. Taking care of our families. Taking care of our friends. Taking care of the work that we take responsibility for. Taking care of our homes, taking care of our possessions, our animals, our gardens, our plants, our cars, our water, our air, our land. Our churches, our communities, our cities, our roads, our poor, our sick, our wounded, our frail and elderly. Taking care of ourselves. Taking care of ourselves physically. Taking care of ourselves mentally. Taking care of ourselves emotionally. And taking care of ourselves spiritually. Yep, I’d say that pretty much covers life on our planet for we human beings, and it certainly reflects my experience!
Now how we go about that is endless in its possibilities. As varied as the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the plants in the forest. And notice they are all taking care as well.
If I ask myself what is the central principle behind this endless and perpetual taking care, I’d have to say life itself. Life reaching towards life. Life ensuring life continues. That essentially is the drive behind it all, is it not? Each and every living thing on planet Earth is hardwired for doing well, for keeping the whole thing going, for perpetuating life. The lengths various species go to ensure their sticking around boggles the mind.
As we are caught up in our own individual dramas and the illusions (and grandeurs) of our sense of separation, it is easy (and convenient) to forget what the essential driving force behind all this is. Truly there are beings walking planet Earth thinking it was about them. “What? It’s not about me?” Well, it is. You and over six trillion other people and a several trillion other species. It is humbling to contemplate when we take the time.
And the distorted ways in which some of us choose to take care of ourselves and others are absolute abominations, there is no doubt. But often underneath the aberration one could find this slender thread of life’s longing at the core, hard as that might seem.
What would our lives look like if we consciously brought the value of taking care, of nurturing to the fore? How would aligning ourselves with that single focus impact our lives and the lives of others? If we acknowledged fully our intrinsic programming to care and nurture for all that came within our view, our path, our neighborhood, our own small radar, what impact would that accumulative shift have on our larger reality?
Jesus said to love one another. Was that not the same?
Love and garden blessings from my heart to yours,
Kathryn xoxo
Note: This post is dedicated to my beloved Border Collie companion, Thistle, who this week moved to heaven. I will forever be grateful for our shared life together and for our deep loving bond.
]]>Happy New Year, dear readers!
I have no idea why I thought really good blueberry muffins might be somewhat elusive. They’re not. And, amazingly, this recipe slightly adapted from Joy of Cooking, are incredibly fast and easy! You don’t even need a mixer! Here are the ingredients and what you do.
Preheat oven to 400°. Then grease a 12 cup muffin pan. I use butter.
In a large bowl whisk together:
2 C. all-purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
Measure out 1 1/2 C. blueberries. Sprinkle with sugar and set aside until ingredients are mixed.
In a smaller bowl, whisk together:
2 large eggs
1 C. heavy whipping cream
2/3 C. sugar
1 stick melted unsalted butter
1 t. vanilla
Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture, mixing gently only until the the dry ingredients are moistened. You are not seeking a well mixed batter.
Now, using a wooden spoon, fold in the blueberries. Do not overmix. Do only what is needed.
With a large spoon, fill each greased muffin cup. This might feel a bit awkward at first. Use your best judgment. You won’t be disappointed.
Bake 15-20 minutes. I stick a salad fork into the top of my muffins to test for doneness. Note that electric ovens tend to need the lesser time; gas ovens tend to need a bit more time. Timing can also be affected by whether the blueberries were fresh or frozen.
Pull from oven. Allow to cool before removing from muffin tin. Serve when cool. You can also easily freeze and use gradually. I nearly always have some in my freezer!
Love and kitchen blessings,
Kathryn xoxo
Book News: I am loving this quote I pulled from the script of Romance is a Bonus Book (on Netflix). “A book may not be able to change the world, but I’m sure it can still leave something warm inside.” It is my fondest wish that Plant Whatever Brings You Joy: Blessed Wisdom from the Garden leaves something warm inside. Many thanks to those of you who bought copies during the holidays for your loved ones and who have contacted me directly letting me know you have loved the book. So lovely to hear.
]]>Here are some of the highlights of this publishing journey:
*Having my book be carried in over sixty bookstores around the country including at San Francisco Airport!
*Having a chapter from my book be translated into Dutch by Ode Magazine.
*Discovering my e-book was carried by Walmart and bookstores around the world via Kobo books.
*Publishing articles in Science of Mind magazine, Journal for Quality and Participation (reaching the business community!), GreenPrints magazine, Western North Carolina Woman, and more.
*Receiving almost exclusively 5-star reviews on Amazon!
*Doing a booksigning at Readers Books in downtown Sonoma, with wine provided by Frey Winery. To this day I have fans who attended that event!
*Finding a graphic on Twitter quoting one of my lessons.
*Having over 1,200 folks watch my book trailer even though so many marketing people thought it was “too long”. I thought it was nice.
*Learning that readers of my book were spontaneously using it as an effective oracle.
*Receiving exclusively positive reviews from the media–without exception! You will find a list on Estrella Catarina!
*Doing a virtual book event with a book club in the UK! That was particularly very very fun! (I didn’t want to leave. Trust me.) Here they are. You can see why!
*Earning back what I invested in doing things My Way in the first six months after the book was published–and having Amazon deposit monies into my account monthly even ten years later!
*Having readers tell me over and over again two primary things:
“I love your book.”
“It’s sitting by my bed.”
There is more to come. I know that and welcome that. So many doors open for authors. This is a decision I will never regret.
My deepest thanks to all who have read Plant Whatever Brings You Joy, to those who have purchased it as gifts and to those who will one day buy the book for themselves. I am so very grateful. I hope my writing has touched your hearts and given you some things to think about as you move through your lives.
Love and blessings,
Kathryn XOXO