Oct 11, 2012

eden lost

Whether you believe in Eden as an allegory or a literal fact, it records the history of mankinds journey from hunter/gathers to to a community of cultivators. Thus civilization was born. In Eden nature provided the fruits and hopefully the veggies and it was good. However God understood the nature of man was not to be alone. It was essential to form the bonds of love,friendship, and community to insure survival, heath, success and happiness. With the birth of consciousness ( the symbolic "knowledge of good and evil") and language, so became began the story of how plants and animals became changed by our selection and genetic engineering . And so we cultivated larger, disease resistant produce with more yield and sometimes less taste and more beautiful and varied specimens of beauty!! In doing so we lost our "in the now' innocent nature and became uniquely human..with fear and worry about our future crop,our land or our lovely orchid! And we became territorial with all the "human" traits such as envy, lies, selfishness, and hate. In our fragmented modern world we have lost the community that came from an agricultural society. Many are isolated from the intimacies of nature and the emotional benefits of gardening. We have a mobile society and are isolated ,stressed and lonely..The ancients knew about the importance of cultivating the soul as well as the mind.

In ancient Ireland, the human heart was never complete without the companionship of others.The “Anam Cara” was originally someone to whom you confessed, revealing the hidden intimacies of your life...In Celtic Spiritual tradition, it is believed that the soul radiates all about the physical body what some refer to as an aura. When you connect with another person and become completely open, honest and trusting with that individual, your two souls begin to flow together. The Celtic Anam Chara cuts across space, time, matter and even death. With the Anam Cara, you could share your innermost self, without the superficiality of wearing a mask or pretension. Do you have one? For they can provide seeds and cuttings to enrich your life.

some kind of aloe


*Crinum asiaticum*-Spider Lily

Coleus

Brugmansia~Angels Trumpet

Clerodendrum quadriloculare--shooting star

Clerodendrum paniculatum~Pagoda plant

Sep 23, 2012

the watergarden of good and evil...

the corner of my yard is my boardwalk,the swamp is the light color

Good vs evil, plenty vs want ,drought vs flood..... We had the worst drought in the 22 years I have lived here. So have many others. In the past my swamp was only dry for a couple months in April and May, but I had no water for a full year this previous year. I had a small vinyl pond like Noahs Ark to hold two water lettuces, two water lilies, two frogs etc. and to provide water to the animals. As my irises began to decline and wilt, I waited anxiously for the rains to come. Then the 40 days of rain came! The days of rain seemed endless..water and more water. Only a few of my irises are coming back, but now the water lilies are taking control. Everyone vying for control over space and so it goes in this ever climate changing world. I got out today with a rake and cleared some lilies and the water weeds..I wasn't lazy today..but I AM exhausted. But the watergarden is my privacy and sanctuary.

“Moderation, the Golden Mean, the Aristonmetron, is the secret of wisdom and of happiness. But it does not mean embracing an unadventurous mediocrity; rather it is an elaborate balancing act, a feat of intellectual skill demanding constant vigilance. Its aim is a reconciliation of opposites".~Roberson Davies

Before

Nature's Balance

I hear the gentle stirring of the wind
as it softly caresses the trees.

I smell the moist and delicate scent of rain
as it gently fall upon the fields.

I watch a squirrel peek out from its cozy nest
and pause, then scurry silently along the branch.

I see an eagle soar, its eyes half closed
against the sun's bright glare.

All around me the delicate balance of nature
paints a mural within my mind's eye.

Brendaln Martin

warelily takeover

these are not caladiums but a type of taro..grow in water..this leaf is a mutation and if I could have cloned it I would make a ton of money!

papyrus

Sep 12, 2012

your garden of secrets

Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of blogs with the title My Secret Garden? We all know it's referring to the book of that same name. But did you ever wonder why people are intrigued by a secret garden with its stone walls? Is it the mystery of the unknown? Is it the refusal to share of those who hide it? Is it forbidden fruit? Are we fearful of being shut out? Is it just the call of truth?

I had a person tell me a while ago that they like to withhold a little secrets that no one else knows. Is it one upmanship? withholding?.... Is the wall and lock to keep people out or is it really to keep oneself, the hidden fear, in?

A favorite childhood book ,The Secret Garden, was written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. First published as a series in 1910, the story centers on a young girl named Mary whose parents die during an outbreak of cholera. Mary is sent to Yorkshire, England to live with her recluse of an uncle. Mary’s heart and soul are sick from a lifetime of neglect and she is looking for connection. She makes a friend in her cousin whose mother died when he was quite young. Mary was told of a secret garden somewhere on the manor that her uncle had locked up years before.The father has sealed the garden because he cannot bear to see it. I always wondered why one wouldn't want to be reminded of the beautiful memories.

“Secrets are like plants. They can stay buried deep in the earth for a long time, but eventually they'll send up shoots and give themselves away. They have to. It's their nature. Just a tiny green stem at first. Which slowly, insidiously grows taller, stronger, unfolding itself, until there it is. A big fat secret, right in front of your face; a fully bloomed flower perfumed with the scent of deception.”Judy Reene Singer

Cassandra Clare said,"Lies and secrets, they are like a cancer in the soul. They eat away what is good and leave only destruction behind.
"When left to their own devices, people lie and keep secrets and change and disappear”, said Lauren Oliver.

With determination Mary seeks enlightenment and discovers the key (truth) .What she finds is that, despite years of neglect, there is still life to be seen in the inner sanctum. It is a mirror to her own needy soul, a once-dead and forgotten garden that will bloom to life again with honesty, care,love and compassion. In the end, her cousin Collin and his father are reunited and the children are able to show him the resurrected garden . Three broken souls are healed by the beauty of nature and the power of love. It's a classic story we all long for..that's why we love it.

So, I guess the lesson of the story is only when the secrets are found and shared ,can the restoration begin, and one can reconcile their grief with the support of others and only then can move on with their life! And then the garden of the soul that is dormant can bloom again and be shared and bring joy to others. All you have to do is not resist,be open and step outside the pain of the past you have embraced.

My sister-in-laws garden of her restaurant in California always reminds me of what the secret garden might have looked like in the authors eyes. The restaurant in Cambria is called Robins and serves wonderful food But the best secret is the garden...And I am willing to share the truth and its beauty with you!

Aug 21, 2012

fabulous orchid display vases

Its always fun to look through a nursery overseas. I discovered a great one.

I saw these glass orchid vases in Kaiserslautern,Germany. I was fascinated with the rock crystal and determined to make some for myself.

Supply list:

glass containers of your choice (Marshalls, Michaels, Goodwill..etc...) I got one of mine for 4 bucks but they generally aren't over 15.00

bags of smooth river rock ( I chose a variegated and a black package for 5 bucks each at Lowes)

marbles, glass rock or crystal ( I got my glass at the florist in Germany)

a bag of tiny pebbles or large grain sand

moss ( different kinds and colors at Michaels)

interesting objects from nature; twigs,seed pods,dried fungus,cones ...even shells...the flatter the better towards the top

a small plastic plant pot that fits inside the container but allows 1/2 inch of room all the way around

bubble wrap to fit in the space in the middle of the pot and help stretch the use of the rock (and help control the weight).

creativity, patience and imagination!.........and you are ready to assemble

I wont bore you with the step by step ..You get the idea and it may take you three times to get it right..keep in mind this plastic pot is just there to hold your orchid plant which you still keep in its clay pot..This way it is removable for living outside and/or watering.

After working this project a few times, I recommend using the coarse sand or pebbles in the bottom to begin.Then add you tall items against the side. Place you rocks at the edge of the glass. Stack 5 or 6 of the same color or kind. Then add some moss working on a diagonal in between. You will need the bubble wrap to shore up the rocks against the side. When you get high enough place the plastic pot in the glass container and keep working with the flatter thinner rocks. Use a kitchen knife to poke in the moss. Now you can add some of the coarse sand or tiny pebbles. They will filter down so use sparingly. Now you container is ready. I use an orchid that is blooming. I do not keep my orchids inside. So this is an easy way to display them temporarily. When I have no blooming orchids, I can add a candle,fruit, Christmas balls, Easter eggs.......even cut flowers.......whatever I have for each season or just a wad of moss!