Practicing the Art of Being Fully Present

In July my husband and I stayed overnight in a luxurious bed and breakfast in Durham, NC. It is too bad we were there for only one night. It really is a place to go to spend a few relaxing days. After breakfast we walked around the gardens before heading on our way. I was reminded of our honeymoon. We drove up to Nova Scotia and stayed in bed and breakfasts and country inns. I found that to be a delightful experience. Since that time, which was 27 years ago, Bob and I often discussed owning a b&b in the country some day. Back home from the trip and tending to our gardens, I began thinking about how I could make that dream a reality today. No, it isn't practical to turn our tiny house into a b&b, but what could I do to invite people to enjoy the peace and beauty that I experience while spending time in my gardens?

I was also reading a book called An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor at this time. I found it extremely inspirational and life changing. Chapter Two, entitled The Practice of Paying Attention is what helped me to formulate the retreat. (The seeds of which had already been planted last year while reading The Artist's Rule by Christine Valters Paintner, which is along a similar vein.) I realized that I didn't need a fancy house and immaculate gardens in order to help others see and hear what I do when I am outside. If I love it, won't others as well? I took the chance and offered this one day retreat.

Yesterday, six wonderful women enjoyed their time here. They got to relax, reflect and spend some needed alone time. We did end the day with sharing. It was moving to hear what these women were able to experience from the assignments they were given and the time they spent alone in nature.

 I plan to hold this retreat on a monthly basis from May through September. The women encouraged me to add other themed retreats as they would like to participate again. Follow this link to view some of their comments here.

Cicely Mary Barker's Hawthorne Fairy

The Hawthorne Fairy

Why this post? Read here.

Hawthorne

Hawthorn – Crataegus species 

Hawthorn, May Blossom or May Tree is a member of the Rose family and contains over one thousand species found in England, Europe, Asia and North America. A small tree, it grows 20-30 ( 10 m) feet tall and wide. Small white flowers borne in clusters (properly termed corymbs) are said to smell foul until pollinated by the flies that are attracted to them. Once the flower is fertilized, the scent becomes a pleasant one. The tree flowers in May; hence it’s alternate common names. Deep green lobed leaves in spring and summer turn beautiful shades of scarlet and orange in autumn. Haws, as the fruit is called, ripen in September and October. The fruit is similar in appearance to the hips of wild roses.

Haws are a favorite food of birds and small animals and have been used by humans. The ripe fruit is gathered and used to make a preserve (with lemons and sugar) or cooked with other fruits to make jellies, as they are rich in pectin. This plant has been used to treat arthritis and rheumatism as well as emotional stress, nervous and heart conditions. Native Americans dried the berries, then ground them into meal and mixed with wheat or corn flour for baking. They also turned the bark fibers into cordage and used the thorns as awls.

Another name for this tree was Fairy Thorn. Named by the ancient Bretons, they believed that the tree was haunted by fairies. English Hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna or C. oxycantha, was planted extensively as a hedgerow plant because of its quick growth and long thorns. The word “hedge” is in fact derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for hawthorn – Haegthorn.  According to one author, Frank Tozer, ancient hedgerows are becoming a thing of the past in England. He writes, “In densely populated Britain, Hawthorn hedges were very important to wildlife, as a source of both food and habitat. Indeed much of the wildlife in that country has disappeared in the past forty years, as hedgerows have been torn out to enlarge farm fields for mechanized farming. Another negative effect of their removal has been vastly increased soil erosion.” Hawthorns spread by suckers which can be a nuisance if planted in a small area, but does help to keep soil in place.

There are several hawthorn species native to the United States. These are usually found growing along the edges of forests or meadows. Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson planted Crataegus phaenopyrum on their estates.

In the Language of Flowers, Hawthorn symbolizes hope, marriage and fertility. A plant rich in English folklore, the ship which carried English pilgrims to the New World was named The Mayflower, after this plant. A pretty comprehensive survey can be found here:

http://whitedragon.org.uk/articles/hawthorn.htm

Article written by Susan Ernst for 12 Months in View.

Monthly Garden Photos - August 2013

The Perennial Border

Outside Wisteria Studios

no flowers on the Morning Glories yet. The Wisteria has sprouted a new plant to the left of the bench where the bamboo pole is. I'm wondering if it is an attempt to grow in more sunlight so that it can flower next year. 

The Vegetable Garden

potatoes harvested from this square bed. Hops in foreground. Broccoli, winter squashes and more in the background.

The grapes produced lots of fruit but the birds ate them all way before they were ripe. 

The Family Pond & Wetlands

Compare these photos with those taken in June. Amazing!

Female Eastern Swallowtail - Dark Phase

Papilio glaucus female - Dark Phase

This season is bringing quite a proliferation of butterflies to my garden. The latest visitor is this Female Eastern Swallowtail in her "dark phase". It is said that it is to deter predators. This must be true because I've also seen a yellow version with a chunk of hind wing gone. I'll try to get a picture of him next.

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Saw this flying around the garden during a brief clearing of the storm clouds. Grabbed my camera and got these photos.

 

It looks like there are three out there now on the butterfly bush but it also looks like it is going to rain again so I will enjoy them from the window.

Sunflowers

Sunflower - Helianthus annuus

The large, yellow flowers of the Sunflower are the perfect metaphor for summer. Beginning as a seed planted in spring, it grows in leaps and bounds as if racing with time to reach the sky and open its sunny flower face at the height of summer. As summer winds down, the flower heads droop, heavy with their crop of ripened seeds. Often the giants of the garden, sunflowers are planted among tomatoes and peppers and often as a support for pole beans. But they also look great in flower beds along with hollyhocks, brown-eyed Susans and Echinacea. 

Native to the Americas, 5,000 year old fossils of the sunflower were discovered in Arizona and New Mexico.  Images of sunflowers were found on temple walls, ceremonial costumes, jewelry and pottery of the Incas and Aztecs. Archaeologists theorize that the Native Americans domesticated it even before corn.  Seeds were brought to Europe by the Spanish explorers. It was in Russia that the plants were first grown for commercial use. Sunflower oil is used for cooking, as fuel, to make candles, soaps and lotions for the skin. The seeds are used as food for humans and animals.

The most common sunflower is the very tall, yellow petaled, dark brown center variety; most often Russian Mammoth. However you can find a variety to suit your taste and your garden plot. Some are dwarf, others have large flower heads or multiple branches of smaller ones. Color range from a pale yellow (almost white) to dark shades of burgundy. Easy to grow, sunflowers’ only requirements are full sun and adequate water.

A wonderful plant to grow with children, their excitement and interest will be rewarded by the plant’s rapid growth. A sunflower plant can be measured each day to check its progress. One gardener writes of how her children would tie a ribbon on the stem of a sunflower plant when it got to the same height of the child. Then they would watch as the ribbon rose higher each day.

Sharon Lovejoy tells the delightful story of planting a sunflower house in her classic book, Sunflower Houses. If you have the room you may want to plant one next spring with your children, grandchildren or neighbor’s children. Mark out an area large enough to be a play house or at least large enough for 2 or 3 people to stand in. Remove any grass or weeds from the perimeter, loosen the soil, sow a tall variety along with morning glory seeds, alternating them as you place them in the trenches. Be sure to leave space for an opening to the playhouse. Cover with a half inch of soil and water every day. When the sunflowers are taller than the tallest person, suspend twine from the top of the stem of a plant from one corner of the playhouse to the other and criss-cross them. The morning glories will continue to grow along these strings creating the “roof”.

If you only have space for a pot, grow a dwarf variety. You will be rewarded with visits from bumble bees, butterflies, goldfinches and cardinals. And it is fun to watch as the flower turns to face the direction of the sun.

It is not too late to enjoy the sunny faces of this summer flower. Many garden centers sell them in pots and you can buy them as cut flowers at the farmers’ market. Cut flowers last about a week. Enjoy them indoors and out. Though the petals fade, the seeds will continue to ripen. At this point, hang them on a shed, garage, from a tree limb, secured in a hedge or wherever you will be able to view it from your house. You will be amazed at how quickly the birds (and squirrels) show up!

Challenge: take a photo of a child standing next to a giant sunflower plant or of a sunflower with a bee, butterfly, bird or other visitor on it.

NOTE: This article was written for the blog 12 Months in View.