Its a Journey, not a destination.

When I began to learn about gardens, I was struck my the calm and ease of the seasoned gardeners I met in California where I grew up. They seemed to find joy and humor in the smallest of things- stones and arrowheads unearthed in garden beds, rainbow striations in oyster shells we smashed into calcium for our compost bins, or the antics of red winged black birds in the meadows by the seashore. Later in life I found a similar outlook when I befriended Korean and Vietnamese urban farmers at the community gardens in Connecticut- seemingly free of the stress and tensions of our modern world. The lightness with which they dug and planted and laughed in the garden has been forever seared in my mind. Now, as a seasoned Garden Coach, I know the secret and I want to share it with you. Gardening is a pathway to an ancient way of thinking and being. It allows us to slow down and access time and space tracked by the stars and the moon, seasons and chapters of our lives instead of by blocks on a scheduled calendar and hurried moments. Gardening and time in nature is one of observation, using all of your senses- you must slow down and feel the space around you to really understand it. You need to see it, smell it, hear it, touch it and if you are so blessed, taste it too. It is a most human endeavor and one every child should have access to as a human right. It is a journey, not a destination and should not be rushed. Planning a garden takes some rigidity, but growing a garden requires tapping into a universal space and time of ease that we all deserve to know intimately. Humor and joy is all part of this space. I impart my knowledge on all of my friends who are ready and all of my clients who are willing to learn. Gardening is a gift.