Growing Roots

     My favorite ivy is a Glacier Ivy. It is a hardy, drought tolerant plant with cascading arms of  airy green and white variegated leaves.  This plant is a splendid choice for hanging baskets and decorative, spilling containers. Why not root more of my favorite ivy?

    So with my head swimming in dreams of an ivy laced porch, I began my work. I cut the ivy back and chose some choice pieces to root. I trimmed off some leaves and placed the cuttings in a mason jar with water. My research says roots should appear in 3-4 weeks. At that time, I will transplant them to a stone container that looks like a face;the ivy will be lush locks for my garden guardian.

  

   Rooting is not a difficult process, the cuts should be made with a clean, sharp tool, the leaves should be trimmed so they don't dip in the water and the water should be clean. The  same is true if we want to root ourselves in Spirit. The tools we choose for spiritual growth should be free of ego debris and agenda. Spiritual growth comes from meditation, prayer and willingness to change.  Different plants need different environments to flourish. People are the same. Some may grow in a crowded place, others need more space. My cuttings are developing roots long before my eye can see the change. People are the same.

     My favorite yoga studio does not have mirrors. There is no external way to check alignment or compare yourself to others. As you practice, you can gaze out at God's collage of reaching trees and sheltering sky or you can look inward at your own heart where the same Spirit rests and roots begin. Real movement starts on the inside and works out.
      Rooting reminds me that unseen forces are always present. Love is always present. Amelia Earhart said, "A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions and the roots spring up and make new trees." The question is not "Will we root ourselves?" The question is how.

Waiting for Tulips

   It was Easter 1966.  I had a pink hat, a pink coat and two serious barrettes securing my wavy coif.  My cousin was resplendent in a navy assemble and matching cap. Our parents took our photo at the center of my grandparents' yard: The statue of the Blessed Mother. Mary was sheltered by a grotto of ivy and surrounded by a bevy of yellow tulips and decorative stones.
     My grandfather was a talented gardener. The lush green lawn was lined with beds of bicolor yellow and pink roses. There were pear trees, purple pansies and puffy blue hydrangeas. The house sat on a double lot in Yonkers, NY. The well tended yard was an urban oasis.

     Though a novice gardener, I have always loved flowers and color. This year I decided to plant my own tulips; they are about to burst. In Japan buds are often included in an arrangement or present so that the recipient can have the pleasure of watching the flower bloom. I am giddy over the buds! I can't remember what colors I planted, so everything about them will be a surprise.
     I enjoy the symbolism of the bud too. It represents rebirth. The potential of growth and the energy of the sun are there all along just waiting for the right conditions. Maybe our lives are like this too. God knows the plans he has for us. He knows the gifts we've been given. Maybe my part is to trust the process and bloom where I am planted? Wherever this finds you, take time to enjoy the spring and take back some childhood wonder.
     

Salad Days

     Tiny green sprouts appeared almost immediately. I was thrilled! How hard could gardening be? Yet over the weeks to follow the tender stalks browned, withered and died. New to the world of gardening, I started researching. Apparently the water in Texas can be hard on hydroponic gardens. I replaced my tap water with distilled and so far I am back in business. My petite lettuce is coming along nicely as I write. Gardening is both a simple and complex pursuit. Simple in its goal, but it can be complex in execution. Here's are three cold spring lessons: water, location and patience.

     To the novice, watering appears to be the cornerstone of gardening. Yet in the same way that people can over eat or under eat, plants need a balanced water intake. My succulents are relieved that I have begun admiring them rather than over watering. The same can be said of the ivys on the porch; they simply don't require the same water as my sun loving friends.
     Location is not just for real estate. If you put sunny friends in the shade they will not flourish. Shady plants will collapse under the direct gaze of the sun. It doesn't matter how great I think the plants look in a certain location. Location has to be tailored to needs. When the temperature drops into the the 30s F my friends need to come indoors. My kitchen has become a nighttime greenhouse.

     Patience and selection are  crucial lessons for the green gardener. My daydreams overflow with flowering baskets, blossoming fruit trees, vinca, petunias and perfumed roses, dianthus, ranúnculos and herbs. Choosing the right plant for the right season is a key to gardening success. Nurseries are currently stocked with transitional favorites.

But it's not their time. Instead I have been choosing hardier candidates: violas, pansies,

     Lessons from the garden easily transfer to life outside the garden. If I garden with metaphors, Maybe I can live with more grace. The right amount of water is a metaphor for balance. Location is a good fit for the question, "Where do I best fit?" Patience and selection in the garden parallel the choices I make each day. Do I take time for discernment when making a decision? Do I choose companions that encourage the best version of myself? I often rush into things without doing  research or reflection. Gardening with metaphors can infuse my ordinary life with extraordinary grace, if I simply allow the space in my spirit.
     In Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, Cleopatra spoke of her youthful, immature decisions as her salad days. I used to think growing lettuce was a simple task. It is simple with the right environment, nutrients and light. Growing the soul is like growing lettuce. The right tools support the highest growth. The Talmud says, "Each blade of grass has an angel that stands over it whispering, grow, grow." If angels guard blades of grass, gardeners are equally precious.

Sunday Snaps

    Some Sunday flower photos. Have a peaceful, restorative day.

When Flowers Speak

   


     It took a while to weave them together. They were velvet red- pink buds. My mom cut them for me.I wove them into a beautiful crown for the Madonna statue at school. I was thrilled with the result. In the end, the crown was a wee bit big for Mary, settling around her brow, but she did look Divine.

     In both the East and West, flowers are able to visually express several emotions at once. A crown of roses on the Blessed Mother indicates purity, beauty and grace. http://www.catholictradition.org/Saints/signs4.htm. Garlands of roses in paintings hint of heavenly joy. The rosary, the Catholic prayer of devotion to Mary, is often symbolized by roses. Many cathedrals are adorned with stained glass windows of the mystical rose. The five petals of the rose are believed to recall the wounds of Christ. Other flowers associated with Mary include: the lily, iris and jasmine.

The Chatre Cathedral

     Pansies, from the french word pensee or thought, are often used to symbolize remembrance and meditation.  Pansy blooms look like human faces and bend forward, as in thought, when they grow larger. These flowers are very cold tolerant and can thrive and bloom  when temperatures drop to the mid 20s F. The triangular shape of the shape of the pansy has been linked to the Holy Trinity in Catholicism.https://theplantfarm.wordpress.com/2013/08/15/beneath-the-petals-fun-facts-about-pansies-and-violas/

     Eastern culture also uses flowers to capture emotions and spirit. In Buddhism the lotus symbolizes the Buddha and man's journey. The roots of the lotus are enmeshed in mud while the flowers reach upward to the sky unsullied. The leaves of the lotus have tiny microscopic bumps that physically help them release mud and debris. (The Cabaret of Plants, Richard Mabey, pages 10-12) The textured surface of the lotus leaf creates a hydrophobic surface and materials bead and roll off the lotus leaf. This is called the "Lotus Effect."

     Hinduism makes extensive use of flowers. The act of worship, puja, is sometimes defined as the way of flowers. Like Buddhism, Hinduism reveres the purity of the lotus blossom. The highest level of consciousness is symbolized by the thousand petaled lotus blossom of the head or crown chakra. Marigold is thought to be a love charm and is used in wedding decoration. Its strong aroma repels insects. Roses are used for both worship and medicine and are thought to increase the love of newlyweds.http://www.astroulagam.com.my/Lifestyle/articledetails/tabid/4238/articleId/1304/5-Flowers-that-are-important-to-Hindus-and-its-meaning
     In China and Japan, nature is a common art and decor theme. The lotus is a popular motif for its purity and ability to rise above. The lotus conveys the Buddhist virtues of  true self, eternity, purity and happiness. Chinese weddings feature peonies (spring and renewed life) and orchids (love and fertility).
     In Japan, the art of Ikebana (the way of flowers) began in the 6th century as an offering to the   deceased. Over time, monks began to use the creation of this art as a mindful meditation. Ikebana respects all stages of the flower and includes the container and space as elements. There are many schools of Ikenbana, but Ikenobo is the oldest one. The Shoko Shofutai centers on the inner beauty of the plant and often uses three levels of height representing heaven, earth and mankind.http://www.ikenobo.jp/english/about/style.html

An example of Ikebana arrangement

     With our reliance on technology, it is easy to forget our place in nature. Connecting with flowers is an easy way to remember our true selves. Flowers bypass the mind and speak directly to the heart.

Mum's the Word

New Growth

         Mums speak the color language of autumn. They pop in rich wine, warm gold, russet and amethyst. This year I had deep ruby and saffron gold. You can see them below at the back of my little garden.

The vibrant blossoms do fade and then brown, but they hang on for a long time. Eventually you are left with canopies of dry flowers. You can get an extended blossoming season by pinching the flowers just below the head as they wither. http://www.bhg.com/gardening/flowers/perennials/all-about-mums/
I waited a little bit too long and my method was a little too comprehensive. Next year I will dead head them incrementally and keep the lovely umbrella shape. My Texas climate is quite forgiving though and I do have regrowth and three buds.

Early October

End of season

     All this dead heading and clearing made me think about the New Year. It's a good time to let go of ideas and beliefs that no longer serve me. "Insanity is doing the same things again and again and expecting different results." (Anonymous)   For instance, if I really want to lose some weight, I am probably going to have to go to the gym even when I'm tired from work. If I want some of  my relationships to feel different, I am going to have to change the way I look at them and how I react.
If I want to know God's will for my life, I can stop complaining and make time for meditation and prayer.
     I need to pluck the dead leaves, sink into my own roots and drink in some quiet. In silence, I can ponder how and where I want to grow. The German theologian Johannes Tauler wrote, "In prayerful silence you must look into your own heart. No one can tell you better than yourself what comes between you and God. Then listen!" I am taking a cue from my garden and "mum's the word."

Bloom

     The rustiest, oldest ones are the most interesting. You can plant flowers in fine pottery; they always look fancy there. Or you can re use and re purpose items and scatter a bit of whimsy around the garden. Succulents and flowers can find a fresh home in old tea kettles, rain boots and even flour sifters. I found a set of old wash tubs that I plan to sand, seal and repaint. I am currently mulling over color combinations; turquoise is currently in the lead. I'll keep one side for a medley of plants and one side for frosty beverages.

     People are containers too. The vessel of our physical body is the temporary home for our eternal soul. If we are honest, we can't tell a lot by the exterior alone. A pleasant expression and beautiful outside may contain a beautiful spirit, but not always. Yet a beautiful spirit glows outward imparting  a warmth and energy that is hard to pin down. Audrey Hepburn wrote, " The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides."
     Working in retail, I help woman pick out clothes all day. But the biggest hurdle to this process is their own perception of their exterior. " My bust is too big." "My arms are too fat." " I don't want to stand out." I hear comments like these constantly. I say, " Nonsense." They often don't believe me. I want to hug them and tell them that those arms have cradled babies and worked ranches. Those arms have wrought a miracle or two to date with more miracles on the way. Women are hard on themselves; I don't know why. I am guilty of it myself. Indie Arie sings "I know my creator didn't make no mistakes on me." She's right. This holds true for both men and women.
     You can have the most elaborate flower pot, but it has to be complemented by just the right bloom and texture. People too. Let's work on the inside and let the spirit illuminate the exterior. Don't contain yourself, bloom.