https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2319470.rss “Lover of woods, of words, of flowers,Lover yourself of the things I love,Friendship was made of the quiet hoursHung between earth and the sky above.”-Vita Sackville-WestA dedication to Katherine Drummond in her collection of poetry The Garden, 1946 Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. When I … Continue reading Wordplay with Robert MacFarlane
Tag: gardening
Do you know what turgid means?
“The tame, too smug, I cry;There’s no adventure in security;Yet still my little garden craft I ply,Mulch, hoe, and water when the ground is dry…” -Vita Sackville-WestPoems from The Garden; 1948 https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2319470.rss I was walking in the park the other night and a woman was approaching me and the dogs with her walker. Yoda, our … Continue reading Do you know what turgid means?
How to Cultivate Creativity & Newness
https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2319470.rss “It often happens that an old, rough hedge occurs somewhere in a garden; a hedge which presents a problem. Too heavy a job to grub out, too expensive to replace, and giving no pleasure to the eye, being composed of a thorny rubbishy mixture, usefully dense but unaesthetic. It is possible to add some … Continue reading How to Cultivate Creativity & Newness
What the Milkweed Helped me Remember
https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2319470.rss “If we are to take this hint from nature it would be as well to dispose of the weeds first to save trouble later on. Weeds in paths are a constant worry to those who have not discovered the ghoulish pleasure of using weedkiller…” -Vita Sackville-WestA Joy of Gardening1958 I love Vita’s use of … Continue reading What the Milkweed Helped me Remember
Who was Vita Sackville-West: A teacher of transformation
https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2319470.rss ‘The place [Sissinghurst Castle], when I first saw it on a spring day... caught instantly at my heart and my imagination. I fell in love at first sight...It was Sleeping Beauty’s Garden: but a garden crying out for rescue.’ Standing in the middle of the vegetable patch looking up to the Tower, she turned … Continue reading Who was Vita Sackville-West: A teacher of transformation
Hollyhocks: A Lesson of Thriving for the Lonely Ones
https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2319470.rss "The narrowest crack in a path or paved terrace will surprisingly send up the finest seedling; I have known even such large unwanted subjects as delphiniums and hollyhocks to make the attempt. The reason, obviously, is that they never suffer from either excessive moisture or excessive drought, the stone preserves such moisture as is … Continue reading Hollyhocks: A Lesson of Thriving for the Lonely Ones
Finding Solace in the Garden with Vita Sackville-West
In this tenth episode, I introduce you to Vita Sackville-West, owner and creator of Sissinghurst Castle Gardens in Kent, England. She was my muse and the voice in my head for many years when I was doing a lot of gardening. I'm happy to tell you a little about her in this episode and share … Continue reading Finding Solace in the Garden with Vita Sackville-West
Niels Lyhne by Jens Peter Jacobsen
A well known recommendation from poet Rainer Maria Rilke. It fell out of circulation for a while because Jacobsen’s prose was difficult to translate. This translation, however, by Tiina Nunnally has won awards and so far it’s been an enjoyable read and so incredibly deep. This was Jacobsen’s masterpiece written after he was diagnosed with … Continue reading Niels Lyhne by Jens Peter Jacobsen
Valentine’s Day with Rumi…
Mementos & Treasures…
You can see I marked Isaiah 55: 9-13. I also placed some leaves from that Fall season two or three years ago that my daughter gave me. But that little pen mark by verse 9: I marked it years ago when I first ventured to read the Bible. I thought these markings would distract me, … Continue reading Mementos & Treasures…









