March 4th (Forth) My dear friend John Holley used to observe each March 4th with gusto. To him this day was a cry to continue moving forward, to never let himself get lackadaisical, to grab every bit of deliciousness from every day and strongly soldier on. John is one of my heroes. His bravura towards …
Cleansing: You Are Love During the month of February most of our thoughts turn to Valentine’s Day cards, bouquets of fragrant and colorful flowers, big boxes of chocolates or huge, adorable stuffed animals. Aside from the romantic connotations of February 14th the month of February had different meanings for past civilizations. The name of the …
Beginnings January is a winter month in the northern half of the world and a summer month in the southern half. The name January comes from Janus or Ianus, the Roman god of passage and new beginnings. I’ve always loved the start of a new year: new calendars, new plans, a new verdant view. For gardeners, …
Light Think of December without light…what do you not see? You don’t see the stars in the midnight sky. You don’t see the moon shining its moon tan rays down on us. You don’t see photosynthesis taking place all around us. You don’t see holiday decorations blinking on and off. Pretty sad, right? Now think …
Remembrance When I lived in the U.S. my dear friend Eavonka would invite me every year to be the guest lecturer at her 6th grade elementary, inner city public school. The student body was made up mostly of Latino and Black youth and the topic was Day of the Dead. The Latino kids, mostly born …
Simplified Sustainability As a young person the month of October, at my mom and dad’s home in California, was always exciting. My brothers, sisters, and I spent most of the month planning our Halloween costumes, our strategic “trick or treat” routes, deciding who to include in our roving pack for that special night. My mother, …
Garden Gentrification I came to Mexico this last time, 10 years ago, from a small fishing village I moved to in California in 1982. During my time in California I saw that village change into a gentrified city, a centerpiece of commerce and sustainability. With these changes came astronomical increases in real estate prices, rental …
August August’s official birth flowers include the gladiolus and poppy. August, eighth month of the Gregorian calendar. It was named for the first Roman emperor, Augustus Caesar, in 8 BCE. Its original name was Sextilus, Latin for “sixth month,” indicating its position in the early Roman calendar. August 1, traditionally known as Lammas Day, was a festival to mark the annual wheat …
JULY “Answer July—Where is the Bee—Where is the Blush—Where is the Hay? Ah, said July—Where is the Seed—Where is the Bud—Where is the May—Answer Thee—Me—” ~ Emily Dickinson For most of us in the northern hemisphere July means summer. Chickens are a-laying, sparrows are fledging, our gardens are lush with ripe fruits and vegetables and all …
Celebrate The Solstice With A Full Day Of Gardening Tuesday June 21, 2022 is this year’s summer solstice, which marks the longest day of the year. The term “solstice” comes from the Latin words sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still) or stitium (stopped). Close to the Arctic Circle we would find 24 hours of sunlight with which to …
