Flower Basket Day

It's Flower Basket Day, a holiday i've never heard of. Cynically, i might say it's a holiday dreamed up by florists and purveyors of greeting cards. Open-heartedly, i might say it's a good reminder to give flowers to someone who isn't expecting them. Today, and every day, is a good day to be unexpectedly generous.

Though flowers are sparse here in the North Country, i might give a houseplant to someone. Or maybe a little vase of cuttings from my houseplants so that i can locavore this holiday instead of having flowers flown in from southern countries. By using local plants (from my windowsill), i can be generous to the Earth.

Naturalizing Wildflowers

Several years ago, i planted some bloodroot in my white garden. This ephemeral spring wildflower is dainty and doesn't last long. I've been happy to see it spreading and jumping into other flower beds. This spring, i have several patches of bloodroot in several flowerbeds. Oh, joy!

This process of wildflowers spreading themselves around in a new environment is called "naturalizing." Bloodroot have made themselves at home and naturalized themselves in my flower beds.

The Dharma is naturalizing itself in my life, i am happy to report. The first seed of Dharma was planted when i was 30 years old, and now it is flowering all over my life.

Oh, joy!

A Flower In Your Heart

During a book signing at Misty Valley Books on Sunday afternoon, i led a guided meditation on "A Flower In Your Heart." ( See page 11 of The Meditative Gardener or listen here.) We visualized a large fragrant flower and then offered a flower from our heart to our nearest and dearest.

Just as the meditation ended, before i had run the ending bell, i heard the door to the bookstore open in the adjacent room, and someone walk into the store. The 30-something woman in the back row got up and left. I rang the bell, and as we all opened our eyes, the back-row mom returned holding a bouquet of lilacs and apple blossoms.

"My daughter picked these for me and said she felt she had to give them to me right now."

Apparently the mother-daughter mirror neurons were at work.
Joy and love are just as contagious as anger and impatience.
Which one shall we cultivate?