THE PERFECT MICRO CLIMATE THAT FOSTERS BLOOMING

My variegated Dracaena is blooming for the first time. A first-grade teacher gave it to me 7 years ago after i spent the school year as a volunteer in her classroom once a week helping children learn to read. That 5-inch plant is now 5 feet tall, so last summer I placed it beside my front door in the white garden. Its green-and-white leaves added interested to the shady and therefore mostly leafy flowerbed.

This particular plant seems to like to be wet, so I put it in a glazed flowerpot that had no hole in the bottom. Then it rained for 25 days in June and another 25 days in July. The flowerpot overflowed with water.

The Dracaena was so well camouflaged among the variegated Solomon's seal that I nearly forgot to bring it indoors. Then I "saw" it in early October and hurried it into the solarium. Now, for the first time in its life, it's blooming.

We all need the right conditions for our meditation practice to bloom. Some of us need to be inundated--perhaps by going on long retreats; some, like geraniums, need the soil to dry out in between waterings. I like to meditate in the wee hours of the morning; others prefer afternoons or evenings. I like study AND practice; others prefer mostly practice; and those with a sporadic practice obtain deep benefit from studying in a weekly class.

It takes time to discover our own perfect microclimate that fosters our own blooming.

 

Sorrel Soup

French sorrel is enjoying this cool weather. I collect a bunch of the spinach-looking leaves to boil in chicken broth and then puree for a delicious lemony soup.

I usually think of sorrel soup as a spring tonic, but the sorrel is performing much better since i transplanted it into my spring/fall garden--a south-facing inclined microclimate that is protected from the prevailing northwesterly winds.

How can we transplant ourselves into a microclimate that supports our mindfulness practice? Our protected area may be as close as the other side of the house, sheltered from the prevailing winds of family life or of the media.

Plant yourself in your meditation area for a few minutes every day, and in a few months, you may be surprised by your own harvest. Taste delicious calm.

Photo from sustainableeats.com

Vegetables in the Flower Garden

A year ago, solar-voltaic panels were installed on the roof of our house. Since i live in the woods, the peak efficiency in July would be 70%. But if we cut down the red maple near the front door, we could increase the efficiency by 4%.

Thus began the semi-annual visits by the tree service, the decrease of nearby trees, and the increase of sun on the solar-voltaics on the roof and the flower beds on the ground. Partial shade has morphed into full sun.

Because my house was built into a bowl of a little hillside, the south side of the house is a warmer microclimate than elsewhere. It's the last place to get frost, whereas the vegetable garden is the first. Hmmm.

Sun + warmer microclimate = vegetable garden.
Maybe it's time to start growing vegetables in my patio garden?

This revolutionary idea would change the aesthetic of my landscape. It's really quite shocking.

Sometimes change drifts along so slowly, we barely notice it or simply find the slight change of scenery and circumstances pleasant. Then we come to a waterfall; this one feels like a Class II (out of 5), and that is exciting and scary enough.

I think i'll start by planting rainbow chard beside the pulmonaria.