July 2021 Blog Finding Sanctuaries to Breathe and Hold Sacred Space

We all play a major role in creating sustainable habitats for plants and animals. As the world opens up again, find sanctuaries to breathe and hold natural, sacred space. 

June is a magical month for flowers. Did you ever, as a young person, stand next to a peony bush and watch the ants work their magic on a peony bud? The buds are a food source for the ants and the peony is protected from other sap-feeding insects. This is a form of mutualism in nature. 

When the peony blooms, the scent draws one in. Each petal is a velvety layer of beauty, ever-expanding until an early summer rain causes the flower heads to droop, thus ending their magnificent, annual display. 

Don’t delay. Watch nature’s fashion show through the summer. Driving around town, I just noticed my first roses blooming in various gardens. The new color appears, seemingly out of nowhere. Bees gather the rose nectar and pollen. 

Pay attention as the floral world regales us with its beauty. Cut a flower and bring it inside. Create a bouquet if your garden or field allows. It’s a meditative process. When I first started gardening 30 years ago, I created the intention to have a garden big enough so that I could make a weekly flower arrangement for the house and it wouldn’t be evident that the flowers were missing. Be careful what you wish for!

Creating a garden is like picking friends to come over for a dinner party. Who will sit next to whom? Who plays well together? Who’s short vs tall? Who blooms early vs late? Who smells good? 

I always said, if I had to multitask as a parent, so did my plants. That’s why we designed a fourth of our quadrant garden just for butterflies (and moths, hummingbirds, etc). The trees that we planted offered nectar, fruits, and seeds for wildlife. 

Connect with nature. Experience her beauty. It’s a source of refuge from worries and woes. Let your cup be filled. Mother nature is glad to have you visit. As it is written in the poem “Desiderata,” You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

Create a sanctuary in your outdoor space. Even one potted plant can bring joy.

Embrace, protect, and expand your version of nature. 

Plant a tree ;-) 

In one year, one mature tree can remove one thousand pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Protect marshlands in your area. In our modern era, wetlands have been reduced by 87% of their former size. 

What’s the key to unlocking your vitality? 

Where’s your doorway into nature? Plant a tree, garden, or patio pot with water-conserving succulents.