So, I can really relate to your story. When I still lived in a house with a garden, I also spoke with all the plants and creatures, even saw their auras at times, so in the end I was the proud owner of a garden where lived whatever wanted to live there.
As for our collectively destructing the Earth, well, all living people are born into this system that will kill all what’s living on our Mother.
Great to hear about the connection you share with plants, Hennie. Love that you just let the ones who wanted to live in your garden live there.
I definitely have to disagree when it comes to us destroying everything, though. I have a lot of hope for our silly, human race.
That would be a great topic to explore sometime! It definitely feels like things are dying and there’s obviously tons of destruction happening everywhere… but I think that in the end, the old consciousness of domination will die off and we’ll move into something more sustainable. I see glimmers of it every day. 💫
Gardening is an odd an thing where we choose who get to be included and excluded.
I must admit that let most garden pests do their thing. I might intermix plants to repel pests but that's about it. A very good gardener said just plant enough variety so you will have something to eat if pest wipe out something else. No need to poison. Nature will find something to eat excess pest the next year.
Fire ants put me in a quandary. I would be fine with the ants if they did not bite me. But they sting and leave little infected pustules so I do put diatamous earth and coffee grounds on them to try and get them to leave. Tomato horn worms also might get chucked to the chickens. Mostly because they can't just eat a little. I have been fairly content with a small rat population in the chicken house that also eat the feed I set out for the chickens. I am also ok with the snakes that eat the rats.
I am getting excited about growing the ecosystem of soil. Adding organic material to feed all the little microbes. Experimenting with magnets and antennas to increase ion transport of nutrients. Making compost teas and biochar to increase life in the soil. I always put earthworms back if I find them and thank them for building soil.
But there is a lot of life and death in the garden. Something always dies. But that makes me even more happy for the things that live. In the woods it's a constant competition for sun and water. The trees that fall and make an opening in the canopy let the next generation grow up. I don't think trees like being crowded. I debate if thinning to benefit other trees and create mini meadows is creative or destructive.
You do such an amazing job with your garden, and it's wonderful to hear your perspective on this, Cybele. I hear a deep acceptance about the way things are that I'd love to learn to emulate in my trompings. The ecosystem of the soil is something that I'm highly aware of and just learning I can cultivate rather than destroy. That's an exciting idea.
I think the debate about what is constructive and what is destructive is at the base of this--that's a great way of saying it. My biggest struggle is that I am the one who gets to decide which creatures I'm "ok" with, which feels like a position of unthinkable power.
It's interesting to contemplate killing one thing so that others may thrive. It's a debate I know we struggle with when it's applied to humans. When applied to plants, animals, etc, it feels like there's just too many variables to calculate. It seems to me there must be an inner knowing about it if it's correct.
Oh Allysha, you know that song from Pocahontas is one of my very favorites. I spent years trying to learn it on the piano. I tried to take care of every creature that ran across my path as I was gardening. Now I’m old enough (almost 86) my bones and muscles don’t work so well anymore to get on my hands and knees or even sit on his stool and rake through the garden. I have a few wonderfully beautiful potted plants on my balcony fortunately they don’t come with any relatives. They also bring birds to my balcony and I can spend hours appreciating and learning different bird songs..
So I guess each of us gets a chance to experience different phases of our lives. I grew up in summers, surrounded by forests, So I can still hear those sing. I would guess that great love of nature who had as a child still lives inside, and you have many more adventures to go.
I love this: "I tried to take care of every creature that ran across my path as I was gardening." Thank you for passing down that sentiment. It's a wonderful way to think about tending to my little plot.
I am certainly in the phase of my life where it feels like I'm doing everything, and I can hear how sad it must be for you to be letting go of that. At the same time, I love the idea of spending hours appreciating and learning different bird songs. I'm so glad your love of Nature has carried with you and that you can connect with your little patio garden and the creatures who come to visit. 🌷💜
So, I can really relate to your story. When I still lived in a house with a garden, I also spoke with all the plants and creatures, even saw their auras at times, so in the end I was the proud owner of a garden where lived whatever wanted to live there.
As for our collectively destructing the Earth, well, all living people are born into this system that will kill all what’s living on our Mother.
Great to hear about the connection you share with plants, Hennie. Love that you just let the ones who wanted to live in your garden live there.
I definitely have to disagree when it comes to us destroying everything, though. I have a lot of hope for our silly, human race.
That would be a great topic to explore sometime! It definitely feels like things are dying and there’s obviously tons of destruction happening everywhere… but I think that in the end, the old consciousness of domination will die off and we’ll move into something more sustainable. I see glimmers of it every day. 💫
Gardening is an odd an thing where we choose who get to be included and excluded.
I must admit that let most garden pests do their thing. I might intermix plants to repel pests but that's about it. A very good gardener said just plant enough variety so you will have something to eat if pest wipe out something else. No need to poison. Nature will find something to eat excess pest the next year.
Fire ants put me in a quandary. I would be fine with the ants if they did not bite me. But they sting and leave little infected pustules so I do put diatamous earth and coffee grounds on them to try and get them to leave. Tomato horn worms also might get chucked to the chickens. Mostly because they can't just eat a little. I have been fairly content with a small rat population in the chicken house that also eat the feed I set out for the chickens. I am also ok with the snakes that eat the rats.
I am getting excited about growing the ecosystem of soil. Adding organic material to feed all the little microbes. Experimenting with magnets and antennas to increase ion transport of nutrients. Making compost teas and biochar to increase life in the soil. I always put earthworms back if I find them and thank them for building soil.
But there is a lot of life and death in the garden. Something always dies. But that makes me even more happy for the things that live. In the woods it's a constant competition for sun and water. The trees that fall and make an opening in the canopy let the next generation grow up. I don't think trees like being crowded. I debate if thinning to benefit other trees and create mini meadows is creative or destructive.
You do such an amazing job with your garden, and it's wonderful to hear your perspective on this, Cybele. I hear a deep acceptance about the way things are that I'd love to learn to emulate in my trompings. The ecosystem of the soil is something that I'm highly aware of and just learning I can cultivate rather than destroy. That's an exciting idea.
I think the debate about what is constructive and what is destructive is at the base of this--that's a great way of saying it. My biggest struggle is that I am the one who gets to decide which creatures I'm "ok" with, which feels like a position of unthinkable power.
It's interesting to contemplate killing one thing so that others may thrive. It's a debate I know we struggle with when it's applied to humans. When applied to plants, animals, etc, it feels like there's just too many variables to calculate. It seems to me there must be an inner knowing about it if it's correct.
Oh Allysha, you know that song from Pocahontas is one of my very favorites. I spent years trying to learn it on the piano. I tried to take care of every creature that ran across my path as I was gardening. Now I’m old enough (almost 86) my bones and muscles don’t work so well anymore to get on my hands and knees or even sit on his stool and rake through the garden. I have a few wonderfully beautiful potted plants on my balcony fortunately they don’t come with any relatives. They also bring birds to my balcony and I can spend hours appreciating and learning different bird songs..
So I guess each of us gets a chance to experience different phases of our lives. I grew up in summers, surrounded by forests, So I can still hear those sing. I would guess that great love of nature who had as a child still lives inside, and you have many more adventures to go.
I love this: "I tried to take care of every creature that ran across my path as I was gardening." Thank you for passing down that sentiment. It's a wonderful way to think about tending to my little plot.
I am certainly in the phase of my life where it feels like I'm doing everything, and I can hear how sad it must be for you to be letting go of that. At the same time, I love the idea of spending hours appreciating and learning different bird songs. I'm so glad your love of Nature has carried with you and that you can connect with your little patio garden and the creatures who come to visit. 🌷💜