Hope is an underlying part of gardening. It starts with the planning. We hope for a successful garden by planning it. We hope for the joy it will bring us. We hope for the food and beauty it can provide. Why take so much time to plan and nurture a garden? Because it brings us hope for the future. When we plan a garden, it is for the future spring and summer. The seeds we plant will grow to bring us joy in some way. We might want to eat what the plant provides, we might want to look at the flowers, we might want to share that hope by giving a small plant to a friend. There are many things to hope for, the hope of spring to come, the hope of the plants growing, hope of the harvest reward, hope to have the patience it takes to get to the harvest season! The joy of growing a little seed and nurturing it to become a big plant is part of who we are as humans. We need food to survive, plain and simple. We get our food by growing it. We can choose to grow our own food or be dependant on someone else to grow our food. But either way, food brings us joy. When we are nourished we are thankful and have joy. When we grow our food, we get to plant the seed and care for it in a little bit of soil so that it will grow into a plant that can bring joy to us. There is life in those little seeds. And life, no matter what form is joyful. To grow food, is to grow life, the life energy in that food is converted to life energy in everyone who eats that plant. Sometimes the joy comes from just looking at the beautiful flowers. Everyone should grow something. It can be in a garden, in a pot on the patio or on the porch or in the house, but grow something! It reconnects us to mother nature. It connects us to this beautiful blue & green ball that we live on. Hopefully it can help us learn compassion about our Earth home. We should nurture mother nature by growing something and mother nature can continue to nourish us. What do you think you will grow this year to nurture mother nature?

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" overlay_color="" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" padding_right=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" min_height="" hover_type="none" link=""][fusion_text] What comes to mind when you think of January in New England? Snow, cold temperatures certainly come to my mind. The long-awaited January thaw? That was last week when we had temperatures rise up to 68°F. It was a beautiful sunny day. I sat outside with my daughters eating carrots and hummus soaking in as much sun as we could for those few hours of daylight. Seven days later with 9°F temps and the cabin fever needs to be tucked back in for a few more weeks. That warm weather made every ounce of my body want to start planting seeds, but I knew in January that would not be a good idea. So we just sat together, out on the step looking at the garden contemplating, dreaming and planning what it is we want to grow. For just for a little while longer we continue the planning and searching seed catalogs and dreaming of spring. Don’t let these dark days of January get to you. Get outside, take a snow filled walk. Take in the brightness of new fallen snow. Feel the quietude and restfulness of the trees and plants all around you. Know that the Spring life is there resting and waiting for the burst and hustle of Spring to come. Rest and recharge this time of year. Follow the rhythms of Mother Earth so that when Spring arrives, we too are rested and ready to keep up with the spring growth. I do look forward to when all the green comes back and all the trees wake up and the good green earth in New Hampshire starts to awaken and grow again. Know every minute of every day in January, there is more light and we are closer to Spring. Having cabin fever visit your door is a reminder that Spring is coming. What will you do when it does arrive? Hopefully plant a garden! [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Spring! A long awaited, glorious time of year. A time for renewal, revival and a freedom from the confines of house and many layers of clothing. It’s a time to celebrate the revival of our little part of the world. Having lived my whole life in the northeast, I cannot imagine living somewhere without seeing the world change from a frozen, sleeping world into a landscape that bursts forth with renewal of life every spring. It brings joy to my entire being and hope to my spirit. I am frequently out in the garden on spring days, watching and waiting for the final snow to melt so I can see what plants still wait for the warmth to return. I give thanks to those plants as I think back to the cold, cold days of winter, for the struggle they have made during those harsh days.. I was able to spend those dark days near the warmth of my wood stove, but these little plants survived the dark cold of winter. So I wonder, which of these hardy plants will emerge first? Which will bloom first? It is usually the crocus and daffodils. They are so pretty and delicate, and make nice cut flowers. Enjoyable to the eye for sure. I wait for the others though. The plants that will nourish my body and energize it for the season to come. We live in such a world that many foods are available to us year-round, so our bodies never realize the seasonal food cycles of the earth. We feel the cold when it arrives in the fall. We don’t realize the changes in what our bodies need as the seasons change. Don’t’ get me wrong, I like my fruits from all over the world, however, with having that, I wonder, do we also lose something? Do we lose the cycles of eating seasonally, of nourishing ourselves with the nutrients that these food cycles give us for the time of year? For millennia, humankind has eaten seasonally. Modern day life has changed that, and I wonder if our bodies have changed with it? What are we missing by having all the food, all the time? I know in the spring, my body starts to crave greens. Do you ever just want a plateful of greens, either salad or cooked greens in February or March? That’s our bodies telling us that we need the nutrients in those dark leafy greens. They have a purpose. Our body knows the cycles, even if we don't recognize them anymore. It's our body talking to us. We just need to listen. This and every Spring, I wait for the violas to grow, the dandelions, the nettles. I wait for the ground to thaw to dig the burdock, chicory and dandelion roots. These are the spring foods that will nourish our bodies from the long winter. They will cleanse our blood and revitalize our bodies, if we only choose to let them help us to get our strength for the busy season to come. So onward we go into Spring, our chance to help our earth, that provides nourishing food for all. We can be stewards to our little part of the world. Be a part of the seasonal cycles, plant a garden this year. Maybe a small patch in the yard, or a few pots on the patio, but be a steward. It can be the start of enjoying the cycles of seasonal food. Enjoy this beautiful world we have been given. Grow food! Spring Sorrel Soup 2 fistfuls of sorrel leaves, about 3 cups, washed and spun dry 2 tbsp butter 1/2 large sweet onion, chopped 5 to 6 small fingerling or new potatoes, cut into chunks 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth 1 egg, lightly beaten Salt and pepper, to taste Stack the sorrel leaves and cut into ribbons. Set aside. In a large, heavy saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat the butter over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is well-browned, about 20 minutes. Add the sorrel, potatoes and broth. If the broth does not cover the contents, add a little water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. When the potatoes are done, transfer half of the mixture to a blender or food processor (blenders give smoother results). Process carefully until the mixture is puréed and smooth. Repeat with remaining soup. Return the soup to the saucepan over low heat. Temper the egg by whisking it with about one-quarter cup of soup, then pour the egg mixture into the pan. Cook, whisking constantly, until the soup thickens, about 5 minutes. Do not boil. If serving hot, garnish each portion with sour cream or yogurt. If serving cold, cover the soup tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Garnish with sour cream or yogurt, chopped cucumber or radish and a spring violet of course. Recipe from epicurious.com

Challenges, we all have them. Some of the garden plants have found that to be the case also. The challenge I am talking about is the wildlife, particularly, the venison, oh no, I mean deer. The deer have always been there, and I’ve often shared with them. We live in a meadow for the most part. The house is surrounded by forest, so of course the deer are going to like it here. I do like the deer. They seem gentle and are passive animals. They are herbivores that travels long distances for the tasty morsels my garden offers. The dog is a deterrent in the daytime, but in the dark hours of the night, that is not the case. This year, however, I am not sharing as much and being a bit more selfish in the aspect of the garden as I am trying to build a business using the gardens. The deer are really just doing the same thing I am. I am trying to figure out how to keep them on the outside of the garden and they are working just as diligently to figure out how to get on the inside of the garden. Both of us are just trying to get through each day. I purchased Pansies this year for the first time. They were growing well and they were beautiful. It was a bit dry during New Hampshire this spring and with a big order the next day for these beautiful pansies, I decided to carefully watered them so they had the evening to drink up and be perky in the morning. Picking in the morning is always better for flowers. I happily got up and readied myself for the morning picking, so excited for the big order of my beautiful pansies. The problem was that the deer had to have been watching last night when I watered them and started their planning. When I arrived at the garden, the middle of almost every pansy plant had a gaping section with no plant or flower. A few were pulled completely out of the ground. I just stood there while the fury mounted. I thought, “How did this happen? What would do this?”. Then I saw the hoof prints on the ground. Then I thought, “VENSION for dinner”! After some stomping around to check everything in the garden, my fury changed to despair and I was almost in tears. I didn’t mind sharing but I do get very upset when they don’t share nicely. After the initial rage, and then when the following upset dissipated, I was able to pull myself together enough to pick what was left. All the while knowing they are just trying survive and it will be okay. I was able to just make my order, but there were no extras left to enjoy. The deer managed to enjoy them, however, they did leave me just enough. They had to be listening last night and now I know they can do math also! I did spend the day really wanting venison for dinner though.

Summer is starting its decline for this year. As sad as that might sound, it doesn’t mean things slow down. With the harvest time upon us it is the busiest time of the year, not just in the garden, but also in the kitchen. It is also the time of year when I evaluate and contemplate, not the rest of this years growing season but next years. I have been growing gardens for more than 35 years and it astounds me what lessons I learn from the garden each year. This years revelation seems like such a simple one. For many a year I have enjoyed my perennials and my self seeding annuals. These little seeds scatter themselves throughout the garden each fall. They manage to survive the hungry birds stocking up their bellies in the fall, the harsh winter of snow and ice and freezing and thawing temperatures for months. Then they struggle each spring to sprout and pop up their cheery leaves up through the soil. These little seeds are my champions. They come through the harshness of winter weather, become strong and vibrant and produce the wonderful gift of food. In years past, I have left this cycle to chance. Letting them seed where they may and then planning the other things in the spring where I can. I have collected the seeds in the fall, but for some reason thought I should save the seed to plant until spring. Why? Indoctrination of spring planting? Habit? I’m not sure. This new discovery for me is not new at all to the world of nature. Nature has always done this whether it’s in the garden, the roadside, the pasture or the meadow. It’s simple. Plant those gathered seeds in the fall. I can plant some of next year’s garden right under this years. That gives a whole new meaning to the layered garden style. I will give them what nature gives them: a nutritious blanket of leaves to keep them warm for the winter and watch for them sprout when they are ready in the Spring, not when I think they should be ready. Mother Earth has a wonderful strength to care for itself. We need to observe these strengths, patterns and methods, then we just need to get out of the way and let nature take the lead.