Spring Gardening: A Meditative Practice for Peace

Spring in the garden

I have a friend, Alsu Kurmaseva, who had the unfortunate experience of being unjustly detained in Russia, due to her being a journalist. The other day she was sharing some of her thoughts that she wrote down in her prison journal and she mentioned that, despite being locked up in a cell, those that put her there, without real cause, could not stop the seasons from changing and that spring doesn't merely arrive as much as it "overcomes".

I loved this sentiment. So much seems so far out of my control and things seems to be moving at an ever more frenzied pace. What I thought were the stable bedrocks of our institutions are being eroded more quickly than I thought was possible. Chaos and confusion seem to be the choice way of "governing" and rights are being stripped away like so many flimsy undergarments by someone with nefarious intentions in mind.

But...

Spring has come to Georgia. Despite unjust deportations with no due process, despite services to our veterans being callously cut by those who have never served, despite all the heartless and potentially illegal cuts, firings, furloughs in order to serve the wealthiest amongst us...

Despite ALL of that...

...the redbuds are in bloom, the dogwoods are starting to unfurl their buttery petals, the tulip magnolia flowers are giving way to their green leaves, daffodils are smiling out of their yellow cups, pollen is dusting everything (EVERYTHING!!) and the chickweed is taking over my perennial beds. And it is glorious.

As I lay in bed last night, trying to sleep, being so sore from my fabulous 6 hour edging/staking/weeding extravaganza, I thought about how grateful I am. Through my service to these beds and plants, we will be blessed with roses, peonies, dahlias, tomatoes, berries, beans, cucumbers, native perennials and self seeding annuals. What an incredible bounty of food and flora! I am also grateful that I get to share my knowledge with gardeners who might just be starting to appreciate the wonders of cultivating a plot of land, or a raised bed or container. The act of gardening, whether in a large yard or on a balcony can, I believe, be transformative. It is an act of meditation, of mindfulness, and of peace.

In order to help people new to this I have put together a workshop for beginning gardeners on April 5th. This will take place at the new Publica coffee roasters in downtown Watkinsville. Owner, Troy Potts has done such a great job converting this old smithery to a working roaster and he is fiercely intending to turn it into a space of community. This will be a place, not to come work on your computer, but to come meet and talk to your neighbors. I will be serving breakfast (with coffee, of course) as well as a lovely lunch and the learning parts will happen around and in between food and camaraderie of present and future gardeners. You can find more information in the "learn" section of the website and, if you would like to join us, please send me an email to register.