Earth, the final frontier

Soil is for dirt. Earth is for the garden.

A serious case of ghosting

I can’t call dirt as soil. Whenever I buy a bag of garden “soil”, I refer to it as earth. Me, I get soiled too much all over me after playing with on the earth.

Sophie’s Choice

I started this plant from seed and it was so full of leaves. Today, it was all twigs.

What happened to the leaves of apricot hyssop? A fat juicy green worm feasted on it.

Well, this worm will not survive in the balcony so I placed it in the garden where it can munch away hoping it will turn to something with wings. The hyssop will survive.

Means to an end

Photowalk Meetup is trending here in Vancouver. I joined it even though I’m not a photographer. My only means in taking pictures is an iPhone in order to go for structured walks. The group leader is a professional photographer and I heared about photographic niche, groove and ruts from him. None of these terminology is important to me since I just want to focus in fun.

Recently, I started cataloging photos of all the flowers I planted in my garden from full plant to close-up of a single flower. Most of these plants are nameless except for the lavenders. My motto is “plant your own garden, decorate your own soul.”

Photography and gardening keep me focused. Just as much I’ve taken so many photo shoots, only one is lucky enough to pass my myopic eyesight. However, I discovered that gardening and photography both have creative and therapeutic processes.

In old age, we should have enough passions strong enough to prevent us turning in on ourselves – Ursula K. Le Guin

One thing I know, rut will grow when joy is lucking. Images produced by photojournalist on “assignment” are unbelievable yet I can only take them in small dosage. I suppose I want to pretend life is Rosie, a well gardened mind.

From fragrant favorites like the honeysuckle and jasmine, to humble beauties like the daisy and wild wallflower, to literary symbol-corsages like the violet, which Emily Dickinson cherished above all other flowers for its “unsuspected” splendor, and the almond blossom, on which Albert Camus predicated his timeless metaphor for strength through difficult times – The Moral of Flowers, The Marginalian

Take time. To reclaim how to take time, say hello, exchange stories, fun and laughter is a basic formula in doubling enjoyment. I got lucky with this photo how it shows the warmth of their faces them holding a bouquet of lavenders.

Heavens, she’s in heaven embracing the best lavender in the garden. Provence lavenders. She only has to wait annually but worth it.

These are the faces of people that reap the rewards of my garden.

The one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.

Indian Summer

Blue sky, not a cloud in the horizon and the air crisp. The leaves of the Cherry Tree is blossoming with fiery orange. In spring time, it flowers first before the leaves come out.

At Forest Lawn, this place is so beautiful. No matter what time of the year, it’s stunning all around. I often wonder how the residents feel in close proximity at the cemetery.

A bursting crimson colour shrub in my garden is what we have been waiting for. The name of this plant is Euonymus but I cannot remember it, so I called it burning bush.

My sister came to visit bringing a small pumpkin wishing me happy fall. Already? I can’t believe it’s here and have forgotten the season of the year. It still feels summery. I suppose I have to start putting the rest of the plants to bed and winterized them. In the meantime, we are off for a walk to check out autumn colours and fall plants at UBC. This purple berries are so beautiful that I am planning to grow it in my garden. Sister looked great posing with Callicarpa.

“When the leaves fall,
the whole earth is a cemetery
pleasant to walk in.
I love to wander and muse over
them in their graves. Here
are no lying nor vain epitaphs.”
~ Henry David Thoreau

Falling for Autumn

Autumn is my second best season next to spring. These are some of my favourite shots from the archive.

First, we celebrate labour day. Still warm enough to go dancing in the park for young at hearts. It’s one of the biggest gathering knowing that it’s the last party season as we end summer.

“You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare against the wind and the cold, wintery light. But you knew there would always be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen. When the cold rains kept on and killed the spring, it was as though a young person died for no reason.” ― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

Combining festival of the dead and preparing a plot for fall garden is a sure way of having fun. Kales are the best to grow during cold season. As for the skeleton, we have to wait how it will mature or whether it will grow some bone spurs.

 

I want this one!

HA! Must have the biggest pumpkin to harvest from the patch. It would take a long time to carve this one.

Morning Wake Up Call

Note to me: Wake up early. Full Moon. April 16. 2020.

This is a rare day for me to get up early just to witness the full moon high up. Usually, the moon rises from the east and very low on the ground at night. With my balcony facing west, I get a good view.

Most days, I do nothing but watch the stillness of the morning. Breathing the fresh air, looking at the full moon waning as the dawn breaks, listening to the silence.

The sight of the garden is enough for me to brighten my day all year round. The poem I posted here is a reminder to plant my own garden, decorate my soul.

Again, from my balcony, there is plenty to amuse myself, especially the birds. Crows. Starlings. Finches. Woodpeckers. Robins. Seagulls. Sparrows. Hummingbirds. We feed them. Currently, the crow is busy building a nest on the holly tree. Crows are the least of my favourite because the smaller birds disappeared since they started nesting. And that’s ok. It’s only during the spring.

Life is short without coffee drinking from my precious cup. The cup’s original writing is, “Fortunately, there’s still sex.” I have to change that now.

Thinking of sex, one has to be mindful of sexually transmitted diseases. AIDS was the number one killer then, now it’s COVID, and you don’t even have to have sex!

So, the trending word now is CATS.

Our local SPCA is busy providing cats and dogs as companions for all those lonely people during this shelter in place.

Thank God, I have cats. I’m alone but not lonely.

And here they are, all over me, waking me up to feed them breakfast. The time is past 9 a.m.

Common Ground

For those who have sight, our ability to see is our common thread, yet we have a different perspective, different points of view, different angle. The gift of sight and mind are incredible. It is my dream to be able … Continue reading →

Leafing Out

If you are a tree hugger, you just have to wait for these trees to grow older, bigger, and taller to withstand your bear hug. These are the trees that I have in my own backyard. A mature maple tree … Continue reading →

Is it time to rest?

I think I have forgotten to rest. Keeping myself busy to escape from the busyness of the mind and the turmoil of the world. Digging, planting, watering. Gardening may seem to be laborious, but it relaxes me. Summer is finally … Continue reading →

My Pet Rocks

Unresponsive, rude are the stones: Yet in them divine things lie concealed….  – Helen Keller, “The Song of the Stone Wall” Give me a rock, and I will show you what I can do with them. They may be hard, … Continue reading →

What on Earth !????

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In the city, gardeners are very creative when it comes to what to grow every year especially the city has very little land to till. So, a high-raised beds were invented. Some folks will raise the beds as high as … Continue reading →

Growing babies.

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I’ve heard it said that while an American child will ask, “How are babies made?,” a Chinese child will ask, “How do babies grow?” So, “How does your garden grow?” is not just a line from a nursery rhyme! It’s … Continue reading →

Future: the end or the beginning

Here lies the future. The future garden. For months, I assessed it and imagined how it would look like should there be a garden on this space. It was February 28, 2016, when I started digging on this space. I … Continue reading →

Just Planning.

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Recently, my sister and I discussed who will take care of our funeral affairs when we die. This is a serious matter for we are getting on with our lives. I for one could feel my mortality. We have to … Continue reading →

I can sing a rainbow

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Look Miss Pretty, me and my GG (gorgeous grandma) are beautiful colourful flowers, said baby Jimmy as I took photos of them under the Holy Garden. And what colour are you as a boy? I asked. Blue, I am blue. Blue … Continue reading →

On any given day, give thanks.

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When it comes to gardening, I prefer to start from seeds. It reminds me of conception to birth. The seeds are the eggs and the sperms are a mixture of good potting soil mixed with mushroom manure saturated further with … Continue reading →

The Fresh Promise of Spring

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Spring brings fresh promises. The first day of spring marks the arrival of greenhouse vegetables and last year Vancouver celebrated it with a party at the heart of the city that I did not miss. The fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce and more greens … Continue reading →

Everyday, I will accomplish one thing

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To accomplish one thing, everyday is an achievement enough. And that I did. Something ordinary. It started with a small garden that has taken a life of its own. As I dig the earth, I buried a lot of troubles in the … Continue reading →

Mounds of golden leaves

Mounds of golden leaves
Child intuitively jumped in
Gardeners laughed hard

Signs and Wonders

God uses loneliness
to teach us about
living together.

Sometimes he uses anger
so that we can understand
the infinite value of peace.

At other times he uses tedium,
when he wants to show us
the importance of adventure
and leaving things behind.

God uses silence
to teach us about the
responsibility of what we say.

At times he uses fatigue
so that we can understand
the value of waking up.

At other times he uses sickness
to show us
the importance of health.

God uses fire
to teach us
about water.

Sometimes he uses earth
so that we can understand
the value of air.

And at times he uses death
when he wants to show us
the importance of life.

Read the signs.

by Paulo Coelho

Fall Obsession

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What bonds me from the people who I work with is gardening. I am not a foodie person but when it comes to any types of planting, I can be very engaging socially. Gardening can become all too consuming and … Continue reading →

Harvest Time: Carrots

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Well, the dog is happy. Found Seeker and rescued her from boredom, along with the rest. All kidding aside, this is the result of hard work of container gardening. One thing that I don’t understand is what made one carrot so different from … Continue reading →

Good morning to you

Grown by yours truly

Good morning to you
Good morning to you
Good morning to you
Good morning to you
Here we are in our places
With bright, shining faces
And in our eyes is the new day

Texturize this!

‘Worms have played a more important part in the history of the world than most persons would at first suppose.” Charles Darwin

Have you ever felt the texture of the best friend of a gardener?  I DARE YOU!

Strathcona 1890 Truck Farm – Vancouver, BC Canada

To uncover how they play this role Darwin threw himself at his worm studies with as much childlike enthusiasm as he could muster; he was, until the day he died, eager to learn and full of ideas to help him do so. He set about a series of experiments to test the senses of worms; he had his children play instruments to them, his wife (who was trained by Chopin) played the piano to an audience of worms, a light was shone on them, and they were vibrated, blown on and tickled. His conclusions:

Strathcona 1890 Truck Farm – Vancouver, BC Canada

‘Worms do not possess any sense of hearing. They took not the least notice of the shrill notes from a metal whistle, which was repeatedly sounded near them: nor did they of the deepest and loudest tones of a bassoon. They were indifferent to shouts if care was taken that breath did not strike them. When placed on a table close to the keys of a piano, which was played as loudly as possible, they remained perfectly quiet.’

 

Source: Charles Darwin and Evolution

Thanks be to the earthworms.

I must have been a Buddhist in my previous life. For the life of me, I cannot harm any insect as I gain consciousness that they are sentient beings, too, just like me.  For one, they are the best gardener.  They toil the earth and that’s all they do.  A single act that causes the garden to flourish.  So, when I see an earthworm that lost its way, I make sure that I move it to the earth and grassy spot where it can burrow itself into the ground.

Aren’t you glad at least that the earthworms
Under the grass are ignorant, as they eat the earth,
Of the good they confer on us, that their silence
Isn’t a silent reproof for our bad manners,
Our never casting earthward a crumb of thanks
For their keeping the soil from packing so tight
That no root, however determined, could pierce it? 

Imagine if they suspected how much we owe them,
How the weight of our debt would crush us
Even if they enjoyed keeping the grass alive,
The garden flowers and vegetables, the clover,
And wanted nothing that we could give them,
Not even the merest nod of acknowledgment.
A debt to angels would be easy in comparison,
Bright, weightless creatures of cloud, who serve
An even brighter and lighter master. 

Lucky for us they don’t know what they’re doing,
These puny anonymous creatures of dark and damp
Who eat simply to live, with no more sense of mission
Than nature feels in providing for our survival.
Better save our gratitude for a friend
Who gives us more than we can give in return
And never hints she’s waiting for reciprocity.

 

Worms by Carl Deniss

Garden of Daily Living

How To Plant Your Garden   First, you  Come to the garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses…. FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING, PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS: 1. Peace of mind 2. Peace of heart 3. Peace of soul  PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH: 1. Squash gossip 2. Squash indifference 3. Squash grumbling 4. Squash selfishness PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE: 1. Lettuce be faithful 2. Lettuce be kind 3. Lettuce be patient 4. Lettuce really love one another NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS: 1. Turnip for meetings 2. Turnip for service 3. Turnip to help one another TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME: 1. Thyme for each other 2. Thyme for family 3. Thyme for friends WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND   CULTIVATE WITH LOVE. THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT   YOU SOW.   Source:  e-mail author unknown

Harvest Time

It was a bountiful harvest considering most of these vegetables grew in a container and a small parcel of land.

Garlic, sage, kale, parsley, carrots and basil are just too much for one person.  Most of these vegetables I shared with neighbours, friends and family.  I will be keeping a few bulbs of garlic to grow.

I picked them way before the Autumn Harvest moon came out.

The view from my balcony faces west and I see the morning moon.  A light cloud hanging low and a single bird hovering the horizon gave me a feeling of serenity in the stillness of the morning.

Harvest Moon September 20, 2013

Of course,  the moon looks brighter at night especially on the first evening of Harvest Moon.  In order for me to capture this, I have to go out on the street, look towards east and wait for the rising of the moon.

Harvest Moon Rising September 19, 2013

“Believe in yourself, your neighbors, your work, your ultimate attainment of more complete happiness. It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring, who reaps a harvest in Autumn. ” – B. C. Forbes

Something to Look Forward To

At this time of the year, when I look outside my window, all I see is darkness.  Winter Time.  As the days move forward, we are now gaining more daylight and that is something to look forward to.  More light. 

The view from my window, are balconies of the next low-rise apartment complex.  From the distance, I can see the Rogers Twin Tower at Metro Town.  A third high-rise building is slowly rising.  I can see the construction crane.  

For most time, when I look outside, I look below.  Right in front of me is a Holly Tree. 

The Holly tree was a giant wiry mess then.  The owner wanted to cut it down.  I beg to the Manager not to cut it down for there are so many birds and animals that take refuge on this tree.  Thank goodness, the tree was spared.  The bottom part was cleared, now we can see the trunk and stand underneath.  The tree top was trimmed, now I can see who lives behind the tree. 

I love this tree.  The Hummingbirds made it their humble abode.  They own it now.  Underneath the tree, I cultivated the earth and turned it into a garden. I named it, “Holy Garden.”  Why Holy, it’s a long story. 

As for now, I left the Christmas trimmings on it.  See what I mean?

Holy Tree Garden

This is in response to Daily Prompt: Window.  Come and join us, it’s fun.

 

This is my Quest…

A writing challenge: New Year’s Resolution not a dream, not impossible… 

Many times I resolved to make a resolution, a total failure.  Therefore, I resolve to fail less… three is doable.  It will be more of a goal, and not a resolution.  I make my goals fun and enjoyable, not a chore.    

• Every year, I make sure that I do one thing that I haven’t done in my life.  For example, last year, I learnt how to bake cookies and cakes.  I was well liked by those cookie monster and cake fiends.  A very expensive way to learn.  Done.  Next?  Next is learning how to bake a traditional ham or turkey that my family always make.  The guinea pigs are my next door neighbour who made me mushroom soup for Christmas.  And I did, ham first.  We had it for New Year’s Day.  Now my neighbour wants it to be a tradition.  Are you kidding me?  The turkey has to wait.  The guinea pigs will be my nieces.  I promised them to have a YaYa cousinhood at my place.  They were pinning since they have not set their foot in my sanctuary.  They saw the pictures in the Facebook and how they love to check it out.  Yah, right.  It will be a dry get together, I said.  They agreed.
• Gardening.  What new plant would I want to try this year starting from seeds?  This would take time visiting Garden Centres, reading Garden Magazines and visiting Community Gardens.  I enjoy gardening and it’s so much fun.
•  Walking.  This is a must since I am planning to join Walkers’ World this year to Santiago de Compostela.  It’s vital that I am able to walk at least 10k a day.  That is equal to walking around Stanley Park in Vancouver, BC.  Not a big deal, since I do walking meditation and I have now a camera to take pictures along the way. Can’t wait.

A Prayer of New Beginnings by St. Mary

God of new beginnings, we are walking into mystery.
We face the future, not knowing what the days and months will bring us
or how we will respond.
Be love in us as we journey.
May we welcome all who come our way.