[An original version I wrote was posted February 2020, on Digging Deeper, Swansons Nursery’s blog] In the coastal Northwest, our climate and position on the Pacific Rim give us a natural affinity with Asian design philosophy and lifestyles, which can also apply to our gardens. Japanese culture, in particular, has lent us its mastery of … More The Wabi-sabi Garden
the waves ebb and flowthe waves enter and return to whence they camethey wash and cleansebaptize and clarifyscoursmoothen, calmsometimes tickle, sometimes poundsometimes move mountainswhether we pay attention or not the waves bring gifts from afarfood and stories and transcendent spheres of glassthey bring garbage and griefexpose our weaknesses, our ignoranceerodedestroywe pay to have them as … More The Waves
Thoughts exposed by — but not unique to — this year, 2020. If you’re looking for a failing society…Tragic incidents of injustice,Acts of evil, sometimes in the name of God,Human trafficking,Exploitive, profit-obsessed corporations,Lying, greedy politicians (imagine that),Looming environmental catastrophe,Reasons to not go downtown anymore,Parents teaching their children to cheat,Disrespect and oppression of specific groups of … More What Are You Looking For?
This is part of a series in the exploration of spaces, rhythms and layers in our physical world, and other areas of our lives. How we tend to fill, exploit, abuse and pollute our open spaces, as well as ignore and neglect many rhythms and layers of life as we dwell and move about. How … More Rhythms
Thoughts in light of the Black Lives Matter protests and violence gripping the nation this week, after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. What do all these people have in common? Young black man wearing a hoodie and baggy pants. Young pale white man wearing a hoodie and visible tattoos. Middle Eastern woman wearing … More The Hard Work of Peace & Racial Justice
Impressions, en route to Squamish, British Columbia, in January… How can there be so many greens And grays, some blues, some browns tinged with red Dark fir swaths punctuated by silvery lacework of alder Colors are muted and highlighted by grey sky Light is subtle, mysterious, hard to define in its direction The presence of … More Mountain, Forest, Sea
This is part of a series in the exploration of spaces, rhythms and layers in our physical world, and other areas of our lives. How we fill, exploit, abuse and pollute our open spaces, as well as ignore and neglect many rhythms and layers as we dwell and move about. How we might instead learn … More Layers
This is part of a series in the exploration of spaces, rhythms and layers in our physical world, and other areas of our lives. How we fill, exploit, abuse and pollute our open spaces, as well as ignore and neglect many rhythms and layers as we dwell and move about. How we might instead learn … More Spaces
(originally posted 8/30/18 on Digging Deeper, Swansons Nursery’s blog) Pruning a Japanese maple tree is not necessarily difficult, but may be intimidating at first — particularly for a weeping or “laceleaf” cultivar (Acer palmatum Var. dissectum). We might perceive it as fragile and delicate, and we’re afraid to mess up its natural beauty through improper pruning. … More Pruning Japanese Maples
(originally posted 3/29/18 on Digging Deeper, Swansons Nursery’s blog) Not many gardeners have a neutral opinion when it comes to moss. Either we love the impossibly green fairyland it evokes on our forest walks and aged garden. Or we hate the layer of slippery moisture it lays over our roof or patio, and the way … More Living With Moss
