we grow the good and play with our food
Recently, I’ve been (re)exploring the practice of savoring, which remains just as integral to what I do and how I live as when I first established The SAVOR Project several years ago. If anything, my understanding of what it means to savor has deepened into a taproot that also branched out into many other areas of my life. Especially spiritually and creatively. In ways that I’m still struggling to define. Not surprising, given what I’ve lived through, what we’ve all lived through, and what lies ahead.
On days when I become lost in my own thoughts or in my own troubles (yeah, that’s pretty much every day), I turn to the nature poets to lead me out of the woods. Or back into the woods, or into the garden, if that’s what I need. Ross Gay is one of my favorites. I adore everything he’s written, from a series of letters exchanged with Noah Davis in The Sun, to his collection of essays The Book of Delights, and his newest book Inciting Joy.
“The way I think of joy is that it is what is luminous about us when weโre helping each other, when weโre holding each other through our sorrows.”
Ross Gay
I need to step away from this screen now to do (be) other things, but trust me when I say that he’s a writer worth reading. You can check out his recent Seattle Times interview here.
Or if you catch this blog post in time, I hear there’s still digital passes (FREE) available to tonight’s reading through Seattle Arts & Lectures. I’ll be in the audience, savoring every word and listening to a master gardener of joy.
Botanical name: Borago officinalis
An easy, fast-growing annual herb distinguished by its fuzzy, prickly leaves and bright blue flowers; also known as starflower. Fun fact that I just learned from the NW Horticultural Society: the nectaries in borage flowers are replenished every two minutes, which is a bonus for our bee friends!
Suggested uses: culinary, medicinal, pollinator friendly, companion planting, therapeutic benefits
I began growing borage in 2018 on our Portland-based farm, sowed around my vegetable beds in what I’d called my “soggy bottom garden” and in several wine barrels by our deck. I loved watching bees buzzing among the dozens of borage plants that sprawled happily upon each other.
Read MoreYesterday morning I read from Camille T. Dungy’s collection Trophic Cascade, while I waited for a doctor’s appointment. The poem Characteristics of Life, in particular, reached out and grabbed me; luckily, I had a chance to read (and fully savor) her words several times. I might mention that I’m in this strange new phase where lately, I’m processing things at the heart level instead of allowing the mind to race ahead and tell me what they mean. Interesting times.
How many times this week have you found yourself struck by beauty or stopped short in delight? Hopefully, often.
Read MoreNew calender years are like agricultural seasons, filled with opportunities to apply life lessons and to reassess what we hope to plant, moving forward.
Usually at the beginning of each new year, I reassess my current eating habits and ask myself a few of the following compassion-based questions:
Read MoreIn keeping with The SAVOR Project’s mission, I like to feature content that incorporates a hearty helping of mindful eating + therapeutic horticulture education, grounded in everyday strategies to engage positively with our food.
So….rosemary! Rosmarinus officinalis is one of my favorite herbs, and perfect to kick off the first of a series of monthly edible gardening highlights. Rosemary is a botanical star, even as cooler temperatures move us toward winter when many gardens are at rest.
Read MoreThis month’s Mindful Writing session focused upon the organic process of composting, which turns discarded materials from our meals, gardens, and lives into a rich medium that enhances growth.
The methods of composting can vary – from worm bins (known as vermicomposting) to traditional composting piles that utilize homemade or commercially purchased containers. Composting requires the collaboration of many macro- and micro-organisms, including worms, slugs, spiders, nematodes, mites, fungi, and bacteria, which aid in decomposition and improve soil fertility. Healthy, happy soil = healthy, happy plants.
Amending our own mind/body health also helps us grow good things.
Read MoreIn previous years, I’ve written about the benefits of mindful movement, especially walking. Check out those posts (and associated resource links) here and here. As we each cope with the daily and accumulated impact of living through this pandemic, especially for those of us who identify as primary caregivers, I find it reassuring that research-supported self-care strategies (to also include good sleep hygiene, mindful eating, therapeutic writing, and nature engagement) remain available to us all.
Read MoreBelow you’ll find select slides from my presentation today with the Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association’s annual conference. I encourage you to take some time, in particular, with the “mindful inquiry” invitations – and consider returning to them regularly, if they prove useful.
There’s not a lot more I can say about this essay by Steve Edwards from Sun magazine. Just read it. So delicious. What’s moved you, lately?
Happy September, friends.
https://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/549/a-thousand-cups-of-coffee
I wrote the following article for the Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association’s summer newsletter, in anticipation of my presention on Day 1 of their upcoming annual conference – Branching Out: Nurturing Connections and Community, on September 16-18, 2021. This year’s online conference features topics ranging from sensory engagement with nature to vertical farming, guided nature walks, wildlife photography, and indigenous healing tools. It’s an amazing line-up! I hope some of you can join us.
Home is in the garden: Starting over during unprecedented times
We all long for connection, whether we spend our lives deeply rooted or like to spread our wings. Join Dawnn in a multimedia journey as she highlights personal and professional connections to edible gardens, food justice, and the rapidly evolving field of healthcare. Weโll also explore the nature of home โ where it is, what it looks like, and how true belonging grows over time. https://www.chta.ca/2021-presenters
CHTA’s mission is “to promote the use and awareness of horticulture as a therapeutic modality.” Learn more about this volunteer-led organization, receive updates on horticultural therapy news, or register for the conference by visiting the CHTA website.
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