Follow The Leader

Posted on July 16, 2013 by shobha

Well, well, well. So Oprah has caught the gardening bug big time. This can only mean good news. I foresee many thousands (dare I say hundreds of thousands?) joining the gardening bandwagon. This, in my opinion, translates to better use of our land, an improvement to the appearance of otherwise ho-hum properties and certainly a healthier approach to eating. Fresh, organic, homegrown vegetables and fruits will be downright fashionable. Again.

Everybody I know wants to do better by their own health as well as the health of the planet. Yet, only a small percentage actually puts into practice this desire. For whatever reason, be it the pressures of time, space, work, laziness etc., there is more talk and less action. Till along comes a “role model”.

When it comes to doing the right thing, why is it that it does not happen naturally? Our minds already know what we should do but we don’t act on that. Instead, we wait till some celebrity shows up to inform us what he/she is doing and then all of a sudden we are ‘in’. Counter-intuitively, humans are ever willing to follow the wrong people. A quick once over of our collective history will testify to that. Why, oh why do we insist upon letting a select few dictate how we should live?

Humans are herd animals. We follow. Such as it is, I am then deeply appreciative of all those who choose to lead by good example. What so ever they might be. I’m glad when we, as a whole, read more, stand up for injustice, get more exercise, care for our planet simply because the matters were brought to our attention by a person(s) with some public influence. The fact that in every case there are real, qualified experts who are present to inform and instruct is incidental. To find these ‘quiet’ leaders requires some deep digging, some sincere listening, some serious thinking. That is too much work. We prefer star power. We need dazzle.

If one tends a piece of land, one is likely to care about the world at large. Every aspect of how we live becomes of significant consequence. Clean living becomes routine.

In our recent times, Martha made all types of gardening cool. Many followed her. Then, Michelle showed us that growing one’s own vegetables was chic and still more joined in. Better yet, our children opted in. And now, there is Oprah. This should have a sizable impact. I hope. Tending to our land, feeding ourselves and participating in the joys of working in nature is at once a most basic act and yet one of high calling. As a gardener, I am naturally an optimist. I have high hopes for how well the public embraces Oprah’s gardening message.

We don’t all have to be leaders. We cannot be. But those whom we choose to follow must be identified and selected with great thought and attention. Leaders abound. Good ones and bad. Great ones are scarce. Lets choose wisely.

Now, go forth and give gardening your best shot. You won’t regret it. Never mind me, Martha, Michelle and Oprah say so.

Pears await plucking

Potager of a French chateau

Indian gourd

Leafy greens

Onion harvest

Swiss chard. Even a pot can be a vegetable garden.

Page Dickey’s wonderful potager

Tomato teepees

The Lazy, Hazy Days Of Summer

Posted on July 9, 2013 by shobha

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability. ~Sam Keen

Every year I have a yearning to beef up my summer garden. Spring is covered pretty well and things look good into July. But come August, and there emerges a disheveled, ragged garden. It is not particularly interesting. Certainly, parts of the garden look decent enough to fool the casual once over but on closer inspection it is simply not up to the season.

There ought to be more in bloom to provide summer flamboyance. A little control is called for to keep things from looking too messy. The grass appears parched and the weeds are on steroids. It is all a bit disenchanting.

Yet, I do nothing. Lazy? Perhaps. But that is not entirely the reason. It has more to do with trying to live in the moment. Summer is when we give ourselves permission to ease up a little. Let go of agendas and give in to impulse. For two months of a whole year, we rediscover our carefree selves. Bare feet memorize the feel of cool, textured grass. Taste buds savor sun ripened tomatoes. The body sways in tune with the hammock. Fireflies replace the flicker of television. How then could I possibly pull myself away from such pleasures and get serious with the garden?

If the summer perennials I wanted were available in early spring, I’d probably place them in my garden. But that is never the case. They arrive well after I’m immersed in the season’s gentle pastimes. The next opportunity is the fall but by then, I’m in a state of denial. The summer garden is just fine – I tell nobody in particular as I go about cleaning up the garden and adding more spring bulbs.

Finally, in the midst of winter when I crave all things garden and pore over photographs taken through the previous year, do I see how once again, I have failed to accomplish that brilliant summer garden that exists only in my mind. And so the cycle continues.

I invariably feel overcome with guilt for such blatant negligence. But, not anymore. I’ve decided to forgive myself in advance. Summer is too short a season. As ephemeral as the fireflies that fill it.

Summer flowers

Agapanthus

Sense And Simplicity

Posted on July 2, 2013 by shobha

Summer is well underway, fourth of July is here, vacation approaches, swimming pool nd hammock beckon. And there is the garden staring at you with reproach. Are you feeling just a tad guilty? Do you wish you had blinders on so as to avoid noticing the many chores that await? Relax. Its okay. Enjoy the summer fully. In my view, there are three ways to approach the garden chores.

The first is to just get the bare essentials done. Weed, water and generally keep the place tidy. A little bit everyday is very doable and quite effective. Not too time consuming plus you have the satisfaction of being in relative control of the place. The garden responds by looking good, you feel good – it is all good.

The next approach is more spiritual or Zen. To not get worked up or worried about the neglected garden. To take it as lessons in personal growth. For instance, consider a rose arch that has gone a little wild. Limbs are overhanging and while the it looks utterly charming, passing under it is not easy. In being forced to bend and walk through, think of it as a reminder to be humble. To acknowledge something greater than oneself.

The plants that are sprawled out of the flower beds and in your way are telling you to be accommodating and to go around them. Not everything needs your intervention – it is okay to let things be,

Weeds that emerge readily and in large numbers are simply asking for indiscriminate acceptance and the chance to assimilate.

Dying plants symbolize the circle of life and diseased ones seek compassion and care. Plants gone to seed teach one about perpetuity and continuity.

You see?

Finally, don’t do anything at all. Ever. See example below. Why interfere with Nature and have gardeners play God?

So, what will be your approach? I would truly love to know.

This quote from Shakespeare’s Richard II…Act 3, scene 4 expresses my own inclination:

“I will go root away the noisome weeds, which without profit suck
The soil’s fertility from wholesome flowers…”

Neither Snow Nor Rain Nor Heat Nor Gloom Of Night …

Posted on June 11, 2013 by shobha

The creed of the United States Postal Service is applicable to many efforts but most particularly to those who make growing living things their vocation or avocation. Farmers and gardeners are undaunted by the vagaries of the weather and the threat of climate anomalies. They persevere.

I understand the determination of the farmer. It is his noble, much depended upon livelihood. After all, he feeds the world. The sheer weight of his responsibility insists that he carry on no matter what. It goes without saying that they have our deepest gratitude but a regular expression of thanks would not be amiss.

The persistence of gardeners however is a whole other matter. It is not essential to the survival of mankind. It is actually something of a luxury. It requires time, physical effort and often, as much money as one can squander. Most gardens remain unnoticed and are created for the personal enjoyment of the gardener and his immediate circle. For the most part, the loss or devastation of a garden is not felt deeply by the population at large. It becomes a more personal loss. Sort of like losing a pet. The gardener will do everything to save or salvage his bit of paradise. A hailstorm in summer, a drought or deluge, a hurricane or tornado, an invasion of disease or locusts, personal mistakes, nothing but nothing will deter the intrepid gardener. That to me is utterly fascinating. We never give up.

We try to grow tulips in deer country, tropicals in Zone 5, alpines in Florida, coddle roses during an attack of Japanese beetles, dutifully pick off red lily beetles early each morning, risk fines by surreptitiously watering our lawns in a drought, keep vigil all night to send slugs to their death and thus saving the vegetables, rush out in a lightening storm to prevent seedlings from being washed away, mourn inexplicably and deeply for anything that dies and, continue with so many other Quixotic efforts. We are obsessed with our plants.

And why is this so, you ask? For the simple, straightforward satisfaction and sheer joy of having created something. You see, anybody can be a gardener. For everything else, we tend to qualify ourselves with credentials. As though one is not legitimate until we can say we have a degree, or have published a book, exhibited a painting or performed somewhere. If you tend to plants then you are a gardener. No questions asked. It is that easy.

Gardens have been called the slowest form of performance art. It is true. They change all the time. Every garden is an honest effort at making something beautiful and even useful. Be it good or bad, it is indeed art. A personal expression of the gardener’s taste and philosophy. A writer might start a book and then relegate it to a drawer when she gets stuck, a painter might have a studio full of incomplete canvases, the same can be said for music compositions and dance choreographies. Unless it a vocation, most artists will take breaks to accommodate what life brings along. But not the earnest gardener.

Horticultural mistakes are open to public examination, half completed projects or neglected spaces are visible and so, the gardener has good motivation to try hard to do a good job. It certainly works for me. But more than that, there is that inherent human desire to tame one’s surrounding and make of it a place of delight. To nurture something and help it grow is enormously rewarding. If it is enjoyed by others then all the better. There is an intangible value to gardening. Yet, a true gardener gardens because she must. Like all other passions, she cannot help herself. And thank goodness for that. Imagine a world without gardens – private or public. It would be as sad as removing all music from the world.

Gardens are ephemeral. Reason enough to make their time here as significant as possible.
The photos below demonstrate the transience of gardens. They are all of Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers, New York. It is gradually being resurrected to its former glory – but with a contemporary sensibility.Do visit it – free and open to the public. www.untermyergardens.org

Lovely old stairs leading to the aquaduct footpath.

In its time, the view of the Palisades was unobstructed. How the trees have grown!

The temple with a view of the Palisades

Mosaic in need of restoration.

The pool today. Can’t you just imagine how beautiful it used to be?

The amphitheater in the walled garden

Testing One’s Faith

Posted on May 28, 2013 by shobha

The garden was as ready as it could be. Weeding, deadheading, primping, pruning, tidying and prettying were done. Despite the preceding days bringing rains of diluvian proportions accompanied with mighty winds, it looked beautiful. Thus, on Friday night I went to bed hoping for the best.
May 25th, my garden’s Open Day dawned and it was not pretty. Thickly overcast skies, a steady rain, strong wind and, near freezing temperatures were enough to send me back to bed. But, get ready I did. Signs directing visitors to the garden were duly posted. Although a last minute sweep of freshly scattered maple seeds was not possible due to the ground being wet, the rain almost eased up. We set up the welcome table and waited.

Who on earth was going to brave this ugly weather? I thought as I hung around shivering in my sweater and rain coat. It seemed like a perfect day to get a fire going and curl up with a good book and hot cup of tea. Any sane mind would do just that. The clock struck 10:00 am and we were officially open. Ready and waiting to see my little slice of paradise was a couple who had driven all the way from Rochester, NY! I believe I took them by surprise by bestowing upon them giant, grateful hugs. Barely had they got started on their visit, when I found myself welcoming a couple from California – they were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary by motoring around the country with a goal to visiting specific gardens on their list. I was deeply honored that my garden was on that list. Having just these four people with their weather-be-damned attitude, I felt my open day was already a success.

But, it didn’t stop there. More die-hard, brave souls arrived. Interest and enthusiasm abounded. What gardener can get enough of conversations and praise from fellow gardeners? My cup ranneth over. Observant, curious, open minded eyes took in everything I’d hoped they would. Not one complaint about the weather was heard. I made new friends, greeted familiar faces and generally felt as though a party was underway. We exchanged ideas and laughs, I answered questions, discussed projects – some even unrelated to gardening and in the end, I was left with a profound sense of appreciation for this day. I couldn’t possibly have asked for better.

So perhaps the number of visitors was half of what I’ve come to expect on Open Day. But that did not diminish the day in any way. The lessons I learned was that gardeners and garden lovers are undaunted by a bit of bad weather. Nobody visits a garden to be critical or pass judgment – they truly come to be inspired and delighted. Details, both small and large are observed and appreciated. What work I put into my garden is never a waste. Giving my best effort at all times matters and people recognize such things. I was reminded to have faith in humanity. In the final analysis, Nature is the only one in charge and we musts learn to accept and value our own humble roles.

In my present state of gratitude and grace, I’m left with one question – where were you last Saturday and why did you not visit me? Well?

I put our houseguests Charlie and Val to work but ultimately, we had to give up!

A closer look at the wisteria just about to bloom

Democracy Rules – Except In The Garden

Posted on May 14, 2013 by shobha

I am all for democracy. I support peaceful efforts to achieve it in other parts of the world. I take my right to vote very seriously. That we each have equal rights and are to be treated as such has my wholehearted endorsement. I believe every living creature deserves respect and kindness. Heck, I could be the poster child for democracy. Except in my garden.

It has occurred to me that in the confines of my little garden, democracy does not exist. Autocracy rules. I assume complete authority. It is rather scary how closely my behavior in the garden resembles descriptions of Mussolini , Quaddafi and others. Please tell me I’m not alone in this personality transformation!

Consider these factors and maybe, just maybe, you will recognize yourself:
I happily discriminate amongst the plants. Selecting only certain ones and dismissing others as weak or unimpressive. I’m even known to cruelly put down specific plants.
Plants that do not perform as expected are ruthlessly eliminated.
My vision is the only vision. If a plant attempts to change the design by creeping into forbidden places then off with its head! Barricades are placed to deter just such dissension or defection.
When anybody admires the garden, I take all the credit with no consideration to the contributions of my hardworking botanical subjects.
I aim for absolute control and expect total obedience. Dissenters are not treated well. At all.

Any of the above sound familiar? I was shocked when I realized this about myself. Pushy, bossy, aggressive are traits I have confessed to. But autocratic? Would never have thought myself capable of it. Yet, where is my shame or guilt? I worry that this says something about what each of us is capable of when the right ( okay, wrong) circumstances come along. It bears some close examination.

But then, how else can one create a garden? The very idea of a garden opposes the wild behavior of plants. We attempt to tame nature.In a way, it mimics what humans do to ourselves. We attempt to be civilized instead of giving in to baser tendencies. And it is hard to do without being minded. We’ve even put in place policing agencies. The fact is, without the watchful eyes of others in society many would disregard what is good for the whole and simply do as they please for themselves. Mayhem and murder would ensue. I suppose then, it comes down to how we govern ourselves. Democracy, communism, dictatorship, military rule, monarchy – the world is still working it all out.

So, back to the garden. Looking at the big picture, I no longer feel alarmed about my authoritative influence. I think I’m really a benevolent parent. Strict, demanding the best, willing to express tough love but at the same time guiding the plants to realize their highest potential.

Yes, that’s more like it. I can live with that. It is all in the perspective one chooses to employ. So, what rule exists in your garden – parental, anarchy, democracy, oligarchy or dictatorship?
Take a look at some examples that dare to defy me:

Creeping Jenny and mazus compete to take over the path.

Squatters

New Dawn roses running riot

The fig (in pot) that refuses to stand straight

The wisteria that resists taming

Forget-me-nots that self-seed with no restraint.

Don’t forget that my garden is open this May 25! Check ‘Happenings’ page for details.
(c) 2013 Shobha Vanchiswar

Boundaries

Posted on May 8, 2013 by shobha

I’m knee deep in compost and soil as the pressure is on to get the garden ready for my Open Day on Saturday May 25 ( mark your calenerds please). So this week, I’m offering some food for thought by way of a short poem and approprite images.Enjoy.

Boundaries

Gardens are full of boundaries
Flower beds have flowing borders
Lawns have clean edges
Plants are trimmed and pruned to stay within limits
And then there are fences and hedges.

Is this all about control?
The need to exercise power
Maybe have something to rule
To civilize what tends to stray or run wild
Is taming nature the work of fools?

Check ‘Happenings’ page for Open Day details

Meditate On This!

Posted on April 30, 2013 by shobha

Hello, my name is Shobha and I meditate.
Meditation is very in these days. As ancient and as worldwide a practice as it might be, currently, we are hearing more about it as a mainstream activity. This, in my opinion is a very good thing. The mental, physical, emotional and spiritual benefits of meditation are now in the annals of science. These weighty findings have finally given it the heft of credibility and people everywhere can publicly declare without fear of being mocked that they are meditators.

I have meditated off and on over many years but have been practicing it more consistently of late. I cannot say exactly how it helps me except that on the days I skip my meditation, I don’t feel so great. I’m more cranky and not as productive. For some reason, it is not so easy to make the time. Especially since it is best to get it done first thing in the morning. I think it helps to set a positive tone to the day. However, if one has overslept, has not slept well or, has an early morning appointment, the meditation is unhesitatingly skipped. For myself, any other time of day does not quite lend itself to meditation. I am just too distracted. Clearly, I have a long way to go to be able to meditate anytime and anywhere. Gives me something to aspire to. Sort of like the quest to achieving true enlightenment.

Until such time, I have developed alternatives to the traditional way to meditate. You guessed it, it all happens in the garden. In truth, this can be done anywhere but being outside in nature is restorative in itself. How much time you spend on this is up to you. You must be satisfied with your effort and feel like you’ve taken an uplifting break from the day’s obligations.

Once you have entered the garden and visibly begun to calm down and breathe evenly, take a few deep breaths to send a message to the brain that it is in for a treat. Bring your attention to any object in the garden. Say it is a pear. Consider how you would describe a pear. Green, tear drop shaped, smooth skin, sweet in taste, you get the idea. Then, think about tinier details such as the speckled pattern on the skin, the subtly varied shades of the color green, the asymmetry of the shape, the aroma etc., Now you’re really honed into the exercise. Finally, up it a notch. Begin describing the humble pear all over again – this time, as you would to a blind person. Somebody who has never had the sense of sight and does not know this fruit. Tear drop shaped? What is that? How would you describe the color green? You see? It is a challenge. The description can no longer be in comparison to something else. The pear acquires an explanation that is unique to itself. Give it a try.

Like most things, one gets better at this exercise by doing it regularly. It is not so simple and at the same time, it is not really difficult. Anybody of any age can try it. After all, only you are privy to how well you do. No grades and criticisms are given. But right from the start it unfailingly takes you out of yourself and gives you a purposeful diversion. The bonus is that you will find yourself looking more closely at everything. Everyday objects start appearing more beautiful and interesting. In essence, you become more mindful of the moment. And isn’t that what meditation is all about?

I have learned to describe colors as feelings, smells as textures or tastes and generally expanded my descriptive abilities in words as well as in paint. Primarily, I’ve become better at looking at something for what it is. And I accept all of it: the good and the not so good. Because everything is important in making a spider a spider or a rose a rose. I aspire to graduate very soon to doing the same with humans.

Now that meditating has gained wide acceptance and approval, I’m fervently hoping the same happens for naps.

Meditate on these images!

Cobweb in the rain

Milkweed seed pod

Pears

David Austin’s Heritage rose

Bright pink echinacea ‘Gum Drop’

Aconitum – monkshood

Spring Awakening

Posted on April 16, 2013 by shobha

After what seemed to be an interminably long, harsh winter, it is finally spring. Hallelujah! Yet now, I feel as though I can’t quite keep up with the accelerated pace of this much awaited season. While I’m inclined to linger and delight in seeing the various signs of the emerging spring, I’m acutely cognizant of the tasks that await my attention in the garden. Each day reveals how rapidly the garden is coming alive. It is as though I’m watching the progress of a large scale painting in a time-compressed film.

While the garden is on fast forward, I get the sense that I’m being left behind. It is a bit overwhelming and tremendously annoying. After all, I’m the one who waited with great anticipation and joy for the arrival of this beautiful, highly popular friend. I made all the arrangements and plans to give her a proper welcome. Now that she has arrived, I’m barely given any of her time. The friend is off mingling and being the center of worldly attention while I’m left holding the trowel. So utterly unfair.

I cannot bear feeling this way. Thus, true to my nature, I decide to get a grip. I am not going to deprive myself of reveling in the season. Nor am I going to let myself be overcome by the rather daunting list of chores to be addressed. I’m a seasoned gardener I remind myself. So garden already!

I sit down to write my famed master list. Although the number of tasks are many and some quite physically demanding, I know they will get done. It is the fact that the garden must be visitor-ready for the Open Day on May 25th that makes it a matter of some urgency. In the process of getting organized, I find the list I made last year. The date on it indicates I am a whole month behind this year. The tediously long winter has set me back considerably. With a deficit of four weeks, it is no wonder I’m feeling the pressure! Just then I look out the window to see a cardinal perched on the sugar maple that is fast putting out its own red tinted plumage. I can sense my muscles begin to relax.

Ah, so it is not my fault but the hand of nature – this realization is a relief and empowering in a way. It always feels good to have something or somebody else to blame don’t you agree? List completed, I assign the items to days on the calender. Taking into consideration the time required, availability of help ( in my case my family) and other non-horticultural obligations, I put every chore down. When I’m done scribbling all over the calender, I’m pleasantly surprised to note that in spite of all that busyness, I have time every single day to luxuriate in the season. Some days offer up only a few minutes and some give much more. It is all up to me to avail of this gift. No matter the quantity of time, the benefits of letting nature nurture me will go a long way in my well being. I remind myself that I must never let anything get in the way.

If you are reading this, I know you feel as I do. So, make yourself a promise to partake of natures bountiful wonders on a daily basis. Observe what is in bloom, what smells good, what sounds you hear. This focus will be a meditation of sorts. I promise, you will feel wonderful. Together we will approach the rest of our busy schedules with equanimity and can-do-ness.

Remember, there will always be chores but the crocus will bloom but once each year.

Signs Of Spring:

Cornelian cherry – one of the first to awaken.

Crocus breaking through last years leaves.

A doves nest with 2 perfect eggs

Star magnolia in bud

Pear blossoms

Daffodil

Hellebores

Busy As A Bee

Posted on April 2, 2013 by shobha

Busy As A Bee

If one were to ask a bee if it was busy,
I wonder if it would agree.
After all, the bee buzzes
as it minds its own business
Sublimely unaware of other purposes.

Gardening season has just begun and already I’m hearing the classic defense. What is this “ I’m crazy busy” badge of honor we wear so proudly? Does it imply a preoccupation to be envied or does it beg for pity because the busy one has no time for anything else? There is a distinct note of self-importance implicit in that “I’m very busy” line. I think it has become an easy excuse to explain away ones lack of varied pursuits and interests. Instead of honestly saying ‘no’ to a request, we hide behind ‘busy’. Rather than stick ones neck out to try something new and risk looking foolish if one should fail, we’re much safer being busy with the same old. “I can’t be bothered” is what “I’m very busy” often means. In that case, just say so! And the worst of it is that at one time or other, we’re all guilty of this refrain. Undeniably there are times when a situation takes over and other things are consequently neglected. But being in a perennial state of busy-ness that precludes matters that one admits to being of some relevance indicates that something is off kilter. An imbalanced life.

How can a person who is too busy to start a vegetable garden have the time to watch every episode of Judge Judy? Or for that matter, why is having children a reason to not have time to garden? It is the perfect time! Children can never be too young to be taken into the garden. They watch and learn more effectively than we can ever measure. I remember securing my baby in her bouncy seat and keeping her by my side as I weeded. I’d talk about what I was doing, offer her a whiff of a fragrant flower, run a velvety leaf of lamb’s ears up her arm and watch her sigh with pleasure. As I moved to weed another bed, I’d just pick up the seat with baby and take her along. As she got older, she learned to first deadhead and then graduated to weeding. In turn, I learned to unwind during her nap time. Catch a few winks, read a few pages or add a few more brush strokes to an emerging watercolor. When both of us were refreshed, we’d go into the garden. I got the hang of not being too busy and understood the benefits of an ‘unbusy’ life.

Try this experiment. Pick a day to get totally unplugged. I know, you’re thinking about the kids not getting a hold of you or the world falling apart. Well, for just this one day ask them to call another responsible adult in case of an emergency. Promise not to check emails, browse the Internet, answer the phone, look at a tweet or turn on the television. Don’t panic; it is for just one, measly day. You are still physically available if so needed. Now, use your time to do whatever you deem necessary, interesting or pending. It could be tackling the laundry, finishing the crossword, having lunch with a friend, preparing a new garden bed. No matter the task, be mindful about doing it well. It’ll be easier than you think as you’ve already eliminated the usual distractions and time guzzlers. At the end of the day, you’ll find that the world functioned quite smoothly without you and you got plenty done. It is rather sobering to discover that we aren’t missed so much. As long as you keep telling everybody that you are up front and center, they will pass on all sorts of responsibilities on to you. This just makes you overbooked. It does not mean you are indispensable.

Gardeners are some of the most active people I know. Not because they appear to be mucking about endlessly in the garden, but because they are invariably engaged in life as a whole. My totally unscientific but highly personal observations lead me to think that the lessons revealed by working in nature, inspire and empower the gardener to try many other things. Writing, designing, cooking, participating in causes both local and global, the list grows. In essence, we grow as our plants grow. And, along the way, like the bee, we don’t ask ourselves if we’re busy. We simply go about our business.

For myself, curiosity is fostered in the garden and then transposed onto other areas of life. Nature’s handiwork in pairing certain colors together translates to my wardrobe and interior decorating. The beauty of the flowers shows up in my watercolors. Fresh produce goes directly into innovative recipes. Naturally occurring patterns and shapes like that of fiddle-head ferns, centers of sunflowers, trumpets of daffodils, barks of trees are all fodder for numerous design projects. When the birds are building nests, I thoroughly clean and tidy mine. The garden is my muse for living well.

I want my days filled with creativity, productivity and lots of joy. However, I never want to be so busy as to fall short of my own expectations and potential. And, I always have time to stop and smell the roses.

There is art, science, engineering, music, philosophy, and pure fun in the garden. So create more unbusy time and get outside. Get some dirt under your fingernails, color in your cheeks and a good dose of inspiration. No need to thank me. I’m just happy you made the time.

Bark pattern that looks like an abstract watercolor.

Moss on bark – watercolor

Fiddlehead shape of a dried ornamental grass.

Watercolor of carrots

Romano Cauliflower – perfect design

Seeds of Design

by Shobha Vanchiswar

Category Archives: Deep thoughts

Follow The Leader

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The Lazy, Hazy Days Of Summer

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Sense And Simplicity

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Neither Snow Nor Rain Nor Heat Nor Gloom Of Night …

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Testing One’s Faith

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Democracy Rules – Except In The Garden

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Boundaries

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Meditate On This!

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Spring Awakening

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Busy As A Bee

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