On The Wild Side

by Christine Maccabee

Winter Musings

“When the wintertime cold wraps the garden in snow, in my bed I am dreaming of Spring!”                                             

~ from CD Songpoems by Christine

As of this writing, there is no snow, but there is lots of cold! Somehow, we gardeners, ever busy during the planting and growing seasons, must adjust to the slower pace, the wearing of layers rather than shorts and light tops, and be satisfied with nothing much to do in our gardens.

This break from gardening may be easy for some, but for many of us, we find ourselves a bit bored with the routine of filling birdfeeders and taking refuse out to the compost pile. Sure, we can fill the time with taking long walks, or reading, or perhaps planning for this spring’s planting, but for me, it is a restless time. I miss the warmth of spring and summer days, less clothing to fuss with, and above all, the colors of all the flowers, the buzzing of the bees, and the green leaves of trees.

In my song “Dreaming of Spring,” written in late 1990s, I waxed poetic when I thought about Spring:

“…and I dream of happy hours spent 

   as I turn the soil, my soul invent

    with each seed I sow,

     nature’s wonders to know.”

Planning our gardens on the small amount of space we have—be it a backyard, front yard, or an acre or two—is for me a sacred ritual. I count my blessings that I have had several gardens throughout my lifetime, ending with the one I have here on my Mystic Meadows, where I have ample space to grow native wildflowers, wild edibles, and herbs for teas, and lots of trees. I guess you might say it’s a calling for me to grow habitat for wild plants, insects, and animals. I encourage anyone with some spare space to start dreaming of how you can contribute to the cause.

As many of you know, if you read this column or other sources, habitat loss is a very real threat to the diversity and health of our planet and our people. Just mourning the loss of species is one thing, activating is another. I encourage you to begin planning, to activate, to do anything you can, large or small, so that together we can help restore the integrity of this amazing creation we call Earth.

OK, I’m off my soapbox. For today, during this very cold time, I will water my house plants, care for my pets as usual, do my stretches, and work at removing my anxieties about the state of our nation and the world. For now, I will leave you with a little saying I wrote in the style of Sufi writings, which are always so uplifting :

“Walk placidly in your world,

   doing good as you are able

    in small ways with heart,

     in larger ways with courage,

      finding peaceful moments

       of beauty along your way.”

Until next time, I continue to wax poetic, and wish you all good health. God bless.