Me and Joanie at her tea party birthday.
Hello beautiful soul!
Today marks exactly 13 years since my mother, Joanie, left her body.
Each morning I prepare my breakfast in front of the same kitchen window
that she spent decades preparing hers.
She meticulously washed and dried each berry before it passed her
inspection and was placed intentionally on top of her cereal.
My own breakfast preparations are far less intentional.
She would look out the kitchen window at the plants and wildlife
just as I look out the very same window now.
One morning I got an idea:
What if I created a sacred garden outside this kitchen window
and dedicated it to Joanie?
It would be a way to connect with her daily through nature.
I got to work.
I found a sacred garden designer who spent time with me on the land
and listened carefully to my visions.
Me and Chris, my Sacred Garden designer.
Together, we assembled a dream team: landscape workers, a contractor,
plant nurseries, and horticulturalists.
Because the garden had been neglected for years, the plants were overgrown and unruly.
The soil was sandy and lacking nutrients.
You can see the BEFORE photos below:
We selected native plants to attract pollinators and provide food, shade,
and shelter for wildlife.
We selected bright blossoms to honor my mother's penchant for joyful colors.
We selected a water fountain for animals to drink, bathe, and cool off in the hot climate.
The first stage was to clear out the old plants and place the stone walkway.
I was most concerned about disrupting the lives of the wildlife that depended
on the space for food and shelter.
I spoke with them daily to prepare them for the temporary chaos
that was about to begin.
Once the old plants were removed and the land looked bare,
the animals returned immediately.
If you look closely at the photo above and zoom in,
you can see mourning doves, grackles, a squirrel, and...
a red cardinal!!! Joanie's favorite bird!
The second stage was to bring in fresh topsoil and new plants from local nurseries.
The third stage was installing the plants into the ground.
Holes were dug, plants were planted, mulch was spread, and irrigation was plumbed.
My amazing team invested many hours of hard labor and sweat.
The end result:
A magnificent garden in honor of my magnificent mother.
Now, this is the view I see from my kitchen window:
Soon enough, the plants and trees will fill in.
Then, I will be able to hang feeders and attract even more animal friends.
I cannot wait!
What about you?
What is growing in your garden this summer?
