Healing Gardens

Body:

Winter

Reflection #1

The Natural History of Puget sound Country.

 

1. As I come to understand the concept of zones, each one has both independent and commingling areas. The western Hemlock “Zone” for example, harbors both western hemlock of course as well as western red cedar, though Douglas firs can be found in the dwindling amounts; whereas the Sitka Spruce “Zone” at a lower elevation encompasses all three of the varieties mentioned above plus of course the Sitka spruce which is in abundance.
2. In reference to natural systems, I really enjoyed the descriptions this reading had to offer. I highlighted a section dealing with the life cycle of old growth forest areas. I loved how the decay of dying trees not only produces shelter for other living organisms, but also feeds the forest itself through summer months retaining water and feeding the forest floor. Also the way old trees nurse seedlings for new growth and then eventually just become a lump of matter at the base of a new tree ready to grow and nurture it surrounds while be nurtured by its surroundings. Old growth forests are so amazing, a “grand symbiosis.”
3. Sitka Spruce, Douglas Fir, Oregon Cherry, salal, Western Hemlock, Western Red Cedar, Madrone, Sword fern, Serviceberry, bittercherry, red flowering currants, lichen, skunk cabbage, wild ginger, orchids, etc. I can identify Douglas fir, western hemlock, serviceberry, Madrone, blackberries, nettles, ferns, Sitka spruce and I think that’s about it.
4. I just want to give the best possible impression of the surroundings. I want my area to be a place where people can sit and reflect, enjoy the surrounding plants, and learn from them as well. I want an inviting space full of native plants. I also want to introduce new/native plants as well.

 

The Sweet Breathing of Plants.

 

1. Myriad flowers, roses, roses everywhere, quince, sunflowers, poppy, geraniums, tuberose, lilies, jasmine, forget-me-nots, yeast, and a few vegetables in the last reading which was a poem. I can identify, roses, sunflowers, poppy, geraniums, lilies, jasmine, yeast, and the few veggies in the last poem.
2. this book is amazing, every time I read it I get more excited for the next reading. I want to incorporate sensuality into my forest area, I know it sounds weird, but I really believe that if you love something enough, you can bring a air of sensuality or whatever feeling you want it to exude. There are so many beautiful plants that can be brought in and loved and shared. I want to do this. I want my memory to move around the space and wrap itself comfortably. I want to leave the space better, than when I came.

Reflection #2

 

The sweet breathing of plants-

This book keeps me feeling alive and empowered. This last reading about the women who were burned at the stake really struck a chord with me, not only in reference to our class, but also in reference to the whole world. People are often so afraid of the things they don’t know, or understand that they are willing to judge and place physical judgment on people they don’t even know. Really I feel like it’s the whole world being selfish. What the hell were they thinking? They killed all the people who could actually make them better, and why did woman not try to rise up against this. Why didn’t they form groups, hide, or did they- or was it that they didn’t even know it would happen to them. It such a scary thought. Of all the readings so far this reading disturbed me the most. Though I fell all of the readings have been wonderful and relevant.

 

The end of Chapter 5 was really enjoyable. I like reading about all the different lichen and the flowers and ferns. I discussed most of the plants covered in my first reflection, because I did most of the reading that week. Reading about the quaking aspen and the black cottonwood as well as the big leaf maple and others was interesting and exciting. And of course I loved the bit on mushies! I love mushrooms. I love they way they grow, the way they smell, their textures, their habitat their healing powers and so on. Oh what wondrous adventures lie ahead!

 

 

 

Weekly reflection #3

Overall, I believe I am learning quite a bit. The readings have been informative and packed full of information. The Sweet Breathing of Plants has resonated in me, stronger than any other reading material. Perhaps it is because of my background in woman studies that ties me so closely to those readings, either way they have influenced me more than any of the other readings have. The Passion Flower is such a beauty. Every time I see it, here or in Reno, I think to myself- wow- what a wonder, and for some reason I think, “and so out of place.” Why? Why is this flower out of place? Which reminds me of myself. I am out of place sometimes, feeling lonely and complex, clinging to what I know and yet far from home. Some friends of mine have a huge passionflower vine growing on their back porch. All summer I sat next to those beautiful flowers. They never stop amazing me. I’m looking forward to becoming intimately involved with them.

The identity forum was unexpected but interesting. It was nice to share and hear others opinions and hear others interpretations of evergreen, nature and thoughts on identity. I have taken a few gender/identity classes in the past, so it was nice to find myself in those discussions. I think its important to remember where we come from and how we understand ourselves and our perceptions of others. Throughout this quarter, I have found myself really tapping into hidden places deep within myself. Not only because of this class, but also because of some issues I have dealt with at home. Although they were very difficult to get through, I find that I am appreciating my feelings more and really listening to what my body, mind, and soul really need. Something I think would not be as possible if I were in another class. It is nice to know I am exactly where I need to be.

I felt that what Lauren from our class said about nature was spot on. She said something along the lines of- the more people are away from nature the more they think it’s a place you go; something outside of them, but the more time we spend in nature, the more we realize we are part of it. I thought that was very insightful, and for me the real meaning of this class. Everything I have experienced, everything I have read has all brought me back to that thought. People forget that we are animals, that we are part of this gigantic web, woven on sunbeams and water droplets. Each of us needs the sun and water just as much as the planet and the plants, and the animals. Like the old growth forests, we rely on each other to provide what we need to survive, which surprisingly enough, has nothing to do with computers and automobiles. Everything we need is right here at our fingertips, that is if we are willing to thank Mother Nature for it and not ravage the land while cultivating its powerful wonders.

cw

Reflection #4

 

2/7/2007

Winter has driven deep within me and found comfort resting in my thin bones. Pogonip grows from the tip of my nose and at the ends of each of my fingers. The cold seeps in from above and chills me from head to toe. It’s only my second winter in Washington. My body is more acclimated to the cold and crisp dry winters of the high desert than that of the damp and dank Pacific North West. Winter can be found all around my house, as if it were a place you’d visit or a trinket you could buy. In the floor, leaching cold air through cracks hidden to the naked eye; on our willow tree out front, leafless, branches dancing gracefully on winter’s breath. Even the appalling mold growing on our kitchen walls reminds me of the dank and penetrating winter that envelopes even the inner to the outer of things. In my lungs, on my tongue, in the air, on the ground, winter winter is all around.

My journal and I have had our ups and downs. Honestly I’d like to spend more time in it. I write a lot. I journal a lot. Just not all in the same book. I’ve been thinking about pasting those pages in. Pictures in. Make it more of a journal of this time rather than an assignment for class. Then maybe I’d be easier to want to pick it up.

Medicine to me is anything a person can use to make them feel better, more physically well, more happy, more content, generally a more feeling I guess. Food, comfort food that is, whatever that may mean to a person can be medicine. Herbs that actually help cure or ease an ailment can be medicine. A dog licking your face when you are trying to be upset (causing you to laugh) can be medicine. J

A garden is a place where things grow and you learn. A garden can consist of, but is not limited to: flowers, mushrooms, edibles (veggies), poetry, tea, plants (ie. Shrubs, bonsai etc), ideas, feelings, butterflies, bunnies, and trees. Anything living, growing, breathing or changing is eligible if the person maintaining the garden is willing to put in the time to work the “soil” and promote change and learning.

Insight? Did you read what I wrote? Haha. Yes its true, I don’t believe in dictionary definitions.

 

 

2/14/2007

Reflection #5

I couldn’t help but associated most of this chapter with the work I’m doing in the first people’s garden. I love that everything ties into the circle of life. The hunting and gathering methods alone date back too far for me to fathom. Then at the ethnobotany conference, there were a few women surrounded by baskets they had woven by hand. I met a woman who told me all about the soap root brushes she had made. She shared with me about how to harvest the root, and how to make the handles. So much knowledge and care for the plants and customs of her ancestors. Both the reading and the conference made me respect and appreciate the work I’m doing even more. There was one part of the chapter in particular where the narrator is describing the gathering methods throughout the year. They discussed berries, the fish, the trees, the nuts, the plants used for medicine etcetera etcetera. This really inspired me. All year long these people tended to the natural and native garden surrounding them. What an accomplishment and testament to Mother Nature.

The last time I was at the gardens I was really happy to be there. The weather was amazing and I couldn’t have been in better company. So much of the time and thought that goes into the garden is in the spirit of Subiyay. I feel there’s a direct correlation between the chapter and the Sayuyay garden. It is that with proper knowledge and care anyone who has the desire to, can heal themselves and others with the wonders that lie just beyond.

I guess I’m having a hard time writing this all down because I feel that I’m repeating quite a bit every time I write. Every part of this class ties into my garden project. All of it, the way plants work, the readings, the workshops; all of it. So writing the same things down time and time again is beginning to put me off. I love this class and I’m learning a lot, yet I have a tendency to pull away and feel buried. All in all, I’ve learned more from this class, about nature, myself, and real connections, than I have in most of my other classes. Which makes it worth it to me.

 

 

Reflection # 7

            My choice, this assignment says. Well. it will have nothing to do with this class. Or perhaps it will. My life has been insane. Things happen to us, physically, mentally, emotionally, that we don’t understand and sometimes we don’t even realize they’re happing to us while we’re going through them. That has been this quarter for me. It’s been magical and inspiring, heart wrenching and so completely devastating that I myself have died from within and found my way from the ashes. I’ve held on, let go, been inspired, been lost, and realized that I have let the fear of being alone drive me whole life. I chose for the first time in my life- myself over all others, my happiness over the happiness of another, my sanity over the overwhelming need to fix and help another. It may sound selfish- but I finally remembered a woman whom I’ve always wanted to get to know better and spend quiet hours alone with. A woman full of life and love, one capable of anything she puts her mind to. And that woman is me. I’ve neglected my realstionship with myself for so long that I thought sacrifice was part of who I was, part of my good qualities. But what good is someone who’s willing to sacrifice themselves for another. What good am I to anyone if I am dead inside?

            I stood up for myself for the first time ever. I took back what was taken from me so long ago, and harnessed the power that laid dormant within. I will not be driven by fear. I will not fear myself, or my power.

 

My choice is me.

 

Reflection #8 

 

I’m not quite sure what I want to do for the personal presentation. I have several options and several ideas. I know I want it to be:

a.       interesting

b.      thoughtful

c.       creative

d.      introspective

 

Now- can I do those things- yes. But how to get them all together in a 5 minute presentation that explains who I am, meanings?, and my garden. Ah. I was thinging about video, the womb, life, trees, the bigger picture. Maybe I could do a short autobiography; my upbringing to present day. Maybe a video I do at home. I don’t have a camera. Perhaps a time laps film. Looked on the internet already- can really find anything I want. I’d like to write a song, but I think Meg’s doing that. I don’t know honestly.

 

 

Reflection #9

 

Companion.

 

The Sweet Breathing of Plants has really pulled me through this quarter. I think the book was one of the elements of this class that I was able to relate to the most. I am no stranger to the power of feminist thought or the words of woman impassioned by change and response. This book was a great companion to the course for me because I was able to pull from my memory, stories similar in depth and plots. By associating with these woman through their words, I was more able to embrace their viewpoints, whether or not they were standards or opinions I know to be true. I wanted to learn more, hear more, dig deep within myself in order to appreciate and give honor to these stories.

All and all I found The Sweet Breathing of Plants to be a hard book to put down. I read stories to friends, highlighted lines that resonated deep inside me, and shared ideas and statistics with anyone who’d listen. My partner knows about half of the entries, because I would say “did you know” to him at least once per story.  Starting off the book with seductive piece such as “orchid fever”  really drew me in. I wanted to own orchids, hunt orchids, and give my life to them after reading that piece alone. As the book went on I thought I’d get sick of reading as with most text books teachers dole out as busy work; however I was delightfully surprised. I didn’t feel that this book was busy work at all, in fact as I said above it was my favorite piece of literature from this quarter. I thought the short poem “Mulch” by Linda Hasselstrom , was the best piece in the book. In fact I didn’t een have to look to see who wrote it because I’ve shared it at so many poetry readings it’s become a classic amongst my friends. The story about the witchcraft trials blew me away and angered me. The peyote piece intrigued me  and made me realize the blessing plants are and respect we must give them. Weed was another one of my favorite pieces because of the way in which she grew into a plant lover from that one philodendron. It made me wonder if she had spent so much time with that one plant that she became in tune with it, and that is how the love began.  I also was moved by For the Maples, because the description of the fox mother digging from her den amid the fallen trees. We are not living in harmony with the tree people. We are killing them. It scare me to think what will become of this world, and us as human beings. Thanks for recommending this book, it will be staying on for years to come.