“The summer solstice is a time for strength and vitality for action and movement.”
― Carole Carlton, Mrs Darley’s Pagan Whispers:
Stuck my nose in a white rose bloom and breathed in. Such fragrance in a Rosa Spinosa bloom! Old fashioned and fragrant! The black hips are delicious too. The day was warm, into the 80’s. We will be into the 90’s before June is done. Moisture evaporates into the air, grasping onto fungal spores, pollen, bacterial cells and the other particles that trees release into the atmosphere. Seems most hot days develop cloud cover. Clouds build, sometimes into storms. Cycling the moisture loop of the rain. Trees and clouds working together.
The weather guy says the monsoon season is coming early in 2026. Monsoons in June seem early, but not unheard of. El Nino is setting us up for some difficult times ahead. Heat is coming. Monsoons are coming as a brief reprieve. Winds are coming. Hail storms may come. Plant people are well aware of all that portends. We do what we can and brace ourselves for the worst.
Gardeners hope to not be in the bullseye of any storms. Hail is a natural event in nature and certainly common in Colorado. A hail storm gave me the awareness of the pulse of nitrogen that hail storms bring to the soil. I looked at the ground. Torn leaves, twigs, petals and such, form a nice layer of soil food that will feed back into the plants that dropped them. Falling to the ground, the debris offers food for the smaller animals responsible for feeding the soil. All this activity creates mulch. Hail is a fertility cycle that creates renewed lifeforce for the plants. Tears in a tree branch or trunk opens access for wildlife to sample tender and tasty inner bark and perhaps sip some tasty sap. Feeding everything is the task of the ecosystem.
Hail creates a disturbance in nature, certainly, but it isn’t necessarily bad. Hail storms are a disaster only to humans. Humans usually consider hail as bad. Period. How horrifying to witness tender plants being pounded, bruised and chopped up by hail! However, the rest of nature tucks in and emerges into a renewed cycle fueled by a pulse of nitrogen courtesy of hail. Chop and drop on a grand scale! Nature doesn’t see hail as a disaster, but just another happening in the system. Business as usual.
Understanding that hail has benefits makes it easier on a gardener’s heart. A process spun out of the natural systems that prunes the woody plants and feeds into the soil is a good thing. I think Buddhism would encourage gardens to ‘expect hail’. I am and have a simple plan… First I will freak out, and then, if I am home, will dash out the door like a mad woman and pull plants into safety. That is the brilliance of growing in pots. “Save the lilies!”
After the hail, new beginnings happen. Sprouts emerge as new babies on the scene. Shrubs and trees rebud. Soil is fed and the debris cycled once again. Took many years to come to that understanding. Don’t we want to understand more? We are all students in nature’s school, whether we are paying attention or not, we are here now. We can sink deeper into the natural world and find fresh perspectives.
Most of us have fallen way behind our indigenous brothers and sisters when it comes to understanding nature and the brilliance of the whole planet. The first people on this land learned the ways and wisdom of Turtle Island over thousands of years of witness, work and storytelling. Carrying the truth of life and living on the earth forward to their descendants and their descendants, they shared the skills of living in nature. So… here we are. School is open. Protecting and sharing that knowledge is on the path forward from here.
Gardeners are ambassadors for nature and most have an understanding of life and the cycles of plants. Humanity is a family, all connected, and we play a role in the story of life on Planet Earth. There are limits on the planet and we must live within those limits. The future I envision is not technology dependent, but grounded in the mystery and wonderments that are here, right outside the door. Right now. Living on Mars is not a wish from this heart.
The indigenous peoples have their own innate understanding of the world, of living while doing no harm, and they gave us the base of our democratic governance. Along with science and research, one would think we could guide ourselves to the right livelihood. We should be able to make the best decisions for the whole of life here… not just people and our pocketbooks. We have a job to do. Observe and learn.
Our neighborhood just had a big gathering. Closed the street for it. And so many people turned out for it. They hung in there until the rain closed it down. People want that… Most people love to come together, reconnect, sing, make music, dance, laugh, share food and information. Face to face. That is an indigenous how-to-live basic – face to face. We need that like we need air. People need to talk to each other. Sharing knowledge and skills everywhere we can. Each one, teach one. Learning never stops.
We can always do better. Need less. Want less, share more. Difficult in this instant gratification, always advertising, capitalistic culture. Human beings are an overwhelming species in this day and age. We forget we are but one of many species.
Our species has outgrown itself. We made ourselves too important in the world and overstepped the boundaries. For instance: the only energy we really need to live comes from the star the planet revolves around. But, apparently, we now find it better, cooler and smarter to consume as much natural resources as possible (without replenishing any for other species) and just continue to need more and more and more energy. Heck yeah! And we certainly should go to Mars!
Capitalism doesn’t weave into nature but sits on top of it. Capitalism wants endless growth. Me? I am most alive when I am away from grids, plugs, certainly nuclear energy, incessant lighting, phones, and noise, cars, advertisements, cement and the rest of this mess. It’s too much. I feel most alive in nature. The only endless growth I want is in the forests, the seas and in the roots of the prairie. The earth has crossed some of the tipping points (such as CO2 in the atmosphere or melting of permafrost) . We gotta’ be careful and slowly extract ourselves from capitalism. It is the driving force behind the death spiral we see in nature.
Michael and I walked the Flying Dog, Pearl, up to the cemetery to visit with our family and friends who have passed. Such a lovely place… We sat on a bench overlooking the flow of the hillside, with the trees bringing a Savannah feel. The trees cast a lovely shade and sing in the winds. We say prayers that goodness, honesty, and mercy will prevail on this planet. So many calls to action! I thought last year would be my last really busy year.
Even though I value my life’s work, I want some time to just be old. I need time for just sitting in the wilds of my garden and enjoying the universe of nature opening up all around me. There is still so much to learn from a garden. Imagination wants to sprout along with the plants. It can carry you away. Students of nature are coming with better visions and solutions for living on Planet Earth in these troubled times. They are out there. They are learning and sharing. Each one, teach one. We should let them do just that!
Peace and promise. Blue Planet Becky the gardener
Over a quarter century of experience gardening in the Pikes Peak Region, providing
land stewardship and creating nature-friendly landscapes applying permaculture
techniques. Permaculture is a design science that helps tap nature’s brilliance to build
viable gardens and landscapes from the soil up. Establish your organic gardens and
grounds, perennial food system, conscious water conservation measures,
low maintenance native habitat and more. Call for a consultation!
Outside of the Ordinary…
Information is like compost; it does no good unless you spread it around.
SUMMER SOLSTICE HAS ARRIVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Embrace your inner sun! Here’s how:
Find your source of power: What makes you feel alive? Pursue it with passion.
Ditch the negativity: Don’t let others dim your light. Focus on your own journey, your own choices.
Focus on Your Inner Radiance: every choice, everything you say or do, the way you show up & present yourself defines you. So, move towards the light, choose positivity & let your inner brilliance illuminate the world.
Shine brightly: Share your gifts, your beauty, your talents with the world..
Let today be that day. So, as you step into your day, remember the sun within. Let it illuminate your path & the paths of those around you. Blessings!”
― Rajesh Goyal
Everything you need is right in front of you, front of you.
When you learn to see… good things come to you.
All you have to do is stop and take a look around.
Before you intervene, don’t do anything…
Come to all your senses, they’ll tell you everything.
Take a look around. Listen to the sound.
Why not take a whiff?
You will see much better if you use more than just your eyes.
…Take a look, take a look. Read the landscape like a book.
Interact. Low impact. Get your feedback
….when you take a look around.
Abundance will abound.
The problem is the solution.
Just depends on your perception.
Try to change yourself before the world.
When you learn to see, good things will come to you.
-Taken from Look Around from Formidable Vegetables A Rhymer’s Manual
Blue Planet Becky the gardener June 2026
