Mindful Gardening Newsletter No 44

It’s late Sunday afternoon and Bee and I have been busy in the garden. I am surrounded by the beauty of silence and the snuffling of the little dog who is happy to lie on the bed and enjoy the security of being loved. As per previous editions of this newsletter I share some bullet points of what is on offer.

• Celebrating St. Brigid’s Day and Spring’s Renewal: Discover how preparations for St. Brigid’s Day and Imbolc bring themes of renewal, hope, and connection to the changing seasons, from planting snowdrops to creating living walls for birds and beauty.

• Gardening with Purpose: Learn how gardening becomes an act of faith and creativity, from using seeded paper to grow blessings to planting hedges that nurture both the environment and wildlife.

• Books, Trees, and Timeless Inspiration: Dive into reflections inspired by The Language of Trees, exploring how trees offer solace, wisdom, and a slower rhythm for a more mindful connection with the living world.

• Newsletters and a Milestone Celebration: Get a glimpse into upcoming newsletters, Bringing Heaven to Earth and The Deep Heart’s Core, both offering journeys of meditation, storytelling, and personal growth, coinciding with a special 75th birthday celebration.

Mindful Gardening Newsletter No 44

This week has seen a major improvement in the weather although my thoughts go out to those who are suffering from the major fires in California. This week has been focused on preparing the garden for the St. Bridget’s day celebrations on 1st February and on planning the festival later in May for my 75th birthday. While my birthday is on 20th March 2025 talking with Annie and Adam, they recommended we have it at a time when there is likely to be better weather. So that is the plan.

Planting the Living Walls

Cherry Laurel and Red Robin

Gardening is often about trial and error. I started creating the garden rooms by using bamboo canes and having sweet pea climb up them. With the ever increasing high winds that blow through Cordressagagh this is no longer working. The bamboo canes lie broken on the ground as do some of the archways.

I have decided that I will grow a fast growing hedge of Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) and red robin (Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin') (maybe not that fast) to surround Bridget’s Garden and create an archway using the height of the hedge. This will give my little bird friends more shelter when the cold winds blow during the late autumn. These hedges will also produce berries which while toxic to humans will be eaten by birds such as trusts and blackbirds.

Seeding Blessings

The above is a block of seeded paper - like post it notes. With the coming launch of the Bridgit’s Cloak project driven by Bee and the wonderful Morag Donald and with contributions in the hundreds, people attending the launch will be asked to take away one of the notes and write a blessing on it. Then they plant it in their garden and in time enjoy the blessing of flowers.

To garden is to bless and to be blessed. It is an act of faith in the renewal of life, a recognition that the seeds we plant today hold the promise of tomorrow's beauty and abundance. When we plant, we participate in the divine work of creation, offering our labor in service of something greater than ourselves. — Vigen Guroian, Inheriting Paradise: Meditations on Gardening

I think that Bee and I will be having a separate St. Bridgit’s gathering in the garden room here in Cordressagagh that is dedicated to her and we are likely to invite those who attend to write some blessing on this seed paper. We are engaged in a major tidy up of this space but moving along nicely.

With the clearing of the weeds and spent flowers we have revealed the two beautiful swans that were a wonderful present to us on our wedding day some years ago at the Organic Centre.

And swans, composed and calm, as if they were

still in the water, glide across the glassy,

full of stillness and wonder, as if each moment

were a haven they had entered together. - Rainer Maria Rilke, - mystic poet

The snowdrops are now in full flower. St. Brigid’s feast day is celebrated on February 1st, which coincides with Imbolc, a Celtic festival marking the transition from winter to spring. Snowdrops are among the first flowers to bloom at this time, symbolizing renewal, hope, and the coming of spring. I am hoping to buy a lot more this year but am likely to buy what are called “Snowdrops in the green.”

Snowdrops in the green are snowdrop plants (Galanthus nivalis) sold with their leaves still attached, immediately after they have finished flowering but before the foliage dies back. This is in contrast to planting dry bulbs, which are dormant and sold without leaves. Snowdrops in the green have a higher success rate when transplanted compared to dry bulbs, as their roots are still active and better able to establish themselves in new soil. Planting in the green ensures the snowdrops have the energy stored in their bulbs to support growth and flowering the following year.

Fruit Trees Galore

I can’t help but enjoy a bargain. I managed to buy these two fruit trees in Enniskillen for the princely sum of £12.00 which is around €15.00. I have planted them in large tubs because at the moment the fruit and nut garden is full of different trees and it needs to have a lot of drainage applied so that the trees are not sitting in water. In the meantime, these two beauties will stay in the pots until there is the proper ground for them to be planted into. One is a Cox’s Pippin apple and the other a pear which has a French name.

Quote of the Week

When our dear friend John Wilmot died, we were given free reign to choose whatever books we liked from his extensive library. One of the books I was drawn to was The Language of Trees – How Trees Make Our World, Change Our Minds and Rewild Our Lives. This week I started to dip into this book which has essays from many different writers. Here is one that ends the book.

When I feel overwhelmed by what we’ve caused – climate change, pandemics, biodiversity last, migration, war, ecocide - I find solace in the beauty of the living world, especially in trees. Trees are truthful. They fill my heart with joy. There simplicity and quietly beauty - alone on a city sidewalk or together in a forest - slows down time. Tree time occurs in ever widening circles, like tree rings. – Katie Holten from The Language of Trees.

Conclusion

In addition to the Mindful Gardening newsletter, I am having fun creating two other newsletters. Each of these is planned to be presented over 52 weeks. One is already written, and the other is half way done in terms of writing. There is the Bringing Heaven to Earth newsletter (already done) to be launched on my birthday on 20th March 2025. This has guided meditation scripts and journal prompts for those who love writing.

The other newsletter is The Deep Heart’s Core which is an invitation to explore the journey of the heart. Based around the focus of storytelling this two is a year long journey which I think I will launch on the day of the festival in late May to celebrate my 75th birthday.

Promoting The Deep Heart’s Core Newsletter (apologies for the sniffles).

I am also recording some video clips to learn how to speak before the camera so that I can record the way I write which is without editing other than to do a spell and grammar check. Have a great week.

Blessings

Tony Cuckson – Cordressagagh - Ireland