Gardening – stepping outside, putting our hands in the dirt, muddying our boots and delighting in the magic of sprouting seeds sown only weeks ago.  I have dabbled in gardening since my late twenties having witnessed the beauty and mental rejuvenation brought into our lives as my mother’s garden, grand and created from scratch – simply a pasture waiting for her attention – cultivated over the duration of 40+ years brought and brings comfort for our family, friends and pets during times of everyday life and celebrations. Upon finding and purchased my home – Le Papillon – on the sunny side of Bend, Oregon, I began to garden in earnest, becoming a student of Mother Nature, guided by the expertise of British gardener Monty Don and the entire Gardeners’ World team and finding a grounding calm as the seasons come and go, all the while savoring what arrives with each.

In the posts below, available exclusively to TOP Tier Members, discover what I have learned, glimpses and tours of my own small garden – more a potàger than organized beds and sections – and what I do throughout the year, learning as I go and finding great peace and contentment as I potter about in the soil with the birds keeping me company as they dine at the bird cafés and my pups close by, the most wonderful gardening companions, all holding me in the present moment.