Gardening is Good For The Soul

Have you ever been homesick? If so, you know the ache that comes with a longing for home. Anything can trigger a memory that is fond to us. While watering in my garden or weeding sometimes, though it is extremely beautiful here on Maui, I am always taken back to my previous gardens in California. The scent of basil takes me to Topanga, California where I see a dusty hill and rugged Oak trees in the Canyon thinking of my little old dog Blackie who used to go everywhere with me. Then I'm led to memories of Sassafrass Nursery where I learned all about plants. The first day in the nursery Pamela the owner took me all throughout and had me name the plants I knew by heart. She was impressed. I am self-taught from visiting nurseries and experimenting all my life.

Dinnerplate Dahlias

I began in my twenties planting gardens in Sun Valley, California, Malibu, Topanga, Pine Mountain Club, California and then Hawaii. Everywhere I have lived came a burning desire to plant. I have to dig in the earth and plant beautiful things. I love herbs and pansies, violas, johnny-jumpups, lobelia, cosmos, sunflowers, zinnias and bulbs like dahlias, irises, daffodils, ranunculas, anemones, ixias and tulips. In Hawaii I plant dahlias among my herbs and green onions, thyme and gingers. They become huge blooms I mix with tropical bouquets of other scented spider lilies and gardenias.

                                                                      Lilikoi Vines

Here I am writing about the plants I love while dreaming of California gardens.

I have come full circle in beautiful Maui where all year long I can plant my orchids, native ferns and I totally enjoy having bananas growing in my path and papayas, a yard full of house plants. But at times I long for the cold weather different types of flowers that love the mountains of The Los Padres National Forest (my real home where my roots are)...my poppies that reseed themselves on my property there, the yarrow that has gone native, the penstemmons and lupine, the lilacs and pine trees, sagebrush and hollyhocks are so nostalgic and country and I think of quilting and baking pies and all the things that make me feel happy like taking care of my family there, too. I miss my house and my mom and sister and the mountains. The quiet nights, the crickets, the wind in the poplars are memories so sweet in my heart. A good smoky fire in my BBQ in the back yard. I love to burn wood and sing my camp songs til after dark... Well all these memories just from watering and weeding in my Maui garden.

Heavenly Blue Morning Gories

Gardening is a joy, and weeds are a chore, but so enriching to my soul as I wait for the tiny lettuce leaves to emerge, and wait for the peas to sprout and the dahlias to shoot. The cosmos are two inches tall and by summer will be three feet high. My tomatoes are taking off. Sweet basils are scattered throughout to ward off tomato worms. It works every time. Someday I'll be back planting in California, but for now I will just have to enjoy Maui, Hawaii. Pink plumerias coming soon and lilikoi vines to pick all summer for jam & jelly and juice for months.

So, I'm home in my spirit but here on Maui and gardening is healing to my soul and spirit.


My new garden is coming along with lots of vegetables and  flowers so I will keep you posted soon.
Aloha,

Marilyn Jansen Lopes

Author of Amaryllis, Amaryllis, How Does Your Garden Grow? "Organically Of Course!"

http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/

What are you growing? A kitchen garden, window boxes with herbs and potted plants, tomatoes?



All photos are by Marilyn Jansen Lopes and photos of others are posted with their permission.I have received no compensation to mention products or companies on my blog.

In Case You Were Wondering...

The Artful Hawaiigirl is back!

 

It has been a month since I've posted

a word here so I'm starting with a visual

of what I have been up to. You might say

I took a Blog vacation. There have been

many stories in my head but blog block

had cast a spell on me. Not for long...

I left Maui in mid-October just as the

leaves were turning in California.

 Halloween came and went as I baked

festive cookies for the occasion!

 
Friends visited me in the mountains
of California to hike, cook breakfast,
share stories and I taught some how
to paint on tees in the watercolor
style.

 

With my mother-in-law in tow we
journeyed through the mountains
awed by the beauty of pine trees,
sage brush, fall color and astonished
at how cold it gets here at 5,800 ft.
above sea level.

My hubby primed and painted the
front of my house with the welcome
approval of my mom and sis.
 We visited local antique stores and
thrift shops to find treasures like
dishes by Mikasa and a Minnie Mouse
hat for Pam.

I have filled orders for t-shirts and
designed a special shirt for Cindy
Papale who wrote My Empty Cup
Runneth Over. We will be marketing
"Cindy's Butterflies and Roses"
together.

There was a fabulous high school reunion
near Universal City which was a pot luck
Christmas Ornament Exchange. So Fun!
Memories were made and I photographed
everything.

Every night and day my Mother-in-law
can only say "So cold!" And with good
reason. Last night the thermometer
dipped to 27 degrees. We run a little
water to keep the pipes from freezing.
 But it is cozy inside our big beautiful
home and it is so wonderful to be with
my family after one year never leaving
Maui.
 Now preparing for Thanksgiving in California,
I have baked pies, banana breads, cookies,
home-made pizza, made stews, chicken soups,
roasted red pepper soup that was divine and
was too pre-occupied to photograph it all while
I am taking care of 5 family members.
Some of you will say big deal but for me
it gets a bit overwhelming.

 

Yesterday I was Queen for a day!
My mom made breakfast, lunch and dinner
and said I wasn't to do any housework.
Meanwhile I was busy writing an appeal
for a referral that she was denied for a
medical specialist for the third time in
three years. So I am becoming a patient
advocate.
  It's busy here in the mountains though
we rarely leave the house. There is much
to be done. Lists to make, check them
twice, dreams to dream, beautiful fires
in the fireplace, books to read and review,
packages to be sent and friends to catch
up with. Haven't tweeted lately except
when I get down the hill to cell phone
service available from my iPhone. Then
I just post my pics to twitpic.
  So, I miss you all and will get back
to you soon with a month full of stories.

Have you thought about your life lately?
Are you thankful? What are you thankful for?

Aloha friends,

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

I'll be posting all the preparation of our Thanksgiving dinner starting the night before with my Portuguese Vinha De Alhos (Vinga-Doyzh) Turkey, American style turkey on Thanksgiving Day, (with stuffing, of course), Pumpkin pie cheesecake, stuffing with apples, walnuts, sausage, sage and raisins, gravy, homemade cranberry sauce, apple pie with crumb topping in other words

The Works!

Can't wait!

Then it's back to Maui just in time for the Christmas season.

Aloha
The Artful Hawaiigirl

http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/