Thomas + I took a walk here on New Year's Day. Though the trail through the pines was quiet, far off we could hear the rumble of the wind blowing over the bay and into the trees. When we reached the top of the dune, our eyes teared up when the wind hit us. Blinking, freezing, we stood in awe. You could say it was the view (it was that too) but it was also in how we got there.Here. 2019.To say I am grateful for how the past year has gone is an understatement. I am unsure how to form into words, written or said, about how immense my gratitude is. My heart swells with it.I think back to that walk...
Grab a friend and your nippers. Give your garden a little winter prune, and watch the boughs pile up. Holly, cedar, pine, winterberry, heath: ingredients for the holiday spirit. (And egg nog, of course.) Bittersweet held our wreaths together. It's long, winding vines curl into circles on their own, easily creating a base for your wreath shape without the need to use wire forms. Once the desired shape is reached, simply tuck branches and boughs into the bittersweet. Or, create little bunches of botanicals, bind them with wire and attach to the bittersweet. Don't overthink the design. There are no rules. Let the plants show you where they should go. Mostly? Enjoy the time with a friend capturing the holiday...
1. Get outside.
2. Enjoy finding patterns in nature.
3. Gather.
4. Pay attention to every last one.
5. Make tincture for friends, for winter.
7. Make time for openness.
Longwood Gardens, now a 1000+ acre botanical garden, was once Lenape land. It fed the Native tribe from its waters and woods, sustaining them for centuries. In the early 1700's the land was tilled into a farm, and later, an arboretum. But by 1906, it was in jeopardy of being sold and milled for lumber. Pierre S. du Pont purchased the farm, transforming the property into what is known today as one of the world's leading horticultural gardens. This stunning collection of flowers and trees inspires 'through excellence in garden design, horticulture, education, and the arts'.
When you visit, prepare to be inspired, prepare to be in awe.
