The Common Garden

 

 

Welcome to the Common Garden, where we gather around a table to share and discuss your comments, thoughts, and contributions to our blog. Come and join us as we build a warm community, away from the noise and rush of the modern internet.

Good evening, everyone! It is always a joy to gather with you once again in our little Common Garden. June is treating us kindly today with a beautiful summer afternoon. The temperature has climbed to 31°C (88°F) beneath a bright blue sky. A gentle breeze drifts through the garden, keeping the humidity around 39% and making the warmth feel pleasantly comfortable.

⩩

 

We still have plenty of daylight ahead of us, with the sun setting late at 9:01 PM. Above us, the moon has moved beyond its new phase and now shines as a Waxing Gibbous with 56% illumination, quietly watching over our gathering. So, with our drinks prepared, the garden in full bloom, and friends arriving from every corner of the world, let us begin today's gathering.

Hello, our dear friends from around the world. We hope these words find you well wherever you may be reading from today. Today we are gathering in our small and cosy Common Garden. I have prepared a few smoothies and cocktails, alcohol-free of course, although upon request we can add just a tiny amount. It is rather warm today, after all. To help everyone stay cool, Mary and I have even purchased a swimming pool that any of you may use whenever you wish to enjoy a refreshing moment, whether with our company or alone with a good book.

The first friend who will certainly make use of our newest addition is Debbie from From My Shasta Home, because as she tells us, it is not her first experience with such luxury:

"...and I'd sit on the side with my feet in the pool reading."

 Today is also Hobby Day. Our garden continues to change according to your needs, and it seems that many of you have already begun exploring new creative activities.

However, let us make a small agreement together. In order to enjoy this day fully, let us leave the result to one side. Let us not worry about whether our creations will look "beautiful" in the end. Neither Mary nor I are art critics. So let yourselves enjoy the moment and create freely. Many of you have already begun doing exactly that. I have chosen my wax crayons, while Mary has chosen air-dry clay.

The first friends to begin are Charli Dee, Debbie, and HappyK.

"I usually tell people I’m a terrible artist, but I actually never really tried painting, so how can I really know I’m bad at it?"

"I'm not a great artist, by any means. I do better with the written word."

"I've recently taken up Diamond Art and though I knit..."

⩩ 

Our garden is filled with colourful flowers and lush green trees. Perhaps that is what keeps it cool even on the warmest days. Yet as beautiful as they are to look at, I feel there is a deeper desire to include them more actively in our gathering, to somehow bring the flowers themselves into our conversations.

Many of you have already developed a special relationship with flowers and trees, including DeniseinVA and Granny Marigold:

"Flowers are living things and when I hear of people talking to them, I say why not?"

"...that I sometimes talk to them."

We wander deeper into the garden, where hundreds of insects, birds, and butterflies bring life to the greenery around us. Having left our refreshing drinks behind for a moment, we begin to reflect on what it feels like to have nature beside us. To feel life away from the movement of everyday routines, away from traffic, noise, and pollution.

 And after connecting with these living companions around us, we discover several fascinating secrets that we simply must share. Linda's Relaxing Lair, Debbie, and GZ help us uncover them.

"Apparently, the trees communicate with one another, and if there is something invasive, such as an insect, one tree will alert the others."

"...and there was a species of plant there that reacted when touched."

"Plants, like people, respond to care."

The biggest question of all remains unanswered. It comes from Veronica Lee and opens the door to even more beautiful discussions. We stand there quietly, drinks forgotten, reflecting on her question:

"Sometimes I wonder if plants have feelings too."

The sun slowly begins to set. My favourite moment of the day, and Mary's as well. It is a feeling that cannot easily be defined, only experienced. As the light softens, I cannot help but feel that every tree and flower around us has leaned a little closer to our table. Perhaps they are listening to our conversations. Perhaps they simply wish to share the moment with us. Maybe no one will ever know why they seem interested in us.

⩩ 

A question remains.

Why is it that nature heals us, yet our modern way of life continues to move further away from it? And how can we resist that?

Mary and I have one more surprise for you. Two of our friends have kindly shared recipes with us. One savoury and one sweet. Thank you to Karen and DeniseinVA. Give us a little time to gather the ingredients and present the results. We may very well become paradise in the kitchen.

Well... it has been a lovely evening, but the mosquitoes are starting to appear. And the flies. And the bees. Whoever said nature did not come with a few challenges of its own? 

 

Around the Table This Week: Debbie • Charli Dee • HappyK • DeniseinVA • Granny Marigold • Linda's Relaxing Lair • GZ • Veronica Lee • Karen