It’s easy to love this season of fullness and abundance in the outer world. Having a sense of bounty and well-being in which to immerse ourselves loosens the constraints of winter. There’s warmth enough to shed layers of clothing that protect and insulate us so we can be caressed by a summer breeze or float lazily on a lake. It is so freeing, this season of summer. As I sit in the dooryard garden, my senses linger in the total immersion of dandelion-Oregon grape flower wine. The brilliant golden flowers harvested a year ago have been alchemically transformed into nectar of the Goddess. I sit in the sun soaking up emerald green with every cell. Hooray! It’s summer once again! The luscious, verdant green is nourished simply with sky water rich in nitrogen. Moving, living essence, water is vital to the success of all living creatures on our planet. We know what vital, alive water looks like. Close your eyes and imagine where you have seen water with vitality. What do you see? A stream or river? The ocean? Clouds swirling in the sky? All water. Notice in closer detail the patterns inherent in each of these examples of living water. The spiraling back eddies, the pulse of each movement, always flowing in curvaceous patterns. In the rivers, streams, and oceans, the water-air ratio falls in favor of the wet; in the sky, the clouds are less water and more air, but the same dynamic patterns occur. What does this have to do with herbs and plants in general? Yes, we know they need water to succeed, but notice also the patterns in these living entities: the new growth unfurling from a tight spiral form, the whorls in leaf patterns, the placement of leaves and flowers on the stems. Everywhere, the spiraling, ever-moving pattern of water is evident. Even humans are made up of the same ratio of water (70% or so) to solid matter as our beautiful planet. Another amazing fact about water is that it is a finite element. The earth only has so much and that’s it! So what? Well, when we reduce this vital living element to something that is bought and sold, we begin to strip the life force from it. Water is always in motion in nature (albeit very slowly during ice ages!). We humans have a tendency to slow or stop that motion in our efforts at economics, which The American Century Dictionary defines as "a community’s system of wealth creation." In my years of observation, economics is not about economy or the management of the house, home, i.e. ecosystem; it is about the generation of wealth. Imagine water as wealth itself, and you can realign your relationship to it, thereby increasing your own sense of wealth by co-creating with water! Starting in your home and garden, begin acting as if water is the most valuable thing on Earth. How? If it was gold, and the only way to increase it was to keep it and move it around in your yard, what would you do? Now, imagine you were getting this gold merely by turning on the tap or catching it when it falls from the sky! (At the rate water may soon cost, this may not strain your powers of imagination.) First, which watershed do you live in? Answering this question is like centering yourself directionally in any traditional earth-based perspective. How can you connect with water if you don’t have a clear understanding from whence it comes? Second, catch it. This may be the most economical way to get water. How can you create water catchment systems in your home and yard? Of course, the downspouts off the roof come to mind; they’re easy and a great place to start. Catching and using water on site is really just borrowing it. When the water is used in the garden, it returns to the earth as groundwater or evaporates into the air to eventually become sky water: rain, snow, etc. Third, flush your toilet less! If all of the people in greater Seattle reserved one flush per day, it would save 3-5 million gallons of water daily. Multiply that by 365 and imagine all the gardens we could water or waterways that might remain viable for salmon habitat! Flush or flourish, the choice is ours! Fourth, use a dishpan to wash your dishes, then use the gray water to water the container plants around your deck and yard. Use a biodegradable soap and the plants will thrive. We enjoy culinary herbs and geraniums in barrels outside the kitchen door. Part of the morning ritual is a trip to the dooryard with the dishwater, a brief respite before a busy day. Water the garden early or late in the day to slow evaporation. Use compost and mulch to help conserve the water that is used. This will provide plants with needed nutrients as well as conserve water, keep it cycling longer, and deepen its penetration into the ground. Another tactic is to include plants that enjoy less water in your landscape design. Herbs such as lavender, rosemary, santolinas, bay, marjoram, oregano, and thyme are all Mediterranean in origin and do nicely in soil on the drier side. A more concentrated aroma or flavor is to be had by not overindulging these herbs with water. Many Northwest native plants are water-wise choices. They have evolved in this ecosystem and do fine on what nature offers. Siting is still of importance. Place shade or forest plants under trees (remember that evergreen and deciduous trees offer very different habitats), sun-loving plants in the sun, etc. Many natives offer multiple benefits in your yard. Oregon grape is a thorny bush that can be placed to deter unwanted guests; it has edible flowers, leaves, and berries, and the root is medicinal. I’ve found that it enjoys sun or shade, and this spring the bloom was so spectacular that we could smell the flowers just walking through the shadow garden. As I mentioned earlier, these flowers are sumptuous added to your favorite dandelion wine recipe. They bring a vibrant, piquant quality the dandelions alone lack. You may be able to mow your lawn less and enjoy your summer more if you let the dandelions grow. Maybe you could transform some of that water you saved into your own celebratory wines! If you are inspired to learn how to be a better steward of the water in your watershed, contact your county and ask about Watershed Keeper classes. I have learned a great deal about water, geology, plants, development, and growth planning in my region by attending the Snohomish County offering. For Snohomish County, contact Suzi Wong Swint, (800) 562-4367, ext. 6476. In King County, call (206) 205-3100 and ask for the Land/Water Stewardship Program. For greater insight into the phenomenal permeation of water in our lives, find the book Sensitive Chaos: The Creation of Flowing Forms in Water and Air by Theodor Schwenk, Rudolf Steiner Press, revised 1996. Here’s to a wonderful summer. In our gardens, wild or tame, may there always be abundance for all. EagleSong, C.C.H., director of RavenCroft Garden in Monroe, WA, is a nationally recognized herbal educator. She is dedicated to keeping herbal wisdom within reach of all people and connected to the healing wisdom of nature. Don’t have a favorite dandelion wine recipe? Inquire about her fermented beverages class in August. P.O. Box 229, Startup, WA 98293; (360) 794-2938; <ravencroft@earthlink.net>. |
Summer ... warmth, movement, and strawberries. Oh my!