Cynthia Brian

By Cynthia Brian “Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade.” Rudyard Kipling Gardens may not be cultivated while we are sitting in the shade, but on a hot summer day, there is nothing better than sipping an ice-cold lemonade while resting in one of my shadowy gardens. This year the world has been experiencing the hottest weather on record. In the United Kingdom, July temperatures were as high as 25 degrees Fahrenheit more than normal. According to data from the U.S. Ocea

by Cynthia Brian Photos and Text © 2022 Cynthia Brian “We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.” Immanual Kant Our family has enjoyed an affinity for the animal kingdom for as long as I can remember. We loved creatures so much that we often named a pet for an animal of another species that they resembled. We’ve had dogs named Bear and Wolf, cats named Panther and Tiger, and even a horse named Spider, although he didn’t look like an arachnid. In the plant w

Are we being a “Pollyanna” to want the world to be kinder? For a summer and fall of kindness, tune in. In the plant world, botanists and taxonomists who name plants also look to the realm of animals using zoographical Latin or Greek-based names for various genera and species. Sometimes a part of the plant will remind them of an animal, or sometimes it is the marketing department of a plant breeder that comes up with the fun, and often humorous name for a new cultivar. What an

Humming Along By Cynthia Brian “Like the hummingbird sipping nectar from every flower, I fly joyfully through my days, seeing beauty in everything.”– Amethyst Wyldfyre After tucking a hibiscus plucked from my mother’s garden behind my ear, I was immediately the object of desire for a hungry hummer. The iridescent red crown identified the hovering nectar hunter as a male Anna’s hummingbird. The females and young have green crowns. What a photo op, but alas, no camera or iPhone

https://blog.voiceamerica.com/2022/06/22/water-wise-landscaping/ By Cynthia Brian “Water is the driving force of all nature.” – Leonardo Da Vinci Welcome to Summer! It’s going to be a hot one. If the newest studies reviewing tree rings are correct, we are currently in the worst drought since 800 A.D. The first three months of this year registered the least rain and snow on record. While we plunge into pools to cool off, our gardens will struggle to survive. Conserving water i

Summer is here and with it water restrictions. What can you grow in a drought and how do you do it so that plants survive? Goddess Gardener, Cynthia Brian offers concrete suggestions for saving water and your landscape. Most of us are acquainted with everyday aches and pains. Some of us, after an injury, after surgery, after COVID, or even without an event, know a different kind of pain — one that lingers and doesn’t respond to medications. Cynthia Brian interviews Dr. Saloni

Digging Deep with Goddess Gardener, Cynthia Brian Succulent Summer By Cynthia Brian “We Californians are constantly accused of not having seasons, but we do. We have fire, flood, mud, and drought.” Phyllis Diller It’s that time of the year again. School is out. The weather is warming. The drought continues. We fear fires. Flood and mud are distant memories. Because of water restrictions, many homeowners are seeking alternatives to thirsty vegetation that demand a constant dr

https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1607/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Coming-up-roses.html https://blog.voiceamerica.com/2022/05/26/roses-for-all/ Digging Deep with Goddess Gardener, Cynthia Brian Coming up Roses By Cynthia Brian “Won’t you come into my garden? I would like my roses to see you.” Richard Sheridan Ask any gardener who grows a multitude of roses what they think of the species, and you’ll probably get an answer that sounds seriously s

By Cynthia Brian “I’m grateful for the opportunity to live on this beautiful and astonishing Planet Earth. In the morning, I woke up with a sense of gratitude.” –Earl Nightingale In California, May reigns as one of the most colorful months of the year. Mother Nature has fully awakened from lingering winter doldrums to burst into bloom. The radiant combination of lush green lawns against cheerful vignettes of glowing, flowing flowers, trees, and shrubs is mesmerizing. Beauty,

By Cynthia Brian “April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” William Shakespeare If experiencing rain in a dry season doesn’t put a spring in our step, what will? After months of no precipitation, finally, in April we experienced a few showers. A critical ingredient of California’s water supply, the Sierra snowpack is less than 40% from its peak. The drought will be with us this summer and fall but these mid-spring storms will deliver May flowers. Jasmine is the deligh

https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1525/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Time-to-prune-roses.html By Cynthia Brian “I love to prune my roses. That’s the one thing I really feel I do pretty well!” Julie Andrews My roses are still blooming, and the bushes are filled with leaves. Yet, it is February and time to do the heavy pruning. My grapevines are already pruned, but I’ve been waiting for my roses to remember it is winter before I cut them back. Towa

presspass: https://blog.voiceamerica.com/2022/01/19/housemates-with-houseplants/ Digging Deep with Goddess Gardener, Cynthia Brian By Cynthia Brian “Having plants in your house is a natural way to continuously clear yourself!” Doreen Virtue Forty-five! That’s the number of houseplants that filled my tiny dorm room on the 7th floor of Hedrick’s Hall during my freshman year at U.C.L.A. Every shelf, box, windowsill, wall hook, desk, and floor space were filled with a container s

Digging Deep with Goddess Gardener, Cynthia Brian https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1523/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-A-green-themed-New-Year.html By Cynthia Brian “In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.” – William Blake The rainy days and nights have been a welcome respite to our dry, drought-driven California. What a delight to witness hills of green and listen to the rushing waters in our creeks. In the past few weeks, seeds a

*To me, the garden is a doorway to other worlds; one of them, of course, is the world of birds. The garden is their dinner table, bursting with bugs and worms and succulent berries.” Anne Raver Birdy, it’s cold outside. Deciduous trees are barren of leaves, autumn perennials have finished their blooming cycle, and few flowers adorn the landscape. The glistening ornaments that embellish the foliage are a gastro delight for birds. Winter has arrived and with it the beautiful be

https://blog.voiceamerica.com/2021/12/12/final-fall/ “Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away; Lengthen night and shorten day! Every leaf speaks bliss to me Fluttering from the autumn tree.” Emily Brontë Without a doubt, autumn is a beautiful time of the year with cooler weather and spectacular, ever-changing foliage. What I can’t get used to is the early setting sun and the dark skies at 5 p.m. as we enter December. My circadian rhythm is out of sync. My preference is to work

Filled with amazing stories, step-by-step exercises, and thought-provoking discussions, Lynn McKenzie’s book, Bark, Neigh, Meow shows how animal companions help you transform your life and fulfill your purpose. You'll find greater passion, elevate your spirit, deepen your connection to the unseen realm, and much more. This heartwarming collection of Lynn's personal and client stories, reveals the power of animals to become your partners, teachers, guides, healers, and catalys

https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1502/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Top-of-the-Morning.html By Cynthia Brian “May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks May your heart be as light as a song. May each day bring you bright Happy hours that stay with you all the year long.” Irish blessing. My first introduction to the Emerald Isles arrived when I was seven. First grade was the beginning of my education since pre-school and kindergarten did not e

https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1501/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Looking-out.html Press Pass Photos: https://blog.voiceamerica.com/2021/03/03/looking-out/ “The heart is like a garden. What seeds will you plant there?” Buddha The first vista I witness every morning as I traipse downstairs in my pink fluffy slippers to grab a cup of java invigorates my day. Outside my stairwell window, a tall crimson camellia tree sways in the breeze flanked by

Digging Deep with Cynthia Brian, the Goddess Gardener By Cynthia Brian “When the moon is in the Seventh House And Jupiter aligns with Mars Then peace will guide the planets And love will steer the stars. This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.” Lyrics to Age of Aquarius by The 5th Dimension Astrologers don’t agree that it is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, but one thing is certain, until February 18th, we are living under the sign of Aquarius. It has not felt like

“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” ~ George Moore Like most of us who have been sheltering at home for the past eleven months, traveling to foreign lands has not been part of my normal activities. At first, I was immensely disappointed to cancel my 2020 exotic trips, especially the one that would have reunited me with my European pen pal with whom I’ve been corresponding regularly since I was nine years old. That’s a long ti