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The Outdoors, Easter, and Mindful Growing

2 min

The Outdoors, Easter, and Mindful Growing

Happy Easter and Passover! Andrea Smith hosts a special spring show that focuses on the outdoors and gardening. She reads Cynthia Brian’s Easter Parade article (https://blog.voiceamerica.com/2021/03/30/easter-parade/) that provides information on how to keep wildlife out of your garden. She then interviews Joann Calabrese with her book, Growing Mindful, a handbook on garden and green world mindfulness practices. It contains an abundance of activities rooted in sensing the won

Fall Fireworks

4 min

Fall Fireworks

“Let the beauty we love be what we do.” ~Rumi Sitting on my balcony, watching the ginger orb of the sun shoot sparkles and glitter throughout the dusky sky, I am besotted with the fireworks of fall foliage on the horizon. The colors and intensities change daily as I attempt to capture the essence of their beauty in my camera lens. A red-branched Japanese maple is glimmering gold one day. Four days later it is pumpkin spice orange. My liquid amber tree leaves are progressing f

As the Leaves Turn

5 min

As the Leaves Turn

Blog: https://blog.voiceamerica.com/2020/11/13/as-the-leaves-turn/ Digging Deep with Goddess Gardener, Cynthia Brian As the Leaves Turn By Cynthia Brian “A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.” Ralph Waldo Emerson It’s only five in the evening and the darkness of night has arrived. I’ve been out in the garden prepping the soil as the sun sets and the moon rises. Normally by this time of the year, I would have had all my spring bulbs and perennials planted an

A Natural Spooky Halloween

9 min

A Natural Spooky Halloween

“Listen to them–the children of the night. What music they make!” Bram Stoker During this season, life is about the kids. This is a time of magic, wonder, and things that go bump in the night. Halloween has always been a favorite holiday for most children in the United States but this year, Halloween, the way it has been celebrated for decades, is canceled. No random trick or treating, no gatherings, no haunted parties. Since school has been online, kids yearn to get together

Sheltering with Mother Nature

5 min

Sheltering with Mother Nature

“Too blessed to be stressed!” Bumper sticker By Cynthia Brian Are you feeling more in touch with Mother Earth as we near the beginning of eight months of stay-at-home mandates because of Covid-19? Or are you feeling antsy, stressed, and out-of-sorts? Retreating to our landscapes was initially a salve to the pain of the corona virus, social unrest, and political nastiness as we encountered improved air quality, quieter skies, and increased bird activity. Then the California fi

Risky Business

4 min

Risky Business

https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1416/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Risky-business.html Risky Business By Cynthia Brian “Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you’re a thousand miles from a cornfield.” Dwight D. Eisenhower When you bite into a crunchy apple, eat a bunch of juicy grapes, or slather butter on roasted sweet corn, unless you’ve grown these crops in your personal garden, do you ever wonder about the life of the fa

Fall in a Pot

5 min

Fall in a Pot

Fall in a Pot! By Cynthia Brian “Truth comes out in wine.” Pliny the Elder “The people who give you their food give you their heart." Cesar Chavez The fires and smoke have ravaged farms and vineyards throughout Northern California, including my family vineyards in Napa County. The grapes are plump, juicy, and ripe. Harvesting would normally be in full swing this month, but, sadly, with so much smoke suffocating fields throughout the region, wineries require red grape samples

Sirius is Serious

5 min

Sirius is Serious

Sirius is Serious By Cynthia Brian “When the ancients first observed Sirius emerging as it were from the sun…they believed its power of heat to have been so excessive that…the Sea boiled, the Wine turned sour, Dogs grew mad, and all other creatures became languid.” John Brady, 1813, a Compendious Analysis of the Calendar. Forever the optimist, when I penned my last column, The Dog Days of Summer, (http://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1413/Digging-Deep-with-Cynthia-Bria

Dog Days of Summer

5 min

Dog Days of Summer

LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Digging Deep with Cynthia Brian, the Goddess Gardener, for August http://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1413/Digging-Deep-with-Cynthia-Brian-the-Goddess-Gardener-for-August-The-Dog-Days-of-Summer.html 8-20 DD Dog Days of Summer Digging Deep with Cynthia Brian, the Goddess Gardener, for August The Dog Days of Summer By Cynthia Brian “Dog Days bright and clear, indicate a happy year!” The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 1817 Sirius, the Dog Star, rises in summer

Some Like it Hot!

5 min

Some Like it Hot!

https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1412/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Some-like-it-hot.html By Cynthia Brian “Summer afternoon -- summer afternoon; the two most beautiful words in the English language.” Henry James The blackberry bushes flanked the horse stables on my grandparents’ ranch. My grandmother was a genuine horse whisperer. She lovingly cared for a herd of adopted steeds and rode in parades in her fancy Western wear. She even trained the

Cynthia Brian’s Garden Product Tips

2 min

Cynthia Brian’s Garden Product Tips

It’s important to frequent and support your local nurseries, garden centers, and stores, however, during the pandemic, many people are safely sheltering-in-place as much as possible. If you prefer armchair shopping with delivery to your home, these are affiliate suppliers that offer quality and satisfaction for almost everything outdoor and garden related. Some have current sales and others offer free shipping with minimum orders.  High-quality gardening products including u