“Once the relation between poetry and the soil is established in the mind, all growing things are endowed with more than material beauty.” Elizabeth Lawrence
Have you ever wandered your garden and realized the growing landscape is poetry in motion? As you’ve read in my recent columns, I have been occupied with aggressive weeding on my land these past several months. Under the masses of foxtails, thistles, spurge, bindweed, black medic, pelargonium robertianum, hemlock, and wild grasses, fields of flowers awaited the sunshine. With only three garden rooms left in my quest to purge the pernicious invaders, my first round of weeding is almost at an end.
The plant poetry has begun. My orchard meadow is glorious with swaths of wildflowers, including golden poppies, sprouted seeds of calendula, nigella, seafoam statice, nasturtiums, blooming cornflowers, iris, geranium, roses, chamomile, lilies, acanthus, strawberry, bougainvillea, and more. My orchard is brimming with fruit trees that will ripen throughout the season. Apricots, cherries, peaches, plums, prunes, mulberries, apples, Asian Pears, elderberries, persimmons, pomegranates, guavas, loquats, figs, and vines of grapes provide edible delights for our household and the wildlife who frequent the meadow. I recently planted a banana tree and two avocadoes, keeping my fingers crossed that they will bear fruit in a few years. Footsteps away is my citrus grove with tangerines, oranges, tangelos, lemons, and cumquats. The hillside is a vibrant, pollinator paradise.
Bees and bumblebees especially favor the blue nigella, buzzing from blossom to blossom, savoring the sweet nectar. Butterflies and birds flutter and fly through this heavenly fragrant celebration of color, scale, and texture.
When I view photos from a month ago when this area was blanketed in suffocating weeds, I am grateful for the miracle of nature, this poetic painting abundant with stunning flowers.
The paths are filled with gravel and lined with recycled redwood planks rescued from a renewed deck, both a clever, sustainable, and frugal option. Like the balance of a colorful poem, this design is wild, yet civilized, celebrating the quirks of nature.
Another poetic surprise in my garden this week was the blooming of my cordyline, also known as the Ti plant. One day when I went out for my daily garden walk, iridescent shoots had sprung out of the top of this good-luck tree, glittering in the morning sun. It appears to change hues throughout the day and is impressive.
I also harvested the first of my zucchini. This was exciting because last summer my plants were eaten by critters. This season I expect to enjoy plenty.
Cascading over the raised bed in my vegetable garden, edible and tangy nasturtium in red, yellow, and orange shades reminds me of my Nonna’s garden. Not to be outdone, my Bonica rose bush drapes over the mailbox with voluminous baby pink blooms flanked by fluorescent fuchsia corn flags creating a mesmerizing entrance.
Each day promises something new and exciting. Plant poetry is indeed endowed with more than material beauty.
Cynthia Brian’s Goddess Gardener Guide for June
ü It is time to remove the dried leaves from daffodils, naked ladies, woodland hyacinths, freesias, and other spring-blooming bulbs. A quick tug of the dried leaves is all you need to do. If you must pull hard, the leaves are not ready to be removed. I know they look unsightly in your garden, but if you remove the leaves before they have had the chance to provide nutrients to the bulb you won’t have any flowers next spring. Hang in there. You’ll thank me in a year!
ü Apply snail bait to plants susceptible to snail and slug damage. They come out of hiding at night to nibble your new shoots and because of the rains are an abundant nuisance.
ü Monitor water needs for your landscape. Water infrequently but deeply. Containers lose moisture more quickly and will need additional attention.
ü Clean and arrange patio furniture, pads, and outdoor gear. With summer on the horizon, get prepared to party.
ü Plant summer-blooming bulbs and scatter seeds to surprise you with their brilliance.
ü If you haven’t finished cutting tall grass, clearing debris, maintaining a fuel break, and preparing for wildfires, do it this week. Be vigilant and a good neighbor!
ü Deadhead rose blossoms as they fade to keep your bushes healthy and blooming until the end of the year. I have over 200 rose bushes and deadheading is a daily chore, albeit one that yields huge rewards. Wear protective gloves!
ü Create a vibrant garden masterpiece in your backyard with prolonged performance perennials and annuals available at your favorite nursery.
ü Celebrate graduations, birthdays, and more with a kaleidoscope of plant poetry.
For more gardening advice for all seasons, check out Growing with the Goddess Gardenerat https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/books. Raised in the vineyards of Napa County, Cynthia Brian is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 which was just honored as the 2024 Nonprofit of the Year by the Moraga Chamber of Commerce. Tune into Cynthia’s StarStyle® Radio Broadcast at www.StarStyleRadio.com.
Her newest children’s picture book, Books in the Barnyard: Oh Deer!, from the series, Stella Bella’s Barnyard Adventures is available for discounted pre-sales at https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/online-store. Hire Cynthia for writing projects, garden consults, and inspirational lectures. Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com
https://www.CynthiaBrian.com
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Cynthia Brian, SAG/AFTRA, A.S.I.D., Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 literacy and positive media charity, New York Times best-selling co-author of Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul, author of Be the Star You Are!®, 99 Gifts for Living, Loving, Laughing, and Learning to Make a Difference, Be the Star You Are!® for TEENS, Be the Star You Are!® Millennials to Boomers, Growing with The Goddess Gardener, The Business of Show Business, The Blessing of Love and Relationships, and Miracle Moments®, is an internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, personal growth consultant, actor, producer and host of radio and TV shows, columnist, designer, gardener, and lifestyle coach. (www.CynthiaBrian.com)
Stella Bella’s Barnyard Adventures is Cynthia’s first illustrated children’s book series with true tales from her menagerie of adopted rescues. Titles include No Barnyard Bullies, Family Forever, and Books in the Barnyard: Oh Deer!
Referred by the media as “the Renaissance woman with soul!”, Cynthia is a world traveler who speaks French, Spanish, Italian, and Dutch. With four decades of experience working in the entertainment field as an actor, producer, writer, coach, designer, and casting director, she has had the honor of performing with some of the biggest names in the industry. Cynthia is a Certified Interior Designer and has had her interior and garden design projects featured in TV, commercials, books, and numerous publications. She wrote, produced, and directed the film, The Quest for Pure Design. Cynthia is a much in demand speaker on luxury cruise lines and spas around the world, inspiring others to be the stars they were born to be by creating a life they design.
Because of her devotion to increasing literacy and positive messages in the world, Cynthia founded and is the Executive Director of the 501(c)(3) charity, Be the Star You Are!® (www.BetheStarYouAre.org) empowering women, families, and youth, which won 2024 Nonprofit of the Year. Her motto is “To be a leader, you must be a reader!”. GuideStar and Great Non Profits consistently honor Be the Star You Are!® as a top-rated non-profit. BTSYA was named the 2024 Nonprofit of the Year. As part of her dedication to giving youth a voice, she created and launched the creative community at www.BTSYA.com while also producing and directing the young adult radio broadcast, Express Yourself!™, (www.ExpressYourselfTeenRadio.com) the #1 most listened-to program around the world on the Voice America Network with teen hosts and contributors. Cynthia says “Express Yourself!™ is an uncensored haven where youth talk and the world listens!”
As an empowerment architect and life success coach, Ms. Brian is also dedicated to helping others achieve their dreams, recognize the possibilities, and utilize their potential by implementing their unique gifts. Many aspiring thespians, writers, and professionals have been coached to fun, fame, and fortune through her personal success consultations in acting, media, writing, life skills, and presentations. Because of her energy and passion, companies engage Cynthia’s services as a media spokesperson.
Born on a farm in the Napa Valley in northern California, the eldest of five children, Cynthia raised chickens and sheep, drove tractors, and picked fruit to earn enough money to pay her way through college. She was a Grand Champion rooster raiser, winning hundreds of blue ribbons in 4-H. After being honored as the Outstanding Teenager of California, she was named teenage ambassador to Holland and served as a foreign correspondent for several newspapers. Her travel expeditions gave birth to her writing, speaking, and coaching career.
Since 2008, Cynthia has been the gardening consultant and inspirational garden columnist for The Lamorinda Weekly known as The Goddess Gardener. (www.CynthiaBrian.com/Gardening) There, she also served as the editor and coach for Teen Scene. As a home, garden, and lifestyle expert, she has been privileged to write for Internet sites, and numerous print publications, and is proud to be a Top Reviewer at Trip Advisor and on the Elite Squad at Yelp. She published her first gardening calendar, A Gardener’s Guide, in 1993.
Interviewing is a talent this dynamic woman enjoys. Broadcasting live since 1998, Cynthia interviews the authors and experts considered pioneers on the planet. Tune into her award winning upbeat, positive, internationally broadcast lifestyle radio program, StarStyle-Be the Star You Are!® live and archived every Wednesday from 4-5 pm PT/7-8 pm ET on the Voice America Network Empowerment channel. (www.StarStyleRadio.com)
Cynthia’s goal is to inspire, encourage, inform, and motivate others to be their unapologetically unique selves.
When you are seeking a business expert with earthiness, exuberance, and personality that garner results, Cynthia Brian is the seasoned professional writer, speaker, coach, host, spokesperson, and Goddess Gardener guide for your next project.
Cynthia Brian, empowerment architect, passion, purpose, and possibility professional, is available for private coaching, consultations, and speaking engagements.
To Book Cynthia Brian
Talent Agent:
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Literary Agent:
Waterside Productions, Inc.
Gayle Gladstone
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https://www.waterside.com/portfolio-item/cynthia-brian/