It is still dark outside in the Carondelet Garden, but it feels cloudy.  The weather gurus tell me we will have clouds early, then sunshine for the afternoon.  Highs near 50 degrees with light winds.  Sounds like a bit of heaven right now.  

Just like that and January is almost in the books.  It's a good time to remind myself to savor the moments.  Enjoy these precious days in such a way that the ordinary truly becomes extraordinary.  

One thing I've learned is that ingratitude prevents us from seeing deeply.  Our world becomes smaller, darker and filled with less wonder.  I'm reminding myself, almost daily now, to recognize the simple gifts given to us every single day.  Trying to be more grateful because grateful people are usually happier people.  

Another month is almost gone.  February begins tomorrow with the promise that Spring is one month closer.  The buds have started arriving on bushes and trees around the garden.  It's a good day!  Be good and be kind to yourself this last day of January.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.
 

Where did my sunshine go?  Another cloudy day here in the Carondelet Garden with the clouds returning and a slight chance for a bit of rain later today.  We miss you Mr. Sun!

We added a small Fairy Garden to the backyard in a little area surrounded by fencing and, if I am being honest, was pretty neglected and used to store things most of the time.  Dr. B has done an amazing job of bringing in some Alpine plantings and the cutest little Hedgehogs and this Celtic door.  The wee ones love to look around when they visit and, truth be told, I check on them most days.  A bit of whimsy here in the Garden.

Truly, gardens are magical places.  They are other worlds that open possibilities for our mind and thoughts.  They do this while making this old gardener take a minute to peer inward.  

My garden is my sacred space.  A blessing of peace, harmony and spirituality.  I believe that is what all gardens should be.  I aspire to create a place of calm introspection.  This aspiration is an unwritten, often unconscious goal for most gardeners, I think.

I'm heading out this afternoon to do a bit of puttering and praying on this cloudy Tuesday.  A lot of changes are coming here in our little world in Carondelet this year.  We are excited and, maybe, a bit apprehensive but all things work together for good if you truly believe.  

Be good to yourself and kind to others as you embark on your day.  We all need more goodness and kindness in our lives.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It is cold outside in the Carondelet Garden on this last Monday of January.  A few days ago, there was a frozen frost on the Stachys.  There is a bit of a mist in the air.  We are being told that it will warm into the lower 50s by this afternoon and we might even see that rarest of things this time of year, the sun!  Wouldn't a bright sunny day be a bit of grace right now?

It is very close to the time we turn another page on the calendar and begin a new month.  One page turns closer to Spring.  Every day is now stretching little by little giving me enough motivation to keep the faith.  Moment-by-moment the days are getting longer and hope creeps back into my world.

A new week, almost a new month, we continue to move forward in faith, hope and love.  It's the only way to truly move forward.  Be good and be kind to yourself and others as you travel about on this Ordinary Monday.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

The clouds have really moved into the Carondelet Garden this morning.  The rains should begin soon and continue through the afternoon hours.  The fog is also expected to stick around in patchy areas.  Pretty much a yucky weather day here in South Saint Louis.

We headed out yesterday to grab some lunch and stopped by @flowersandweeds on Cherokee Street to pick up this Baby Rubber Plant (Peperomia obtusifolia).  The perfect little plant to brighten up a cloudy day.  A long time ago we lived in an apartment on Miami Street and would walk down to an older version of a nursery on the same plot of land as Flowers and Weeds.  Let me simply say the new version is a marked improvement!  An outstanding selection of indoor plants and flowers, gardening supplies, pots and vases.  They also have a flower bar with absolutely stunningly gorgeous cut flowers.  Once Spring arrives, they will have a full assortment of annuals and perennials for sale as well.  The nicest people helped us as we wandered around the shop.  What a fun day!

Another misty wet day in the garden on this Ordinary Thursday.  Gardening will once again be limited to indoor activities.  Seeds have been ordered and I'm planning to add a new Cold Frame.  Exciting things are planned so bring on Spring!

It is truly a good day for a good day.  Be good and be kind to yourself and others as you journey about the rain-slickened paths in Saint Louis.  Be patient with yourself and others.  Keep the faith.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's still dark outside in the Carondelet Garden on this Ordinary Wednesday in late January.  We should see highs in the low 50s again today.  We have a dense fog advisory this morning and clouds will continue to fill the skies this afternoon.

It felt downright balmy yesterday as we returned to the garden and restarted working in the old Red Clover ground cover.   As I turned my face up to the sky, I could almost feel the earth trembling into new possibilities.  The garden is reminding me that this is what it does best.  Renewal of life.  The new life that will come from the dying back of the old.  The nutrients of the rotting Red Clover will provide nourishment for the coming Spring vegetables.  The greenness that rises out of the decay.  

All endings are also beginning.  This is something I have to remind myself over and over again.  The garden is here to remind me that beauty and nature will always take my breath away.  

As Mary Oliver said so well, "To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work."  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

The sun has arrived here in the Carondelet Garden.  The temperatures are already in the low 40s and the gloom of yesterday has left us for a bit.  Unfortunately, the clouds and rain will probably return this afternoon.  Until then, we shall enjoy this lovely little Viola who is still hanging in there after the brutal weather of the past few weeks.  A bit of grace on this Tuesday morning.

The Roman God Janus after whom this month is named had two heads.  One pointing backwards with fondness and relief at the year that passed.  The other looking ahead with a bit of fear and yet a sense of anticipation awaiting the challenges and inspirations of the future year.  That's exactly how I am feeling right now.  A bit of fear mixed with a sense of anticipation buoyed by a little faith and hope.  

It is hard to believe we are already well into the second half of January.  The new year is not so new anymore.  I feel the throb of time more acutely in Winter.  The throb is more intense as I get a bit older.  Yet I continue to, as my IG friend @littlegardeninthebigwoods says 'lean into the "cloud of unknowing."  She is so right.  It is never easy, no matter one's age or faith.

A bit of mystery as we enter into the end of January.  Yet, with a bit of faith, hope and love we continue onward.  Spring is coming with the joys and hope that accompany it.  Today is the day I take a bit of time to give thanks for the incredible bounty I have around me.  Good friends, family and community.  It's a good day for a good day!  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's dark and icy outside in the Carondelet Garden.  I had to find a picture that brightened things up a bit because it is rather gloomy this morning.  The freezing rain will be sticking around until late morning when everything will change over to all rain as the temperatures rise throughout the day.  Good news for later.  Stay put for now!

It was a restless night for the old gardener in Carondelet.  Have you had one of those nights where you couldn't get the old brain to settle, and darkness made its way into your thoughts?  The early church fathers talk of a Dark Night of the Soul.  Not quite that dramatic, to be sure!  Yet, certain restlessness and anxiousness.  As I tried to regain my sense of strength and reality, I began to think of some of the things I am planning for the garden and about nature in general.  It seems that nature's perfect indifference has become the best cure for my own anxieties.  I'm looking forward to getting out there more regularly!

These days my faith waivers and sometimes fades away, but that is when I find that I have so little to offer other than my faith and hope and whatever love I can muster.  It seems as though faith and hope are the last things I can offer.  It seems to me that this old world needs us now more than ever, but I can't be of much use in a perpetual state of exhaustion and fear.  I continue in hope!

Be good and be kind to yourself this Ordinary Monday.  Hang on to your faith, keep on hoping and love with all you have.  We need all the faith, hope and love we can muster right now.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's a bit cloudy and cold in the Carondelet Garden this morning.  Truthfully, it's much warmer than it has been, but it is still cold.  The clouds are going to be sticking around throughout the afternoon as we reach a high in the upper 30s.  Tonight, the temperatures will be dropping again.  The cold is returning for the weekend with the return of single digits.  We may even see some snow showers this evening.  A mixed bag of weather to be sure!

I fear the extreme cold of the past week has really taken its toll on some of my garlic.  I covered with a very thick layer of straw, but it is not looking very good right now.  A few other plants are looking a bit worse for the wear.  I'm still hopeful and we will wait and see.  You never know for sure until the warmup of Spring begins.  

Until then, I am still puttering about with my plants in the grow area.  Dreaming of the next set of seedlings to plant.  Seeds are being ordered.  I am certainly ready and counting the days!

Be good and be kind to yourself this Thursday in Ordinal Time.  We all could use a little patience and kindness right now.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It almost feels balmy outside this morning in the Carondelet Garden.  The sun is shining and the high should climb into upper 30s by this afternoon.  A beautiful day to say the very least!

My gardening tasks are once again limited to the basement grow area, but the succulents are looking pretty good.  My investment in grow lights and timers seems to be paying off.  Very happy with the results so far.

I can't believe we are already in the second half of January already.  Time is truly speeding up in that way it does when you reach a certain age.  Do you remember those days when you were younger and you thought time stretched out endlessly and the day would never, ever end?  Those days are gone for this old gardener.  It is what it is.  We are where we are, and the New Year is upon usand it istime to roll up our sleeves, put on the heavy coats and boots and get on with it.  The garden awaits!

It's a good day for a good day.  Be kind to yourself and others.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

The sun is shining but it is really cold outside in the Carondelet Garden.  We had a bit of snow last night.  Just a about half an inch maybe but it makes everything sparkle like white diamond dust across the back garden.  Simply beautiful!

It's been bitterly cold here in south Saint Louis recently.  Not exactly great gardening weather but it did get me in the mood to begin some of my seedlings for the Spring.  We've been wanting to try Sweet Peas flowers for years.  This year is the year.  The vining flowers are perfect for cut flowers and have an amazing scent that permeates the garden.  

Fiddling with the grow lights and organizing seeds was just part of my plan to jolly up my January a bit.  We are returning to a more normal schedule after putting away the holiday adornments.  The house is back to a bit normalcy.  There is a bit of excitement when the new gardening magazines and seed catalogs make their way to us.  Spring may not be in the air, but it is in our hearts and minds on this frigid January day.

It's a good day for a good day.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

A bright sunny morning here in the Carondelet Garden in beautiful south Saint Louis.  We have partly cloudy skies this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon.  The high today should hit the upper 40s.  Things are looking downright cold this weekend with a possibility of snow, rain, sleet, who knows?

The birds are incredibly happy with me as I have refilled the bird feeders.  I've been checking them often as the garden seems to be a frequent stopping point for our neighborhood friends.  Their excitement is palpable.
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We are creatures built for joy.  As I turn my face up to the sky and listen to the life around me you can almost hear the world churning with possibility.  The garden is reminding us that this is what it does so well.  New life, rebirth.  The greenness that rises out of the muck. The birds are singing the song of joy.  All we have to do is listen.

It's a good day for a bit of joy.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

There is a chill in the air outside in the Carondelet Garden on this Ordinary Wednesday morning.  The clouds seem to have settled in, but we may see some sunshine by this afternoon as the temps warm up into the low 40s.  We may want to enjoy these relatively mild Winter days because baby, it's gonna be cold outside come this weekend.  Then again, it is Saint Louis, so who knows?

I've become a bit obsessed with the Hellebores lately.  Probably because they have some of the only color left in the garden right now.  They are so amazing and look incredible in the wetness of the morning.  They give us a bit of hope that Spring will return and none too soon!

The planning is ongoing for spring planting.  Exciting things to come.  Hope is the operative word today as we wait and plan and keep the faith.  

Be good and be kind to yourself as you travel about on this mid-week day.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

A chilly, wet start to the day here in the Carondelet Garden.  With the rain, sleet, snow and winds last night I went out to check on my Hellebores and they are not too much worse for the wear.  The light rain with a bit of snow mixing in will be the rule of the day here in South Saint Louis.  Not a big issue since the temperatures will mostly stay above freezing.  No complaints as the old gardener welcomes the heavenly moisture.

We enjoyed watching the College Football Championship last night.  My wife is from Michigan, so she was delighted with the outcome!  As I was listening to the incredible Fantasia singing the national anthem just before kickoff, I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes from "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker, "I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it."  I'm not sure if it "pisses God off" but I'm fairly certain our Creator would be disappointed that we don't take the tiniest of moments to experience the grace and joy provided for us in nature.

William Blake once wrote:  "Arise, and drink your bliss, for every thing that lives is Holy!"  Every thing that lives is holy! What an amazing, awesome thing to believe.  It might be rainy, snowy and chilly outside but the beauty of a "Lenten Rose" on a Winter's morning is an awesome sight to behold.  A moment of grace on a grey day.  

I hope you have the opportunity to experience a bit of grace and joy on this Ordinary Tuesday in January.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's dark out in the Carondelet Garden on this last day of Christmastide.  The clouds are thick, and the rains should be moving in by this afternoon.  We may even hear a clap of thunder later on.  A cloudy, rainy day to start the week.

As we were running about in late November, we stopped at the hardware store for a few items and were struck with the display of Amaryllis.  As we opened the first box, we noticed that the bulb had burst into bloom inside the box!  How crazy was that? We decided to pick up another and brought it home to discover that it, too had bloomed and was a bit misshapen and not terribly pretty and looking a bit tired.  We cut the poor thing all the way back.  After putting it into some soil and giving it a nice drink, I thought it was done for the year.  I placed it in the growing area in the basement on the off chance it might bloom again.  Low and behold! It did.  It is a real stunner to be sure.  We are so happy we didn't give up on this lovely flower.

Don't give up! I guess that is a good theme for this time of year.  Keep going and things will work themselves out eventually.  "Keep on swimming, keep on swimming!" I can hear Dory singing right now.  

It's a cloudy, rainy day but the flowers are blooming, and beauty surrounds us.  It's a good day for a bit of kindness and generosity.  Be good to yourself! That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's a cloudy start to the day here in the Carondelet Garden.  I thought I'd share a picture of the outside decorations at the end of December when we had just a bit of lovely snow falling.  The clouds should dissipate a bit by this afternoon with the temps struggling to reach 30 degrees.

My gardening has been limited to turning a few compost bins and fiddling with the plants growing under grow lights in the basement.  The other part of a gardener's life is the dreaming.  What is yet to come?  The seed catalogs continue to arrive.  I have planted a few sets of seedlings.  My hibiscus, rosemary and lime tree are hanging in there.  I have a few hanging baskets that are coming back together nicely.  Hope is in the air!

January comes and there is a tangible feeling of newness again.  You can almost feel the days starting to lengthen.  Little by little the light creeps back into our simple, ordinary life which helps keep the faith alive.  Spring will come.  The light will return.  It's time to dream a bit, again!

Here's to a bit of faith, hope and dreaming on this Thursday in Christmastide.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's still dark out in the Carondelet Garden on this Wednesday morning.  I'm in the basement grow area tending to the plants we are trying to over-Winter.  Pretty happy with their current state but continue to monitor and adjust.  We should see some partly cloudy skies later this afternoon with highs in the low 40s. 

After sequestering inside for December, it was nice to get outside and do a little antiquing and grab a bite to eat.  It felt good to be able to return to regular activities again.  It was a very nice day for early January in Saint Louis, so that was definitely a plus.

It's the middle of the week and we are contemplating the process of taking down the holiday decorations both inside and outside.  I have to admit, this is not one of my favorite chores, although Dr. B does the majority of the packing.  Outdoor decorations are my job.  Then everything gets put away into its storage area until later this year when the process starts all over again.  I will miss the lights and decorations!

It's a good day for a good day.  Be good and be kind to yourself this midweek morning.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's a sunny yet chilly morning here in the Carondelet Garden on this second day of the New Year.  We should have a mix of clouds and sunshine this morning, but the clouds are going to take over by this afternoon.  The high today should reach the mid-40s.  All in all, not a bad way to start the year!

I'm looking forward in faith this new year.  One of the things I've discovered as I settle into this old man status is that the world will always be beautiful if you look for beauty.  If I simply take the time to enjoy the clouds fleeting through the afternoon sky.  Have you sat and watched the moon rise on a Winter's evening?  It can be magical!  There is something special that touches my soul when I catch the scent of freshly turned soil.  A lifetime surrounded by wonder if we simply take the time to witness it.  

I've been thinking about time a lot lately.  I guess because I've had a bit more time to think about everything.  I have no idea how much time I have left.  I do know that time moves at a faster rate every day as I creep ever older.  The truth is we all know these days are going to give out sooner than we like to ponder.  At this age I ponder it often.  I am grateful for the time I have and look forward to whatever future I'm given.  I plan to take the time to experience the wonder around me.  I'm going to enjoy this simple, ordinary life I've been given!

​I hope you can take a moment to discover the wonder around you on this Tuesday in Christmastide.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

A ​Happy and Blessed First Day of 2024!
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In the long darkness of Winter on this first day of January as the new year begins, it feels as if nothing has really changed.  Another day, another flip of the calendar.  The days are shorter, and the nights are so much longer with still, long months of shortened days yet to come.
 
The reality is that everything has changed.  As I look around the Carondelet Garden I can witness the rebirth, not a simple turn of the calendar page, but the deep changes in the soil as new life, sheltered deep in the earth, is just waiting for the new Spring to climb toward to the coming light of longer days.  The author of Hebrews tells us that we move forward with the faith of being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
 
On this first day of 2024, we begin a new year in the deepest of darkness but out of this darkness we, too, reach toward the coming light knowing that the light will shine, and better days are yet to come.  A year filled with the faith of things unseen, the hope of new beginnings and the desire to spread love and joy along the journey.  Happy and Blessed New Year!