Tag: Garden

rapprochement

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I wonder why

I shuddered and

uttered pitchy sounds when

rock and fence became your

sudden slither.  You are

definitely not my type but

we can get along

if you stay.  Your

orange stripes, woven skin

and watchful eye make you

a stud—perhaps.  Yet

my prejudice against your

kind is deep.  Is it experience

I lack or could it be

a gene or

myth that makes me

wary?

© 2017 Ontheland

The photo shows the snake I encountered the other day when I was just about to lean over to look for pea sprouts.  Garter snakes are known to be fairly harmless and probably beneficial for the garden, but…

On a Crescent Moon–Ronovan’s Weekly Challenge #67

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This evening I stayed out in the garden after the sun went down, with a crescent moon above.  I was warm enough in the chilly weather with a cozy jacket, hat, and work gloves on; motivated to keep working with the knowledge that winter is fast approaching and that clearing needs to be done.  Clearing involves pulling up plants and cutting  them up for the compost bin; taking down the trellis and bamboo poles; emptying soil from containers, and so on.

I enjoyed being outdoors tonight. The temperature was nice and cool for working and there were no pesky mosquitoes.  I was listening to music on my iPhone as I worked.  A purist might wonder why I didn’t tune in to the sounds of nature, but it was a quiet night and my 21st century soul needed/wanted some music.

I decided to write a haiku for Ronovan’s Weekly Challenge, based on this evening’s activity, and stopped putting things away in the garage to type a few ideas into a notes app.  The prompt words that I had to keep in mind are “Cheer” and “Call”.

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On a crescent moon, winter calls, gardener clears,

Winter calls, gardener clears, calmed in music’s cheer.

For full challenge details and links to other responses, please visit Ronovan Writes

©2015, All rights reserved by Ontheland.wordpress.com

Garden Song…tune my body and my brain to the music from the land…

When I go out into the garden I often listen to music on my phone with headphones or, for an open air music effect, I’ll place the phone on a bin. As a ‘ritual’, I start off with Garden Song sung by  David Mallett (version: Inches and Miles album, 2009). Garden Song is simple, quaint, and folksy but I like it (blush)…not representative of all the music I listen to, but peaceful and inspiring.  Wikipedia describes Garden Song as “a popular children’s song and American folk song written by David Mallett in 1975”.  Elsewhere it is called an American folk classic.

Do you like Garden Song? Several other performers, such as Pete Seeger and John Denver, have also performed it. The YouTube version below isn’t exactly like the one on my phone, but it is close.  Do you have one or more favorite songs for gardening or working outside?

Performed in 1993 by songwriter Dave Mallett with Mark O’Connor, Jerry Douglas, Brent Mason, Glen Worf, and Harry Stinson.  Here are the lyrics:

Inch by inch, row by row

Gonna make this garden grow

All it takes is a rake and a hoe

And a piece of fertile ground

And inch by inch, and row by row

Someone bless these seeds I sow

Someone warm them from below

Till the rain comes tumblin’ down

And pullin’ weeds and pickin’ stones

Man is made of dreams and bones 

Feel the need to grow my own

‘Cause the time is close at hand

And rain for grain, sun and rain

Find my way in nature’s chain

And tune my body and my brain

To the music from the land

Inch by inch and row by row

Gonna make this garden grow

All it takes is a rake and a hoe

And a piece of fertile ground

And inch by inch, and row by row

Someone bless these seeds I sow

And someone warm them from below

Till the rain comes tumblin’ down

Plant your rows straight and long

Temper them with prayer and song

And mother earth will make you strong

If you give her love and care

An old crow watchin’ hungrily

From his perch in yonder tree

And in my garden I’m as free

As that feathered thief up there

Inch by inch and row by row

Gonna make this garden grow

All it takes is a rake and a hoe

And a piece of fertile ground

And inch by inch, and row by row

Someone bless these seeds I sow

And someone warm them from below

Till the rain comes tumblin’ down

This is my first post as a Blogger for Peace (B4Peace). Click here for more information about this blogging group.