I started the day with my hands in the earth. To feel a connection to what we came from and what we will return to at the end. The rich earthy smell of well composted dirt. The grainy feel of the worm litter dirt, the pounding of the rock hard dry dirt that has resulted in the weeks with no rain.


Dirt gives the nutrients to the plants and the earth knows exactly what plants will grow for each kind of dirt.
I am working on a new volunteer project now that my plans for my normal volunteering has been interrupted. Just like dirt, I can change.

There is a local Biological garden that is within walking distance from our house. When they turned tulip fields into a park several years ago a group of local people envisioned a local biological garden on some of the park land. They received approval from the local government and started the work.

I was a fan from the start and watched as the volunteers transformed it into a beautiful productive huge garden that first year. They sold the produce from the garden to anyone who wandered in from the parks trails.

Part of the original garden was a small garden that was created from brick with a tree in the middle.

Each morning for about a week now I go and get connected to the Earth. I pull at the weeds, beat the soil loose from the clumps of really hard dirt that has suffered from the lack of recent rainfall, I feel the freedom and silences of the early morning in the garden. I meditate on the current crisis and the people I love with my hands caked in dust and dirt.
I hope on this Earth Day my readers were able to do the same. There is one sure result from this current situation. The earth will survive, the dirt will continue to be dirt and nature will heal any damage us humans have inflicted upon it’s wonderful surface.
©️ The Cedar Journal, 2020, all rights reserved.
Thank you for your lovely contribution to the celebration of Earth Day! I have an age-friendly garden arrangements with seven raised beds which will help to keep the weeds out and make my work at age 78 quite a bit easier. It was sheer delight to see how well our lettuce plants are prospering. Greetings from Western Canada with rain in the forecast!
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Peter- raised beds are great for people your age but also for anyone who has back issues too. Please send rain our way.😊
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A simply beautiful contemplative post celebrating Earth Day. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, your actions, and your honoring of the earth.
Yesterday was stunning in Minnesota. I spent the afternoon outdoors bagging leaves removed from my flowerbeds. BTW, the tulip bulbs are stretching, literally, inches each day. I can’t wait to see what color they are when in bloom. Check my blog post today. Again, thank you for this beautiful gift.
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They need to stretch after such a long travel from the Netherlands. Just so you know their history. They started out in a local field last year. When they bloomed the farmer waits about a week or two and then cuts the blooms off (almost like cutting wheat). Then the rest of last summer the bulb grew in size so it could be harvested in Sept. They are then cleaned, sorted, and graded. Placed in a cool storage building until Feb then they are planted in planters and inspected by US Customs and shipped to the USA. Once they arrive they are placed at the Brecks warehouse until sold. They use many forms of transportation to get to all the customers in the USA. So you can think that they came from my backyard to yours and you are right. So glad you already enjoy them. Can’t wait to see how they bloom!!!😊
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Hi Paula – This is a lovely post. We dug in our own dirt for Earth Day, getting the soil ready for some bare root plants we just had delivered. We do a lot of native gardening at our house, our attempt to keep the bees happy and healthy. We just talked about how grateful we are to have a yard large enough to give us gardening work for the whole summer should we wish it. Since we aren’t going anywhere, that is just the thing.
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Thanks for the compliment. This post really wrote its self. Do you ever get one that just rolls off your fingers? Maybe it was the ZEN of the dirt helping me as it seemed effortless this week. I want pictures of your garden! 😊
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Is that a Pheasant I see enjoying the dirt!?! Both you are B showing off a bird I struggle to find with any regularity (although I do have a giant Turkey that is visiting our yard every day now – suspect it is getting ready to drop some eggs). I tried to send you some mulch, but the Post Office complained about the weight – maybe I can send a spoonful at a time ha. If it makes you feel any better, it has absolutely been pouring the last couple of days here – just when I was getting in the groove if digging in our dirt. 5 more weeks of isolation for us – best of luck to you and the hubby.
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Thanks for the mulch and if you send it through the USPS it goes by slow boat through China and Turkey before finally getting here! Plus, the POTUS is now want them to up the rates 40%!!!! So better do it soon and I will look for it in the mail about the first of the 2025!!! 😂 By then the entire US economy will be gone but I will have mulch! Can I ask for a bit more than one teaspoon at a time?
Those aliens at the Post Office don’t know the difference between teaspoon and tablespoon (believe me I worked for that organization at one time!) Fid you say Turkey? Isn’t that one of Ron’s elusive birds? Problem solved!
We are still looking at May 20th here for a conditional release. All elementary school kids go back to school on 11 May and parents and kids cheered that news!!!
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Nice to see your adapting with the times and got involved with earth day.
I miss my veggie patch and can’t wait to buy my own place again so I can too play in the dirt
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It is always good to be connected to the Earth.
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