Behind the scenes, I’ve spent the past 3 years gardening.
I have memories of my college self sketching designs for urban-nature integration. Sweeping curved plazas filled with aquaponic pools, thriving eco-systems, and public places that wrapped the visitors in nature, even within cityscapes. Perhaps these visions grew from having transplanted myself from 40 acres in the country to the heart of urban suburbia {the sprawl of Chicagoland}, or perhaps they were already a part of me, simply lying dormant. A plan for a time yet to come, seeded by a mission not yet awakened in my experience.
In either case, life has caused that vision to become a potential necessity – for our species to transition into a future beyond mass production, mass waste, and destruction. {Not to mention, deep psychological and physical disease.}
Knowing this on some level in my heart for quite some time, I’ve found myself gravitating towards what I’ll call Earth wisdom. Knowledge of plant medicines, foraging, soil health and regeneration, and the effects of modern agricultural practices on the earth, our food, and our bodies.
I’ve become {surprisingly} enthralled by permaculture gardening, and the beauty of its simplicity. The return to interconnectedness. The balance and sense of purpose that comes from fostering a self-contained, self-sustaining system, intrigues me to no end.
And yes, it does require dirty fingernails, an acceptance of the presence of bugs, and a variety of other “inconveniences,” but what it gifts in return is the blessing of connection and security; Food security, mental health {to have a sense of purpose and love for one’s environment is exponentially enriching}, and physical wellbeing.
I had hoped a month ago to be in a position to purchase a piece of property a few miles outside of town to begin a permaculture market garden/farm in earnest, and still have that goal in mind. But in the meantime, I’ll be digging in both literally and figuratively, to a homestead-esque existence, using my small yard as an example of what can be done to live in greater harmony with Earth.
If you’d like to explore what I’m up to, feel free to follow along with my YouTube Channel {subscribe now so you don’t miss the first videos!}, or head over to my Patreon to support the garden. I’ll be sharing all sorts of permaculture gardening tips, recipes, herbal insights, and more. And, for anyone who’s on a similar path, I’m starting a private online community for like-minded individuals to share, explore, and be inspired.
In the meantime, take a peek at the documentary Living the Change for a bit of a sense of what can be accomplished, and why it’s worth our shift in perspective.
Outside of that, we’re well into Wedding Season 2022. We’re so grateful for our amazing couples, and will get back to blogging their stories as usual soon.
As always, thanks for following along.
♥,
Jen