Essence of the Times – November 2009

If October was about anything, it was about manouvring yourself into a better position. Having said that, November should come a bit easier and in the lead up to Christmas, things should greatly settle. With no new collective mishaps on the horizon – and a great deal of murk already processed this year – November is a time of joy!

The Spirit of Gardening

There nothing I love more than buying new plants. Whether it be recieving boxes in the post from a mail order catalogue, buying plants on ebay or raiding someone else’s collection for new treasures that they don’t want to part with – I love it all.

Many years ago when I was working at Gardenworld, I was heavily involved in the Victorian Cactus & Succulent society. There was one particular event that was held every year that I really loved going to. They called it a ‘one day happening’. It was a day where the Melbourne, Gellong and Ballarat cactus societies got together in a big scout hall and talked, sold and traded plants. It was great because you got to meet new people as well as paw through other people’s plants trash-n-treasure style! It literally took you hours to get around the hall!

Bromfest 2009

Well the preparations for Bromfest 2009 are going well! Bromfest ( and buying more bromeliads ) have kept me busy out in the garden, hence no blogging! But I’m back in the saddle now!

The date set for the 1st ever Bromeliad swap meet is December 12th and is being held in Melbourne, Australia. There is a limit of 50 attendees.

What is Bromfest?

Bromfest ( short for “bromeliad festival” ) is not just a ‘garden show’ – it is a plant swap meet where you get the chance to sell your plants, trade them with others for new ones, show your favorites in a mini-plant-show and talk about your plants with other enthusiasts. Bromfest is a day where you get to share out your old or extra plants with friends and perhaps pick up a bargain. You don’t have to have ‘picture perfect’ plants – so have a hunt around your collection, clean out your glasshouse ( so you can walk around in there ) and bring that old ratty plant that you have been neglecting. Old, new it doesn’t matter. Bring your plants along.

Imagine if everyone who came brought along with them a box ( or more ) of their favourite, old or surplus plants to sell, swap, show off or trade! What a great day!

Here’s What’s at Bromfest…

• B.B.Q. – Celebrate the end of 2009 in barbeque style! Bring a plate of your favourite dish to share with others!
• Mini-Brom Show – Bring your favourite brom ( or something that you have in flower ) for display in the mini-show.
• Plant Stalls – Bring along your plants for sale. Bring as many as you want – the more the merrier! Stalls *cost nothing and there’s no commissions on your sales!

1. Some tressle tables will be available and although we’re on a quarter acre block, we have a pretty big lawn area.
2. Stalls *cost nothing... but it would be good if you brought some of your old spare plants to give away free to people on the day.

• Bring Your Surplus Plants – Bring your extra or surplus plants for others to have a look at – there’s nothing better than rifling through polly boxes of other peoples plants!
• Mother Plants – Don’t throw your old mother plants away! Box them, bring them along and trade them in for something else!
• Rare or other unusual plants welcome! – Cactus, carnivourous, orchids – all welcome!
• Cuttings – Maybe bring a box of your cuttings, cut flowers, etc… it’s all good.

Essence of the Times – The New Road

Let’s begin with a question. What would you do if you were happy, healthy and the world was a good place to be in? Take a moment to really think it over and then read on.

The Past is Not the Issue

Recently I have been spending a lot of time working on my garden. Planting trees, weeding, building paths, potting plants – the place looks like a real nursery these days.

It has been a lovely time – as though I have been attending to some long, long side of myself. A part of my life that had been trampled by the schedule of need.A downshift from doing to being.

As I further delve into the nature of the ancient grass Bromeliads, the Pitcairnioidieae subfamily more and more of my time is spend ‘living life on the ground’ and doing ‘what is’. It’s been quite a journey and a real shift. No longer thinking about what I want to do and trying to aim my life in better directions with mental energy, the grass Bromeliads help you to ‘get on with it’. Not only this, the plants help to reconnect with… and then resurrect those passions and interests you may have set aside long ago in your daily ‘fight to survive’.

Long lost passion is an interesting subject.

Down Gearing

Do you feel that things are hazy, your energy is low and that it’s hard to get enthusiastic? Do you feel as though you have slowed down?

Noticing the need to slow down, down-size or down gear is usually a sign that you have become aware that what you are currently doing is heading toward disaster. So quite naturally, when we do notice that what we are doing is no good for us, we ‘put the brakes’ on our plans. And look at what we are doing  in an effort to regain a handle on the situation.

Despite the need to sometimes slow down in our lives, we generally do very badly at it!

Essence of the Times – October 2009

Puya Species – Collapse, Caving In. ( Under research, soon to be released )

+ Dropping your illusions. Letting go of baseless ideas, beliefs and other nonsense which are not grounded in reality. Letting go of the illusions which cause you to fall down. Dropping those things in your life that do nothing to support you. Able to naturally support yourself.

- Carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Illusions about your life that cause you to bend, buckle and falter. On the verge of toppling over because of the strain you are under. Dropping the ball. Falling down because you cannot hold up your illusions anymore. Feeling as though your whole has come crashing down around you. Buried beneath a pile of illusions, what if’s and fears.

October 2009 is a lesson in Support!

Sitting with the Problem

Being told to ’sit with your problem’ is probably the last thing you want to do – especially if pain were involved. Being told to ‘be with’ your problems when they arise is also probably the last response you would have when working out how to deal with the issues of your life.

But, ‘being’ is exactly the message behind the new Skyflowers being brought through at this time. Although only 2 of the 16 new flowers have been publically released, the message is consistent throughout the entire new series – “being with the experience… is the solution and way forward”.

Intention

Dear D,

Tonights flower class is on the subject of Intention – for uncertainty and self doubt.

The lesson is this… we like to ‘place our order’ with life and set down clear ( solid ) intentions for ourselves in the hope of warding off fear and self doubt. I.e. If we are clear, then we know, when we know then things will be safe to move forward. So we think, think, think our way forward in the dark.

Little do we realize that LIFE ITSELF has an intention for all of us – the intention that we unfold, mature and become what we are in potential.

Balancing Your Health

There is a prevalent mindset out there in the natural therapy field that one must balance one’s health. That health is a product – a result brought about by using products, methods, modalities, crystals, herbs, etc – in the right quantity and at the right time. In other words, one must ‘make health happen’.

The desire to experience good health is a given. We all want that. But is health the product of labour… or a natural occurrence?