My favorite science experiment is gardening
And then painting the produce
Since moving to Colorado in 2019 I’ve started gardening and continue to be surprised at the variety of produce that can be grown here. My watercolor still life series “Grocery and Garden” pairs an item from my garden with an item that can’t be grown in this climate - hence the series title of produce origin. I decide on the pairing by finding a linkage between the two. Below is the first painting in the series, a radish from my garden and a lemon (sadly the winters are too cold for citrus to survive here). They are paired by their bitterness, an element I love in both.
I’ve been putting more time and attention into getting my garden set up this year than I usually do. I started by planting seeds in April that can tolerate potential frosts - cilantro, thyme, radishes (french breakfast and champion), nasturtiums, kohlrabi and carrots. So far I have seedlings coming up for many, but the radishes are barreling out into the world with a speed that always surprises me. They’re a favorite of mine because you can get multiple harvests in a season with their short growing period. It’s a thrill to be able to harvest the (radish) fruits of my labor in early June, when everything else is just starting to grow baby veggies.
The full spread is in the garden now that we’re past the risk of frost, and I’ll do a few more Grocery and Garden newsletters in the coming months. My 2025 gardening season should bring mint, chives, tarragon, oregano, chocolate mint, basil, thai basil, lime basil, bee balm, cilantro, parsley, cherry and regular tomatoes, carrots, eggplant, pattypan squash, boothby blonde cukes, ukrainian cukes, sweet gem snap peas, borage, raspberries, cantaloupe, and watermelon. Our front yard flowers include zinnias, snapdragons, roses, poppies, hollyhocks, yarrow, day lilies, irises, and cat mint. If you have an idea for a pairing of a garden crop with a produce item from the grocery store that I should paint, leave a comment/text me/beep me.
Book recommendation: Life in Five Senses
Gretchen Rubin is famous for her research on happiness and associated podcast and multiple books. I just finished her book on engaging all five senses fully to experience and enjoy the present. She has a free quiz where you can determine your “neglected sense” - mine is taste. Maybe the crops from this year’s garden can help change that? The quiz results are a fun way to get to know your friends better, an update to “what Hogwarts house are you” if you will.
Experience recommendation: Drala Mountain Center
I went to a silent meditation retreat the second weekend of May at the Drala Mountain Center. It’s in a gorgeous valley two hours northwest of Denver with various indoor/outdoor meditation spaces and a Buddhist Stupa open to all.
It’s really nice to be part of a community and also have it be silent, no pressure for small talk. I put Gretchen Rubin’s sensory appreciation into practice while doing some outside sitting and walking meditation, and noticed:
My bare feet moving between grass, the smooth sun-warmed stone of the courtyard, and the cool even wood floor on the inside.
Such a variety of bird songs and air whooshing as birds flew closely overhead. Half way through the day I realized there was an undertone of frogs ribbiting and croaking at the beaver pond a ten minute walk away.
The whole ecosystem sound of wind moving through the forest in the surrounding valley, making me feel small in a good way.
The way pine needles shine in the sun.
Here’s a video from Drala with excellent frog noises for your own sensory experience:
Drala has program selection ranging from meditation and yoga retreats to writing workshops. It’s a great reason to plan a trip to or within Colorado. Let me know if you do!
Love, Christina