"Your Own Private Eden"

What is it that draws us outdoors? What is it that compels us to plant a garden, or landscape our homes, or hike a national park? For the past two weekends I have spent my leisure time in the front yard of my house re-landscaping with my wife. We are on a mission to correct the flaws that we have tried to ignore for the last five years since purchasing our home. We had made a decision, and before I could say "pass the ibuprofen", we were cutting sod, tilling the soil and creating new planting beds. Our driveway is now a holding area of compost & mulch piles and containers of shrubs and perennials. Together we labored to create a more ideal environment, or to say it better, our own private Eden.

The Garden of Eden has long been synonymous with paradise on earth. …A paradise lost. I asked Pastor Lou Rossetti of Wausau Alliance church about the Biblical connection of this underlying attraction we have for nature. He referred me to the first book of Genesis Verses 28 and 29 which covers the command that God gave man to have dominion over the earth. The word dominion according to Merriam Webster is defined as; domain, supreme authority or sovereignty. The command that God gave Adam was to tend the garden; so in essence, we are all ancestors of the very first gardener. The positive feelings that we get from spending time in the great outdoors is a direct link to our DNA. How cool is that?

Now while I am on the subject of the pursuit of paradise, I would like to address something that I refer to as; "The paradox of the project". Often times during the design process, we will inventory the wish list of a client, along with the needs of the site. We will then draw a detailed plan and present it along with a proposal for the work. What often happens is that the client will go into analysis paralysis. They now have a road map to their desires, but the reality of the price sends them into an altered state. There are two important things to remember here. First, never limit your possibilities due to a perceived price or budget. This is where real creativity comes into play - Getting the desired result even with a less than desirable budget. A wise man once posed this question to me. Sure there is a price to pay, but what is the cost of not doing it? And second, understand that your project can be implemented in phases. Doing things well, and at a pace that you can cope with will allow you to have quality craftsmanship and materials, and an outstanding result. And over a time line that you can live with. (Typically three to five years). I often recommend that our clients only implement what they are truly comfortable with. After all, what good is your piece of paradise if you are financially stressed by it? Eat the elephant in small bites.

The bottom line is that things of beauty often take time. The Good Lord did it in six days, but we aren't that good. However, with planning, patience and an "it's possible" attitude, you are well on your way to creating your own private Eden.

James Merritt/ Living Color Landscapes

715-849-9600

www.livingcolorlandscape.net

Blog comments to this article at www.lifeandlandscapes.blogspot.com

Love Lives Here

We got a call yesterday for an impromptu dinner invite to the home of some now dear friends. Not being one to stray too far from a good meal, I have learned from the few previous times when I was blessed by their hospitality that this is one invitation not to pass up! The secret is excellence. Plain and simple. Love lives at that address and it makes a regular appearance in the form of food and fellowship severed generously at the Lombardo's.

I have asked them to become bloggers and to stop in and share the goodness of their kitchen. I have managed to beg a few recipes from the Lombardos and will get busy and post them. However, the real good stuff is yet to be revealed. This is a definite treat and the wonderful preparation of fine Italian delicacies from family recipes dating back generations should be shared with food enthusiasts everywhere. This is a gold mine folks and I hope that it will spark a mother load from others out there in the world.

Hey - Did I mention that I love Thai food... Anybody out there?

The Idea Garden

OK, I knew a guy who once knew a guy, who worked for the next door neighbor of the guy who invented the internet. So I feel that I have an inside track on this technology thing.

We are planting a garden here. I am encouraging friends and strangers alike to check in, add your wisdom and contribute to the Idea Garden.

We are looking for Martha Stewart type tips, We are looking for the Killer Tomato story, we are looking for healthy alternatives to the junk that we as a nation consume. We are looking for cures, and anecdotes and Grand Ma's pickling recipe. We are looking for things that feed the spirit and the belly. I know that many of you have it in you.

Yes we are busy. Yes we have the 5 second mentality with all things internet, but this is a project that will grow on you. As I had mentioned, I will be posting the articles that I write for the Wausau Daily Herald as they are published, but that is only part of the story. You make up the rest.

So bust loose with the good stuff. Be a blessing to others and share your goodies.

Want a great Kahlua turkey recipe? - "It's da kine bra"!
Stay tuned -

Aloha,

Motor

"The Healing Garden"

"There are no weeds", my teacher proclaimed as we walked through the meadow that was the original encampment of the Menominee people. The beauty of this moment was only matched by the gentle reverence in his voice as he continued "Everything has its purpose, the Creator placed these gifts for us to use." He smiled as he continued... "It was the Europeans that named them weeds. To us, (The Menominee) they are medicine. One just needs to know how to use them." He took his pocket knife out and cut off a slice from the stem of a Staghorn Sumac and gave it to me. "Put this in your mouth, and park it like a cough drop. It is an excellent remedy for a sore throat". Everywhere I looked I was instructed how these gifts from the Great Spirit were placed here to help us, either as food or as medicine.

My teacher was a man named Marvin "Steve" Askinette. A tribal elder, my friend and a wonderful story teller. Standing there in that prairie some fourteen years ago, my eyes were opened to generations of rich information. It is amazing just how much we don't see. Maybe it is a result of our need to have everything neat and clean, maybe it is our controlling nature, but the answers to many of our problems are as near as the backyard.

I wrote recently about "weed" control. The thing that comes to my mind is the war we have waged against the Dandelion. This "menace" to our perfect lawns turns out to be one very potent healer. From Native America, to Appalachia, to the Great Wall of China, tonics, teas and tinctures made from this plant are known to support digestion, work as a blood purifier, relieve constipation, joint pain, inflammatory skin conditions, and is a powerful remedy for liver problems, including conditions such as hepatitis and jaundice. This is only the beginning of our journey into the over-looked and misconceived. Did you know that the much-hated Stinging Nettle is a medicinal food packed with micro nutrients and minerals? The list goes on, beyond the ugly and disdained to the beauties that inhabit our flower gardens. Much loved specimens such as Monarda, Echinacea, Liatris, Balloon Flower, and, Snake Root are often used in landscape designs for their perennial interest. However they also provide a valuable array of healing properties that are mostly unknown to their owners. The immune system builder Goldenseal is in such demand that it is being over harvested, making it one of the most expensive herbs on the market. The good news is you can "grow your own" right here in your shade garden. I found an incredible resource for medicinals where I counted over 120 varieties of healing plants that grow in USDA climate zones 3 and 4. Visit Crimson Sage Medicinal plant nursery (www.CrimsonSage.com) or call them at 530.627.3457.

Yes, everything has its purpose. And maybe if we are open to information, whether it is ancient or new, we will ultimately fulfill ours. "Posoh" Steve.

James "Motor" Merritt - Creative Director

Living Color Landscapes - 715-849-9600

www.livingcolorlandscapes.net