Message from the Mountain

The first daylilies of the season are now shining in the sun. They signal a parade of colors that will last the whole summer, each bloom a reason to be grateful. That gratitude can then be shared wit…

Recently we had two Sri Lankan monks visit the Center spreading peace and love throughout the country. I took them to see the Lupines, and they did an impromptu blessing of the Mountain. That blessin…

My eyes caught a small splash of red, and upon investigating more closely I saw a wild columbine in bloom, the first of the season.  I paused for a moment, taking in this small flower that could easi…

Yellow flags are now flowering in the little frog pond while the blue flags are blooming close by. Summer weather is upon us, and it is a great time to pause for a moment and be grateful for Nature’s…

Years ago my wife’s father made her mother a three-legged bench to hold some of her potted plants. It eventually was handed through the family until I squared it off and my son added a fourth leg. No…

For nearly two hundred years, artists have been coming to the mountains to interpret Nature and take their renderings back TO show others. Each artist creates a little differently. In life there is a…

Our bridal wreath is in bloom. I transplanted it over fifty years ago from my parents’ home where it had originally been brought from my great aunt’s. “Thrifting” is popular now.

Support the show

Several years ago my sister gave me some pink lilies-of-the-valley that have the same fragrant flowers as the white variety. Nature provides so many different varieties for us to observe and enjoy, j…

The moment is here, and the show is beginning to start. We have been anticipating it since I cut the Lupine Field last fall. They are now beginning to bloom. If we don’t pause and appreciate, we coul…

The giant iris are standing tall in the flower garden. Often, I will stake them up to keep them from toppling in the wind. With my assistance they continue to remain upright while they flower. People…

We have a shrub at the Center, whose name I have forgotten, that has grown over years and produces beautiful round ball-shaped flowers with a fragrant smell. I am reminded of the beautiful souls on e…

Some time ago I planted some lilies of the valley in front of the house, and they have invaded the landscape. It is an invasion we cherish. I am reminded that when we do small positive acts of kindne…

 I have a lot of early memories of my father coming home from the service and Memorial Day parades when he and my sister and I marched to the cemetery, along with others, to decorate the graves of ve…

The rhododendrons have started to bloom as we continue our spring journey of finding flowering shrubs all season. My intention is to share my gratitude for Nature’s beauty in positive actions every d…

I recently attended a beauty contest sponsored by Nature. There were 25 lady slippers vying for the most beautiful. I couldn’t choose a winner. Then again, in life I don’t necessarily judge beauty by…

The small crabapple tree in our yard is loaded with blossoms, standing out and capturing our attention over the other apple trees. Its fruit, however, is very tiny and only consumed by the birds.

Supp…

Over the years I have noticed that when we work the soil, old plants start to grow again. This was the case when the ground behind the Center was reworked. In life, it is possible to rediscover eleme…

Several years ago we planted some colorful ground phlox over a large rock beside our drive. The plants have spread and are eye catching this time of year. There are many ways to add color to one’s li…

I have learned over the years that some people can use special smells to help them pause and clear their minds. For me, one of the smells is lilacs. As I do not remember smells in my mind, it is impo…

There are a couple of kinds of flowers in the little Frog Pond, and right now the delicate white ones are putting on a show. As the Ormond gardens expand, these components will blend together. Life i…