happy solstice, May the earth be with you

Needing inspiration during these dark, short days? Look no further than our garden planet.I saw this amazing composite "earthrise" pic from NASA taken from the moon last week and it immediately altered and elevated my mood. It's not like I haven't seen images of our beautiful planet before. Perhaps it was a need for a planetary lens after the Paris climate talks. Or maybe just a boost from a lunar perspective after all the rain/darkness the past two weeks? Not sure. But, the outcome was clarity around moving forward with a years-old plan to build a greenhouse in the Figaro's nursery area and research establishing a rooftop growing space on top of our large shed. As gardeners, we need to nurture plant life and when we are not, there is a real void. Sadly, I have not been doing a lot of growing the past few years and the prospect of opening up space to do so, leaves me inspired, motivated, and excited for the endless possibilities that only a bare patch of soil (or growing media) can foster. Thank goodness we have the planet to do such marvellous things.

I'm happy that from here on in, our days will be getting longer. Incredibly, the snowdrops will be popping up soon. When the time comes, I'll be even more pleased to mix a big batch of potting soil, place seeds atop it in a small container, wait impatiently for them to germinate, and grow my physical/mental well being. That's progress.

From all of us in the Figaro's family - Faerlyn, Katherine, Conor, Britt, Anne-Marie, and Hartley - we hope you have a wonderful solstice and festive holiday season; may the earth be with you.