Welcome to Lyn's BLOG...

18th July, 2010
Here in the sub-tropics we have been blessed with lots of rainfall and some beautiful sunny days. It's the perfect time of year to clean up the garden....pull out the spent flowers and weeds, fertilise and mulch and get ready for the next display of blossoms. Over summer I planted the front verge with annuals like: marigolds, cosmos, shasta daisy, iris of various kinds, chrysanthemums and others I have forgotten about.

When they finished flowering I pulled them all out or chopped
them back, so that any dropped seeds could germinate and the
less vigorous plants would have an opportunity to display
themselves. Imagine my delight this morning when I noticed the
glorious purple iris flowers peaking out. The cosmos and
marigolds have re-germinated and are slowly growing back.
They will no doubt be a mass of colour again in a month or so.

One nice thing about planting the verge (apart from the
stunning display) is that passers by get to enjoy the changing
streetscape. Often someone will come up while I am weeding
and tell me how much they enjoy walking their dog past the
colourful display. Sometimes they ask how to do it and will
leave with a handful of seeds and some suggestions for
starting their own garden. I am delighted that my efforts are
being enjoyed by so many people and it has inspired me
to keep an ever changing display happening on the street
frontage. Here is a photo taken by a visiting friend.

IByron has just had a wonderful seaside sculpture show called 'ArtScape' with a huge variety of sculptures strewn along a beachside path.

The people's choice award went to a massive camphor tree
which had been uprooted and lovingly sanded and oiled.
Alas I don't have a picture this, although it is strongly etched in my mind as a symbol of the power and creativity of Nature. Here are a couple of photos showing some of the variety.

12th April, 2010
Daylight saving ended a week ago and I am starting to get back to my normal daily rhythm. When thinking about the whole daylight saving event it sounds OK in theory but my body doesn't quite seem to be in the loop. My body has more of a connection to the daily rhythms of sun, moon and ocean than it does to the time on the clock. Now that we are back to normal (without daylight saving) there is a sense of peace in the mornings. I naturally wake earlier, I don't need an alarm to get me out of bed. I can savour having "extra" time to indulge in the peacefullness as I stretch and stumble out into the garden. What a tragedy when the powers that be decided to introduce daylight saving in the first place. I would happily vote to never bring it back. Yes, I know it was supposedly commenced to give us all this extra daylight after work for our recreation but I think this is a bit of a myth. It mean't eating later, staying up later and really messed with my natural instincts about eating, exercise etc. I hate to think how confused I might have become if I had been a shiftworker. Government is now attempting to enlist southern Queensland in the daylight saving madness and I hope Queenslanders decide to say NO and stop this madness from spreading. Maybe it's time to see where in the country actually needs it.....and if anywhere, then perhaps only the southern states of Victoria and ACT would benefit from a lengthy summer evening.

Talking of madness; last week I hear a radio report about a Coucil deciding to rip down a tree house to save potential litigation costs in the event children were damaged when playing in or around the tree house. Their argument was that it's not safe because it wasn't architect designed and built.....and offer to build another tree house that was designed and built by properly qualified architects and builders. A young boy was interviewed and expressed his opinion that it was special because the kids built it themselves. ...and I believe he is spot on ..... children learn by doing, and our builders and architects of the future need to start with something as simple as a tree house to learn what works and what doesn't and to come up with other creative solutions that have not been used before. When I was a child I built my own tree house...it was my domain. It wasn't terribly sophisticated but it taught me a lot and provided hours of entertainment and pleasure. If we stop our kids doing such things because they might be dangerous then they will not learn commonsense and basic skills of fending for themselves. There are so many rules and regulations that society demands of us and increasingly restricts our personal freedom to walk the earth and be creative. Perhaps it is time we had less rules rather than more. If we ignored all rules for a day and followed one simple guideline: "do no harm" then perhaps we would glimpse how simple and beautiful life really is.

I am aware that II have been remiss of late with taking
photographs...... so next entry will definitely have some!
Enjoy the changing season and the letting go that
this entails, because spring is just around the corner.

This image is of a massive Cork tree at Tenterfield in N.S.W.
It was so huge I couldn't get far enough back to take the picture and get the whole tree in. The figure on the right hand side gives some idea of the size of this monster tree. Well over 100 years old and still going strong.

23rd November, 2009
It surprises me just how quickly this year has gone, but maybe that's just what happens as we grow older. Weatherwise it has been a year of extremes: bushfires and flooding. On a global level it has been even more extreme yet it is also a reminder of just how lucky we are to live in Australia. We have freedom and resources that people in some countries can only dream of. We are blessed to have large tracts of intact nature, wonderful coastline and a climate that enables us to grow food all year round. As I rode my bike to the beach the other day I noticed all sorts of goodies hanging over the fences of surburban backyards. Mangos, passionfruit, grapes and chokos. Granted they weren't ripe, but somehow just knowing there is an abundance of food out there and that in this country there is no need for anyone to go hungry. There is nothing like tasting fruit and vegetables straight from the ground or off the tree. I encourage everyone to grown something.......whether it's a pot of herbs, a fruit tree, some lettuce, beans, climbing beans or spinach. You can mix edibles with ornamentals and get the best of both worlds. A vase of fresh flowers is a real treat also. Caring for plants in this way also connects us with nature and the elements and life can be profound and magical when we are connected with nature.

1st September, 2009
A few weeks ago I travelled west of the great divide and visited two very special places. Thunderbolts Lookout was one of these spots and another was an ancient valley of grass trees. This special spot is not easily found and so I am sharing them in a small album of photos. I hope you enjoy them !

23rd June, 2009
On the north coast of NSW we have had some wild weather
and pretty much non-stop rain for the past few months.
Many trees were blown over and much of the coastline has
been severely eroded.
We are getting used to the sound of chainsaws and seeing
piles of tree branches where shady trees once stood, but it
takes considerably more future vision to see the beaches
reforming from the shifting sands.

I was looking at some photos I had taken of my local beach over the past few years. Comparing what once
was and what currently exists, the severity of the beach erosion can be seen quite clearly. It seems obvious that
the sands which make up our beaches are continually shifting.....sometimes dramatically and other times
barely perceptible, but always in the process of remodeling.



This aspect of Nature is something most of us are less than comfortable with, and if we have a garden of our own we will see that it too is constantly changing. We can learn to embrace change for the chance of renewal it brings. We have to accept the loss of the trees and plants that have been destroyed and adjust to the emptiness. From this place comes inspiration and new possibilities. Fruit trees, herb and veggie gardens provide fresh ingredients for home cooking as we learn to nourish ourselves from the land where we live.
During times of extreme weather it is comforting to be able to pick limes from the tree, and know that you could put together a nourishing meal from the garden without relying on the local supermarket. During the great depression people grew food gardens to survive. It is sad that many of us have lost touch with the knowledge of how to grow food and where our food comes from. It is never too late to learn though and starting with a big pot filled with herbs is fairly foolproof. You will save money, always have fresh herbs at the ready and may even feel more self-reliant as a result. Give it a go........you may be very surprised at how enjoyable it is.

10th March, 2009
Autumn has arrived and there is discernable change in the air. There is mist in the valleys and a heavy dew on the grass. I really enjoy the shift from hot to cooler weather, although I will certainly miss those balmy mornings on the beach. Last week I ventured up to The Pinnacle. What an incredible place! It's like being on top of the world and in the centre of a land time forgot.

A tiny narrow bridge of land remains at the centre of a once active volcano, with 360 degree views including a
side of Mt Warning not often seen. The cattle grazing
below are mere dots in the landscape, and you can
make out slight differences in the foliage colours of the
trees. The scale of the landscape dwarfs man and it is
a truly humbling experience to stand in the middle of
this vastness and contemplate ones existence.

We visited a grove of ancient trees which had been standing in the same spot for more years than I could guess, covered with moss and all manner of ferns. Every square inch of the trees was teeming with life: moss, lichens, insects, bugs, birds, fungi and I daresay other things that were too disguised for my eyes to see. I stood with my hands resting on the tree trunk for a few minutes and felt a deep sense of calm and peace descend on me. I was surprised that I felt such movement and freedom from the tree, and I sensed that the tree was very well acquainted with every plant in the surrounding forest. Walking out of the shady grove I noticed a timber picnic table completely covered with moss. I was delighted to realised Nature was in the process of reworking modern man's offerings...................and she was in fact far more resilient than we'd imagined.

Spending time in wild places is a wonderful way to restore connection with ones soul nature. It enables us to put our lives into some sort of perspective, to realise the connection of all life on earth and we awake refreshed from our sleep. Of course not everyone will make it out into the wild, and the next best thing has got to be having your own wild patch of garden where you can just be, to see how nature does things. Tending to a garden can be a wonderful stress release, and offers much more in the form of flowers, foliage, fruit and veggies. The sound of wind through trees, or the delicate wafting of a flowery perfume on an afternoon breeze can not be over rated. Once we are connected with the natural world life does indeed take on a magical quality.
I wouldn't be without my garden............................it may occupy a small physical space but it provides my mind with a sense of expansive spaciousness.............................I just love it!
Do yourself a favour this month and go for a walk somewhere you haven't been before.....and if you should really enjoy yourself, drop me a line or two and we'll share it in my next posting on this blog.

1st January, 2009
I am feeling disoriented today..... it feels like sunday, not thursday. Like many others I celebrated the arrival of the new year. I was out in the countryside with a wide view of the sky. The night was still and the air clear. High above my head sat the crescent moon and the evening star.....looking very comfortable with each other in the sign of Aquarius, and creating a lovely sociable evening with lots of animated conversations and some dancing!
A few days later I have started some major restructuring of my garden. Intent on planting more veggies and some fruit trees in a tiny space, the process has been a bit like solving a rubix cube.....involving lots of lateral thinking and creativity. It's been hard physical work too.....but even that has its own reward and I have slept like a baby. There's no point in planting fruits and veggies that you don't enjoy eating, and with a small space it's good to work out the things you do like to make the most of the space.

You can interplant herbs, lettuce and chinese greens with climbers like beans, snow peas, cucumbers and climbing spinach, as long as the soil is enriched with compost and is teeming with life. Another benefit of inter planting in a small area is that there is less work to do with keeping weeds at bay and it will look lush and inviting most of the time. If you want to feed yourself from the garden you will need to feed the garden as well. Compost is great, so is seaweed. A light mulch can help feed the ground and make it more difficult for weeds to take root. Best of all, when the soil is rich and moist you will see plants grow quickly and will be harvesting within a very short time. It's not just our stomachs that we need to consider however since many of us derive a lot of pleasure from the sight and smell of flowering shrubs and trees. You can have it all with some thoughtful planting.

A tree can provide fruit and also screen off an unpleasant view or create a buffer from the neighbouring property. A citrus trees can be grafted to grow lemons and mandarins on the same tree. Trees can be planted close together and kept trimmed to provide a fruiting hedge. You can under plant trees with strawberries and other herbs and grow sunflowers in the most unlikely spot.

Bamboo can be a screen as well as provide stakes for the garden, mulch and kindling for the winter fire. Set up a compost bin in your garden to make more space in your garbage bin and encourage worms into your garden. It's exciting watching the worm population increase as they turn your green waste into compost with minimal effort on your part. I would love to see every home with a veggie garden and fruit trees. For the small effort involved the rewards are incredible!

Let's make 2009 the year we all plant something.....and if you don't know where to start......please give me a call.

19th November, 2008
A short two weeks after last months hail storm the Leopard Tree has managed to drop all of its' damaged foliage and is now completely re clothed in new vibrant leaves.

The veggies that survived have grown rapidly and robustly. They are looking and tasting fantastic after soaking up all the additional nutrients the hail and rain provided. I try and include something from the garden in every meal I make, obtaining the strengthening benefits which the plants gained from the storm. Life force is an amazing energy and is easily transferred from living thing to living thing. Some fruits and vegetables are so alive that they literally irresistible. Try putting two lettuces next to each other (one from the local supermarket and one fresh from the garden) and don't tell yourself that you need to eat the supermarket one first because it needs eating..... and notice if you can sense the aliveness. You can even close your eyes and get a friend to mix them up for you.... keep your eyes closed, see if you can sense the life force with your finger tips....smell the leaf....hold it near you lips and see if you can sense which lettuce is which. You can try this with other vegetables as well....but I warn you....picking fresh vegetables from the garden and holding them near you mouth usually means that we just have to taste them! Just you try and not taste those crunchy snow peas and beans. Humans, like animals are equipped with the necessary sensing devices to select what is good for us and what is not. When you reawaken this sensing ability and choose foods accordingly, vibrant health is not far away. I would love to see every person with access to the fruits of a garden.....even if it's only a few herbs in a pot on a balcony.... the act of eating freshly picked food from a garden connects us with nature and nurtures us on many levels.

 
Gardenia and Frangipani blooms have appeared with their sensual smells announcing the eminent arrival of summer. How lucky am I to have fresh alive food to eat as well as these gorgeous sensual treats.
Perhaps the garden of eden is not really very far away after all!

27th October, 2008
Last week my home was hit by a sudden hail storm. I was very grateful that this storm wasn't as ferocious as the hail storm that damaged my home and destroyed my garden almost one year ago. I had been watching the beans (planted according to Anastasia's guidelines) growing steadily, and had even enjoyed 4 beans from the first plant......... before the hail struck. There is still life in the veggie patch, although it is taking a little while for everything to resume growing. The bougainvillea blossoms are on the ground and the fruit trees are looking a little bare without many of their leaves. The beans that I did get to eat were certainly delicious.....I picked them off the vine and devoured them on the spot! I am hoping that the plants will recover to provide some more tasty morsels.

I am constantly surprised by the way nature and plants in particular recover after experiencing adverse conditions. They seem to go dormant for a brief period, drawing their energies inside themselves to repair and withdraw vital essences from badly damaged leaves and stems. Within quite a short period of time they will be again growing exuberantly..........a bit like us humans!
Spring is certainly a time of change, renewal and regeneration. I love cleaning out the cupboards, discarding things that are no longer useful or enjoyable, and doing a major energy cleanse of my home. It helps me to realize the more subtle internal changes that have occurred over the past year, and to express them in a more concrete way. Energy Clearing can create profound changes in a home or business and I look forward to the time when the general population embraces it as a normal desirable thing to do. Just like possessions, energy tends to accumulate in a space over time. Spring cleaning and Energy Clearing involves clearing out the room and being conscious about what you put back into the space. Done properly the room will feel much more expansive and spacious.....and more enjoyable to be in.

12th October, 2008
For the last couple of months life has been busy and full of change. Having a birthday in Spring is very exciting because of the variety of beautiful flowers emerging with the warmer weather. I am lucky to have a pot of orchids which never fail to deliver flowers on my special day, and which continuing flowering for many weeks.

Beautiful flowers are all around, and if you take a walk through your local neighbourhood you may be pleasantly surprised by the visual treats you discover.

I have a friend who collects a handful of flowers on her morning walk and decorates her office with them to delight her throughout the day. What a lovely idea this is to stay in touch with the beauty and transience of the natural world.

Recently I was engaged to design a new path and front entrance for a friends home. It was so lovely to see the positive impact that the changes made on a physical level, as well as their increased enjoyment and appreciation of their home that occurred as a result. Our homes are often designed with very little attention to basic feng shui principles which serve to uplift us and increase our enjoyment of arriving home.

The front entrance makes such an impact on us and our visitors, mentally and emotionally, whether we know it or not. Spring is also the time for spring cleaning" and is a great time to do a big cleanup and energy cleanse. You can perform an energy cleanse yourself by reading about it or by purchasing an  Energy Clearing Kit. Cleansing energy makes a tangible difference that your family and visitors will notice, and it can help to revitalize a business premises as well. Give it a try.....it's FUN!

You might remember me mentioning the Anastasia books back in July...... since then I followed one of her suggestions and this climbing bean is the result. You take some seeds (organic without fungicides) and place them in your mouth for about 9 minutes so that the seeds are well coated with your saliva. Then dig a shallow hole in the garden and spit the seeds into the soil. Don't water them for a few days..... and visit the seed daily to keep the energetic connection. Anastasia says that seeds are intelligent and will take into account information from your saliva (dna), the earth where you live and the planetary alignment to grow a fruit/vegetable that is formulated specifically for your optimum health. I planted six seeds and was so excited when one strong shoot burst forth within a few days. It was the only one that sprouted.....until after about 2 weeks...when another smaller plant popped its head up. This first bean plant now has 6 beans on it (with lots of flowers and more tiny beans in the making) and I am looking forward to tasting the fruits of this special plant. More about this in my next blog entry!

20th July, 2008
There is a saying : "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and today I am struck with the understanding that perhaps it should be:"beauty is in the heart of the beholder". When we look with our eyes we see that which is a reflection of our mind, and when we look with an open heart we see beauty all around us. Perhaps it is easier to see beauty when we are out in nature.......

a pale winter sky, trees dancing in the wind, birds taking flight, waves crashing on the shore, It's all gorgeous!  Here are some images from my recent wanderings around Byron.......please enjoy! 

At present I am reading the "ANASTASIA" books and they are peppered with gems of wisdom relating to nature, the space of love and man's connection with the universe. I was sitting in a cafe recently with one of these books and a man rushed up to tell me he was reading the series and excitedly told me of the profound effect the books had on him. It seems to me that these unusual books have a way or raising ones' awareness of his/her own heart space and this is a wonderful thing.
Here is the web site link for anyone who is interested in finding out more http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.org

30th June, 2008
The end of financial year has arrived already and colder winter weather as well. What a difference it makes when the sun is shining. Wonderful weather to weed the veggie patch and pop in some garlic cloves that have started to sprout. Excellent also to plant some chinese greens and herbs. Yes, I am a fan of quick growing and delicious veggies that I can pick from the garden moments before I eat them. I like to use weeding as a meditation - simply being very present whilst I am pulling out the weeds and plants that have finished their cycle. It can help the mind to release thoughts and attachments that are no longer relevant....kind of mental weeding if you like. There is also a sense of satisfaction as I look around at my handiwork and realize that I have restored some order and created space for new things to flourish.

Winter is also a great time to cook up a storm in the kitchen and invite friends around to share the soul nourishment that comes from relaxing in front of the fire. If you don't have a fireplace or heater inside, it is fairly simple to create one in an old drum or circle of stones outside in the garden. Being around the fire seems to rekindle ancient memories of more tribal times when we all gathered around the fire to eat, tell stories, make music and be accepted as part of a tribe. It's great to feel our connection with the elements (fire, earth, air, water) and be reminded that we are all on this spaceship (EARTH) together in the midst of a vast universe.

2nd June, 2008
April and May were relatively dry months for us on the north coast and many people took advantage of the dry weather to renovate their outdoor spaces. Some lucky ones were able to get work completed before the winter rains and others are still waiting for the rain to stop so that projects can be finished.

Today I had the good fortune to visit a garden that had a number of well established Camellia trees. Delicate whites flushed with pink, shades of magenta and the softest pale pink. They are wonderful flowers to pop into a vase and bring a delicate beauty into the home. I feel inspired to plant them, even though I have limited space. They respond well to pruning and can remain quite compact if cut back regularly. It is certainly a treat to be able to pick flowers from your own garden. Camellias are fairly easy to care for and respond with an abundance of stunning blooms. A single flower is a visual treat that can take ones breath away.

I have spent more time in other peoples gardens than I have in my own in recent times and I love the way every garden is different. Renovating a wild overgrown garden has its own rewards and can be full of surprises once you start eliminating weeds and rampant runaway plants. Winter is a great time for tackling any hard work in the garden as days are often sunny and you can accomplish a great deal without overheating. It's also good for planting herbs, lettuce and chinese greens in that empty pot near the kitchen door. Many of us spend more time at home during the Winter than the warmer months, so take a fresh look at your space and plant something edible. If you plant seedlings they don't require a lot of work and you will be eating greens within a few weeks. Once you've picked parsley, rocket or lettuce from your own garden (or pot) and tasted the difference, you will want to grow greens all year round. Who knows, with peak oil on the horizon, our very survival may depend on growing some food in our backyard.

8th April, 2008
Sometimes I wonder where time goes. It can stretch on for what seems like an eternity and then disappear at a speed that can shock. March was a bit like that for me..........Autumn has arrived and sent many of us scurrying into the garden and around the home catching up on home maintenance. The change of seasons can bring health issues to the surface as we prepare for the colder Winter months, and can also serve as a reminder of how we are intimately effected by the cycles of Nature.

Coming up on 26th April at Bangalow and celebrating World Tai Chi and Qigong Day is the Chi & Ki Festival. The Festival aims to bring people together worldwide across economic and geopolitical lines to celebrate health, healing and create a vision of possibility for humanity. I will be facilitating a Feng Shui workshop at the Festival, and plan to participate in the Tai Chi and Quigong classes as well. Check the link above to find out more details, and perhaps I'll see you you there!

Now is a great time to plant some winter greens (lettuce, herbs and chinese greens). There is nothing more healthy than picking greens from the garden moments before you eat them. Try it and you might be surprised just how easy it is. Of course, if you don't have a garden you can try sprouting some highly nutritious sprouts on your kitchen bench top. They can add vitality to a salad or soup and the kids will love to see how quickly they sprout. Try a mixture of mung beans and green/brown lentils to start........and you're eating them within 3-4 days! This is a great way to get fresh, organic nutrition into your kitchen and it won't cost the earth.

26th February, 2008
The Year of the Rat has had me traveling again. I drove west, across the mountains and onto the slopes of plains of New South Wales to visit my parents near Inverell. The countryside was surprisingly green, with full dams and lush crops in the paddocks. The colours were delightful and I couldn't resist the pale yellow, orange and green of the sorghum fields. Thunderbolts Lookout is a large outcrop of granite boulders and is a local landmark. The bush ranger Thunderbolt camped there according to my grandfather.

Away from the coast the colours seem softer. The exquisite pattern of this Canna Leaf caught my eye in a friends garden. They grown well in a range of climatic zones and are certainly a treat for the eye.

I came home laden with beautiful organic veggies: beans, rock melon, figs, potatoes, garlic, zucchini and carrots.

It's great to be back near the ocean once again....and eating such
wonderful fresh and delicious food! We have had even more rain on the coast
and it has seen me weeding and trimming the shrubs that grow so quickly when rainfall is abundant.

It's certainly been a wetter than usual start to the year, and it's great to hear that the big river systems are getting some water into them and that the birds are breeding along the flood plains.
Time seems to be slipping away also with almost two months of the year gone.
I wonder what adventures March will bring?

7th February, 2008
Today is Chinese New Year. Welcome to the Year of the Rat! I have just returned home after a week in Sydney helping out on a Fundraiser for a dear friend. I donated one of my Environmental Art Lamps for the Auction, and was delighted that it had such a wide appeal. When the Lamp was lit you could hear a murmur of appreciation from the audience. Bidding was brisk and the Lamp went home with the highest bidder. She telephoned a couple of days later to tell me how much she loves it! Details about the fundraiser can be found on: http://www.breakingthesilence.com.au

I found time to visit the Chinese Gardens at Darling Harbour and was delighted to find a space of calm beauty in the midst of the city. It's quite special to be able to climb a rocky hill and get pine sap on your hands and then sit quietly beside the lotus pond with its' abundance of Carp, only minutes from the city.

Back in Byron it seems the week of rain has nurtured a new crop of weeds, and so I have an hour or so of "meditative weeding" to keep me busy. Thank goodness I have a low maintenance garden!

“The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes.”
Frank Lloyd Wright (1868-1959)

29th January, 2008        
January has whizzed by, family and friends have returned home and now there is some time focus on the year ahead. This quotation from Frank Lloyd Wright somehow feels particularly apt for me this year.   As I watch the forces of Nature keeping the balance by moving earth, air and water in sometimes overwhelming quantities I am reminded that everything has its' season, things happen for a reason and that nothing lasts forever in the same form. Amidst the changes I see an exquisite beauty emerging and it rekindles a desire to share the wisdom of working with nature. No where is this attitude more appropriate than in the garden. Nature grows bushes, shrubs and trees in some pretty hostile places. A tiny crack in the city pavement or an eroded edge of a bitumen road. It's her job to create life! We can learn a thing or two just by observing how she does this. Take a moment at the end of a busy day to watch the sun set:; drink in the glowing energy as it magically disappears over the horizon, and be reminded that we are all in the same lifeboat ( planet Earth) as she hurtles her way around the Sun.