The Gardens I Keep
Cultivating Something I Cherish
Gardening might be the best way to learn how to care for something you love. Gardeners will plug away every day to enrich the soil, give water whenever necessary, pull weeds, adapt to different weather conditions, and basically stop at nothing to ensure that their plants will not only survive but truly flourish. When the garden’s beautiful colors, blooms, and veggies come alive, feelings of satisfaction and joy abound, and the motivation to continue is perpetually fed.
Gardening can be a personal grounding practice that literally connects your body and senses to the earth and nature. Gardens beautify the world in climate-friendly ways and empower people to grow their own food.
I mentioned previously that I am growing a garden for the first time. It is completely inspired by Japanese gardens—spaces that thoughtfully bring humans and plants together in contemplative and gentle ways. Textures, shapes, and spatial composition define them. Surprisingly, I am enjoying the heck out of it.
My goal is to finish phase one of my garden by my birthday at the end of August. There are now less than three months left to get the basic structure of this outdoor space carved out with numerous stones and a carefully curated selection of plants.
Let’s have a look at what’s in there so far.
My mom, a seasoned and skilled gardener in her own right, gave me some yellow creeping Jenny from her garden. There’s a little bit of her in this place now too.
Dear Husband MaxZine is the consummate gardener, and he gave me some of these dark elephant ears that will spread into a grove of their own.
DH also contributed lemongrass and Lenten roses.
Ferns that will live in the shaded portion of the garden are coming in nicely.
Last year, I found a sickly golden charm thread-branch cypress plant that was unceremoniously relegated to a discount pile. Its rich texture was perfect for my garden, and it is now growing healthy and strong where it gets lots of sun.
Hostas, also provided by DH, are growing in a shaded area.
My garden comes with a only dogwood tree that previous residents planted. Its leaves are so pretty.
The large and mature beech tree that hovers over the area will be one of the primary features of the space. She’s magnificent.
There are other special parts to my new garden, but I’ll wait to reveal them as this project progresses.
Another garden I keep exists in my sketchbook. It has been a minute since I posted my pencil drawings of abstract plants and flowers. Here are a handful I recently finished.
Of course, I have ongoing music and film projects, and those gardens will bloom in their own time.
I love all the gardens I keep.
So much joy grows out of seeing something I have cultivated come alive.
Upcoming Shows: July 21, 2024 at DRKMTTR (Nashville, TN)
More Details TBA
You can hear my new song, Vampire, on every major streaming platform, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Tidal.
Give it a listen, share it, and add it to a playlist if you want. Search for Roqué Marcelo or visit any of the following links:
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I recently went with DH and some friends to a show at a venue called 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville. We saw two performers that night, and it was a wonderful and inspiring experience. Artists Kyshona and Rissi Palmer each gave thoughtful and rousing sets of their original music. I love seeing performers at the full height of their craft. Their songs were well-written. The musicianship was first-rate, and their voices were full, rich, and emotive. It gave me much to think about with my own shows.
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Happy gardening…Will look forward to having a wander and a chill in your space when the public are invited…