6th Day, traditions old and new

Across the Nation, traditions abound. From lighting of the National holiday tree to ‘living green’ displayed in residential homes, holiday traditions occur.

At one time, the Science Museum of Virginia host a display of ‘Trees from Around the World’. Countries were represented by trees decorated with traditional holiday decorations; and in the middle, a blended display of global holiday decorations represented diverse American traditions.

In many countries it is believed the use of evergreen plants kept away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness. The country of Germany is credited with starting the use of trees as a Christmas tradition. Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, added the use of lighted candles as decorations. And, when the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was set to music, it helped young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith. The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And, in its 21st century use, December 25, Christmas Day ushers in twelve days of celebration, ending only on January 6 with the feast of the Epiphany.

So, similar to most American families, my family celebrates blended diverse traditions. In fact, my book - Eco-legacy, a millennium woman’s heritage highlights these traditions. For our family, a blend of Quaker heritage with other Christian based faiths along with non-faith activities influence holiday celebrations. For examples, I recall memories of walking with my father the fields of my grandparent’s farm to harvest a ‘perfect’ evergreen Christmas tree; and because my brother and I received fruits and nuts as holiday treats, shoe boxes were placed on the hearth instead of hanging stockings on the mantel.

Nevertheless, due to the fact present-day family members have allergies, we use artificial tree-like greens as decorations. Does change matter? Not really! My family is reminded of their heritage by a tray of holiday mugs which sit on the kitchen counter.

 

Symbols of Holiday, generational spoons, entertainment try and 12 days of Christmas theme mugs. 

A ‘vase of multi-century collected silver spoons’ provides modern-day ‘coffee stirrers’. The tray, acquired by my Mother when she attended ‘home entertainment’ courses offered by our County’s Extension Office, hosts mugs designed to represent the ’12 days of Christmas’ holiday events.

My family starts their celebration on Christmas day ending on January 6. We watch holiday theme movies, play the song Jingle Bells when we open gifts and have Krispy Kreme doughnuts on Christmas morning. In other words, celebrate the season with a blend of old and new traditions. Because we are influenced by a country of Germany heritage, the tree remains softly lighted during the extended winter season to offset bleak wintry days.

So, regardless of cultural diversity, won't you join in a celebration of holiday season American style. Celebrate traditions old and new, representative of our Nation’s blended diversity. For additional eco tips and strategies, visit web site The Wright Scoop.

5th Day, be thankful for those who follow an eco-star

Since the beginning of time, mankind has looked to the sky for guidance. Whether seasonal or spiritual or nautical or aeronautical, it is said wise people follow the stars.

 

Symbols of Epiphany, the star symbol is decorated with hand and footprint of 21st century family members.



The Epiphany which occurs on January 6th celebrates a gift from those who chose to follow a star, the Magi. In a more general format, epiphany is defined as a sudden recognition of or insight into meaning, reality or significance of something. So, the question is have you identified an epiphany – a star to follow?

Similar to most American families, my family celebrates blended diverse traditions. To remind us of our heritage, the holiday season starts on Christmas day and ends January 6th. So, it is time to identify an epiphany – wisely chose a star to follow.

Because my family resides on generational property which consists of extended wet-land areas, our focus is eco – identification and implementation of land maintenance activities which contribute to eco healthy habitats. For as a family, it is the blend of a Quaker heritage with other Christian based faiths along with non-faith activities which influence present-day lifestyle choices.

While historically eco - earth-friendly strategies - is defined in terms of reduce, reuse and recycle, influence by a Quaker heritage, eco is a perspective of CARE - conservation, accountability, recovery and eco-efficiency. So, individually and collectively, we have identified eco-sustainable spaces are not simply a result of lifestyle choices but reflect how we feel about the environment. While keeping it simple (as in simple living) is the name of the game, there is a more important underlying factor – a commitment to ultimate greening: providing for the present without sacrificing the future.

Within our family complex, we use green scaping concepts: build and maintain healthy soil, install right plant for site requirements; and during seasonal appropriate cycles, be water wise, adopt earth-friendly pest and weed management, and implement natural lawn care. In other words, we ‘enable green’ back into the surrounding urban/suburban community by nurturing existing or replacement of ‘living green’. For, if eco-healthy urban suburban landscapes are to exist, individually and collectively - we must become people who CARE – have the perspective of conservation, advocacy, recovery and eco-efficiency.

Regardless of impact of cultural diversity, won't you join in an effort to recover community eco health. For year 2016, measure your eco-footprint and then, resolve to follow a star – pathway that enables eco-healthy lifestyles. Join in a celebration of the concept of an eco-epiphany. Why? It is said wise people follow the stars. For additional tips and strategies, visit web site The Wright Scoop.

4th Day, beat the winter blahs

From the rain forests of south-east Alaska to the deciduous forests of the Mid-Atlantic regions, winter advisories abound. Still, regardless of cold bleak winter days, there is the promise of planting seasons anew.

During the holiday season, a challenge is issued to identify and give ‘gifts of plow’; and to break out of the winter blahs, become a home and garden event traveler. So, while the month of January is celebrated as 'national garden catalog' month, the focus can continue into February, too.



Array of garden catalogs supply ideas for garden projects.

 



On cold winter weather days, when others prefer to read a book by the hearth, as a person who 'digs in the dirt', I sort through prior year garden project receipts and seed packets, update my garden journal, review 'dog eared' garden articles of interest; and plan new season projects. For, it is an excellent time to discard prior year landscape garden printed material clutter as well as review new arrival catalogs for planting project ideas.

Specific to purchases, I start with a local 'feed and seed' retail store such as Southern States. Next, in the spirit of 'buy-local', acquire purchases from a regional supplier such as central Virginia’s Southern Exposure Seed Exchange; and then, focus on 'brand name' product producers for example Proven Winners or Stepables which are purchased through local vendors, too.

While a novice gardener could find such a process overwhelming, purchasing buy-local offers the benefit of on-site expertise; and for those who choose to place orders with non-regional vendors, most suppliers do provide an assortment of prepackaged garden projects.

An event intended to inspire gardeners nation-wide, 'national garden catalog' month is the opportunity to identify plants well-known for their sustainability such as Renee’s Garden Seeds and explore new release plants for example the "VT Spirit" lily offered by Brent and Becky’s Bulbs.

Whether paper print or on-line catalog format, to identify resources, there is a very useful web site Cyndi's Catalog of Garden Catalogs which provides access to all categories of landscape garden supplies. Niche resources can be further identified through the on-line option 'Google search' or through national organizations such as the National Gardening Association or American Horticulture Society; and, there are regional resource options such as garden clubs, community Extension Services, or horticulture educational sites for example public gardens.

To resolve the blahs of the winter season, join others who celebrate and extend national garden catalog month. As gardeners, we not only have opportunities to make a difference through personal choices but can influence others to create an eco-legacy of healthy green space, both rural and urban. For additional eco tips and strategies, visit web site TheWrightScoop.

3rd Day, gift of eco literacy

The month of December is national ‘read a new book’ month. So, in an effort to encourage ‘gifts of plow’ - eco literacy, acquire or give as gifts a new book. It is important that each of us identify and record eco life-style experiences as well as read stories published by others.

A few writers I recommend are Ed Snodgrass who educates both professionals and novice persons of 'green roof' technologies. To expand Snodgrass’s published work into a holiday gift, acquire a copy of his book which has a focus on ‘hands-on’ backyard gardener projects such as a green-roof doghouse or bird house and combine it with project materials. Another writer’s work that can easily be expanded is Renee Shepherd. As a holiday gift, Shepherd’s cookbooks can be combined with her suggested theme garden seed packages providing both materials to plant a garden and a ‘how to’ use after harvest. Brent Heath of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs located in the Tidewater area of Virginia publishes books on the topic of bulb plant gardening. So, for those interested in bulb plantings, acquire a copy of one of his books and combine it with a seasonal order of bulbs.

While there are numerous writers from which to choose, other garden writers who have made my favorite list are the late Jim Wilson who shared his vast horticulture knowledge, Barbara Kingsolver who shared her family's back to basic living adventure in a book titled Animal, Vegetable, Miracle; Tanya Denckla who provides an organic gardening guideline the Gardeners' A-Z Guide to Growing, and Carolyn Freas Rapp who shares through an investigative reporter style the stories of women and their gardens.

Similar to gardening colleagues, I first compiled eco tips and strategies for personal use; then recognizing a void of public-at-large knowledge, shared this information as a free-lance writer as well as in workshop and speech formats. Intended to enable awareness of earth-friendly life-style choices, my work-shop style books provide step by step guidelines for creating an eco-chic – ultimate green. “The Wright Scoop,” says Washington Gardener magazine reviewer Edna Troiano, “Sylvia Hoehns Wright’s book, Landscape Gardening with CARE, offers readers guidelines for joining the green revolution in their own yards. Becoming eco-chic, she explains, is primarily a matter of ‘working with instead of against an area’s natural environment’ to create sustainable, eco-friendly landscapes.” For details, visit Sylvia Wright's Storefront - Lulu.com.

 

In the spirit of the holiday season, join in a quest to green life’s garden one scoop at a time. Give gifts that encourage others to acquire eco literacy: reflect eco-chic, ‘plow, not hearth’. Individually or collectively, we not only have opportunities to make a difference through personal choices but can influence others through our use of green space. For additional tips and strategies, visit web site TheWrightScoop .

2nd Day, put on your green glasses

 As the holiday season approaches, have you considered gift choices that enable eco knowledge, enable an ability to 'put on your green glasses'? If not, you are not alone. Not everyone experiences the benefit of a lifestyle – legacy - that encourages ‘plugging in’ to living green that surrounds them.

On the other hand, as the descendent of a long line of gardeners, I recall childhood experiences of helping my parents and grandparents with their garden. For in my family, children were not only encouraged to have soiled clothes and dirty hands but dig in the dirt! Nevertheless, the further I ventured into the world of gardening, the more I've question its impact on the environment.



Gardening and eco-friendly gardening are not necessarily the same activities. In fact, survey statistics released by the National Garden Bureau identified of 12 eco-friendly surveyed items only 3 are viewed as somewhat successfully observed by homeowner and/or backyard gardeners. It appears that as a Nation, we have participated for more than 50 years in a “Green Revolution”; yet, on the whole, have failed. As a result, it will take more than simply a “love of all things green” to make it work – ‘plug in’.

So, begin your experience by acquiring a basic understanding of the impact of lifestyle choices, your eco-footprint. Then expand your experiences. In the Greater Richmond Area, there are opportunities of exposure to activities that “inspire Virginians to enrich their lives through science” – activities provided by the Science Museum of Virginia. In addition to exhibits and activities that meet ‘standards of learning’ requirements, this site offers ‘hands on’ opportunities to experience ‘green science’.

There are also independent ‘gifts of plow’ that can be acquired such as a weather station; and depending on the age range of those involved, green science kits and toys. So, instead of stumbling through eco efforts, let knowledge become your mentor. Educate yourself and then, incorporate what you learn into daily experiences. Become a person who is open to new and different ideas and share them; for, unless knowledge is shared, it is stagnant.

In the spirit of the holiday season, won't you join me in a quest to green life’s garden one scoop at a time. Give gifts that encourage others to ‘dig in the dirt’: reflect eco-chic, ‘plow, not hearth’. Individually and/or collectively, not only do we have opportunities to make a difference through personal choices but can influence others through our use of green space, both rural and urban. For additional tips and strategies, visit web site TheWrightScoop.

1st Day, gift of plow not hearth

 As the holiday season approaches, are you considering gift choices? For many, the focus is ‘hearth and home’ but from an environmental stewardship perspective, a focus of ‘plow, not hearth’ is appropriate. Why? From the rain forests of south-east Alaska to the deciduous forests of the Mid-Atlantic region, climate change continues to reap havoc on America's landscape.



It may be tempting during the cooler months to hibernate, focus on hearth; still, from a sustainable landscape perspective, it is a better choice to acquire an understanding of eco change, its effect and identify solutions which enable environmental stewardship - the gift of plow. So, I urge consumers and Industry alike to make the cooler seasons an optimal landscape garden installation and maintenance season.

Why? During cooler seasons, landscapes experience fewer pests and disease problems; and, increased amounts of rainfall. Cooler temperatures are recognized to create an ideal environment for plant development. For example, plant roots have an opportunity of seven to nine months in which to develop prior to experiencing the hot humid ‘dog days’ of summer.

As a person who ‘digs in the dirt’ and dwells in the central Virginia Interstate 95 corridor, I’m no stranger to eco havoc. In late August, our landscapes experience drought. Earthquakes in central Virginia have shaken communities with such vengeance that many of those who reside nearby the core are left homeless; and rain generated by the force of tropical storms has occurred. So, hear me when I say, I relate. Still, I believe nature is resilient and leaves us each season with a promise renewed.

As a result, for the holiday season, instead of purchasing trendy gifts, why not focus on ‘plow’ in holiday gift giving. For, there are numerous ‘living green’ gifts from which to choose: crafting a seasonal arrangement or decoration, planting bulb beds, raking yard debris, lime and fertilizing grassy areas, creating a site for a spring planting or thinning crowded evergreens. The winter months, specific to the central Virginia area, are off and on predicted to be mild which enables continued recovery of landscapes damaged by eco havoc. So, ‘plug in’! Whether novice, professional or ‘armchair’ gardener, acquire a step by step guideline for creating the gift of plow, not hearth; for example, a guideline such as my book Landscape Gardening with CARE.



In the spirit of the holiday season, join me in a quest to green life’s garden one scoop at a time. Give gifts that reflect ‘plow, not hearth’. Together, let’s appreciate the resilient of nature: the promise of seasons renewed. Not only do we have opportunities to make a difference through personal choices but can influence others through our use of green space, both rural and urban. During the holiday season, a series of columns are posted which suggest ‘gifts of plow, not hearth’. For additional tips and strategies, visit web site TheWrightScoop .

Renewing a Sense of Thankfulness

Tis the season to renew a sense of thankfulness. How? When all is not right with my world, I dig in the dirt. For, it is the experience of connecting with living green in which I find solace, reduce the effect of life stress; and in fact, on occasion, not only contribute aesthetic beauty but harvest edible bounty. So, considering these benefits, why not focus on renewal of thankfulness?

recover a sense of thankfulness through 'digging in the dirt' 

 

To explore this question, in my book – Eco-legacy, a millennium woman’s heritage, I considered the impact of people, places and events which influenced my perspective of CARE, a commitment of conservation, accountability, accountability and eco-efficiency. Still, a question remained ‘are there factors which once identified, can be used to enable a perspective of 'dig in the dirt' in community as well as individual ‘home and gardens’?

A few years ago, Richard Louv of the children’s nature network estimated 1/3 of nation-wide home landscapes – specifically backyard spaces are household dumping grounds, 1/3 are maintained similar to as supplied by the initial builder; and 1/3 or less is used for family outdoor activities – active recreation and/or landscape gardening. To verify Louv’s prediction, I compared his statistics to my surrounding neighborhood and found it somewhat accurate. Yet, in spike of warnings by such people as Louv, it appears individually and as communities, landscapes continue to decline. So, how do we recover the CARE – a sense of THANKFULNESS - in our Nation’s landscapes?

Since they say it is easier to educate a child than, shift ingrained patterns of adult behavior, perhaps eco education of children should become the priority. As a child, I recall walking in the shadow of not one but numerous adult role models, agri-minded relatives who similarly ‘dig in the dirt’ on a daily basis. An Industry colleague Jeff Minnich also credits an elderly neighbor for his childhood experiences which inspired a fascination with interacting with ‘living green’.

So, can we not individually and collectively make an effort to influence eco education for children, enable their ability to dig in the dirt, acquire a sense of THANKFULNESS for the ‘green that surrounds’ them. And, perhaps child by child we invest in the recovery of ‘CARE’ as it relates to the concept of home and garden. Create landscape gardens of conservation, accountability, recovery and eco-efficiency. For, additional ideas and strategies, visit web site www.TheWrightScoop.com.

#eco #education #Louv #Minnich