In the temperate climates of the northern hemisphere, grapes come early—but not that early. They are a sure sign that the lion of March is gone and spring is definitely here. These grapes come March and April.
But in the northern hemisphere, if you are not in a temperate climate, your seasonal clock may be in for a shock as was CJ in the Mediterranean climate of northern Morocco. He tries to come to grips with these shocks in my novel Tangier Gardens. Read a free Amazon sample via a safe, clean, secure and direct link @ https://amzn.to/3HLrtyv
I enjoy exploring the details of landscape and gardens.
Hamamelis mollis = witch hazel is now in bloom everywhere in the colder areas of the northern hemisphere.
Yesterday I was walking outdoors and discovered this Hamamelis mollis hybrid in glorious winter flower. I checked for a scent and enjoyed a light but gently intoxicating fragrance. Hamamelis? Common name = witch hazel.
Why witch and why hazel? Answers online and in books inconclusive and vague. Not a hazel and nothing to do with witches.
And the fragrance, nobody in the home-grown-health, medical or perfume communities could define or replicate that witch hazel scent. Check it yourself.
So where do I turn?
I, a novelist, have created a protagonist in my image—obsessed with landscape, gardens and plants. In my novel, Tangier Gardens, the protagonist, CJ, explores in Morocco the landscape of northwest Africa as well as the gardens and plants of Tangier.
Xmas tree labyrinth–don’t they know it’s February!
I knew a guy once who couldn’t figure out the difference between Christian months and Islamic months–and he damn near lost his life. I wrote a novel about it: Tangier Gardens, try it then buy it @ https://amzn.to/3HLrtyv
Every year in the Christmas season, I refresh with Nutcracker Suite—the more traditional librettos of Tchaikovsky’s great work. It takes me on a ride, a light and joyful ride.
That ride on the dancing, story and music is special. Music can by itself take us on a ride. And so can the landscape.
The greatest national parks in the US and around the world can take us on a ride. I’ll leave the definition of ’taking a ride’ to the readers. Clue: it has nothing to do with mechanical vehicles.
I’ve always felt that the landscape and garden work of landscape architects should be able to take the user on a ride. Like music, like dance, like poetry. Romantic poets, centuries ago, took that ride in nature. Why can’t the work of today’s landscape architects offer that ride to users? Am I dreaming?
Just for a moment… while you still have time… where does your knowledge come from?
Put aside your scientific understanding about the formation of clouds and fog… and consider this image.
Explore. The image is no clearer than your understanding of what you will find hiking into this valley. This was one of the Alpine experiences of Byron, Goethe, Tolkien and Franz Hartmann.
Who is Franz Hartmann? And why does it matter? He wrote “The Foundation of Christian Mysticism”.
Occult is an interesting throw-away domain. It is like a trash can in the science and philosophy labs where everything, that doesn’t quite fit the ‘accepted’ science or philosophy, is dumped.
Franz Hartmann wrote biographies of Jakob Böhme and Paracelsus. He drew links between the past and present.
He was of the day (b.1838, d.1912) when doctors were theologians because in medicine, doctors encounter the unexplainable. And theologians deal all the time with those things unexplainable. So we end up with a theosophical trash can of unexplainables. And those things, the unexplainables, become the reason why we have faith.
As 2024 begins, do not forget to question your sources of knowledge.
