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Wakanda Lives Within Us
Wakanda is a mystical, fictional, un-colonized small nation in equatorial Africa. Depicted as a third world country, this beautiful place was surrounded by Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. Although technologically advanced, there is a message in this movie. This place of beauty has weighed heavily on mind since seeing The Black Panther.
If you have seen the Black Panther movie, the clouds open up to a village. This colorful village brings utopian beauty to the big screen. What would our natural green spaces look like if left untouched? In most countries, people use the weekend to escape the City. Heading to the beaches or mountains we long for a place of peace. Whether it is the sound of water dancing or trickling from a hidden spring, the reason for escaping is real. The sound of the wind causing the leaves to rustle and create a subtle song, brings peace to those who listen. When you think about it, escaping the woods or water is a modern-day escape to Wakanda.
Why is Wakanda fictional? Is it so hard to imagine a self sustainable existence? This fictional place called Wakanda actually could exist in each of us. We have the ability to recreate a personal version of Wakanda. Here at a few ideas that I thought of to create Wakanda in your life:
- Grow Your Own Green space. Whether you create a garden for lush, visual beauty or for your health by growing an edible’s, growing your own is beneficial. Growing and eating seasonally, as well as supplementing from the market when necessary, means you have a hand in your overall well-being.
- Embrace the great outdoors. This fictional place had a thriving technological existence. If you paid attention, the scenes throughout pictured people at the marketplace talking and laughing with each other. I did not notice anyone on a cellphone or a tablet. The Wakandan’s were walking, talking and engaging with each other. Recognizing the benefits of technology, disengaging from it once in a while could enable us to create our own Wakanda.
This mystical, beautiful place was considered a third world farming community by other advanced communities. Perhaps there are some third world countries that hold the secrets to a Wakandan existence.
Wakanda lives in each of us, however we must take the time to find it.
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Southern Sonnet Honoring My Roots
As I embrace my Southern roots, I tend to think of little ditties to share. Things that perhaps Aunt Lucy or Uncle Willie would have thought as they performed the chores of creating a sustainable existence in Grey Court, South Carolina. Reading these words with a Southern flair, I share the joy of the season. I woke up with these words in my mind….
What is that golden glo
In the sky outside my do’
The chirping, tweeting song
Tho winter’s not gone
Let’s not rush the season
Although Spring is teasin’
Winter, Spring, Summer & Fall
Yep…at the Cottage, I Love Them All
As I anticipate sharing “Passionate About My Roots – History, Heritage and Heirlooms” at Magnolia Plantation, I have imagined how my Great Aunt Lucy would feel as the seasons changed. I often think of how any good Southern woman would embrace this time of the year. How would the fields be prepared and what was the planting plan for the season?
As a single woman farmer and the last surviving daughter of Albert S. Hunter, this was her responsibility. Aunt Lucy demonstrated the characteristics of everything I imagined a woman farmer would be. She took in laundry, babysat the little child across the way, balanced her checking account and did whatever odd jobs she could find to stay afloat. The essence of the typical African-American Southern woman was my Aunt Lucy. Only my Mom, knew how much I wanted to be like my Great Aunt Lucy.
I am a Native Washingtonian. A City made up of people who migrated up from the south for better opportunities. The Southern roots embedded in my DNA, speak to me every time I go into the garden.
Passionate About My roots – History, Heritage and Heirlooms shares what I know of my Southern roots. The roots that have continued to grow as I garden. From how I garden to familiar plants that were on the home site, memories keep me forever in a gardening state of mind. Memories enable me to embrace the beauty that surrounds me each and every day.
Click this link for more information about Magnolia Plantation
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Inner Gardening with Black Panther
Long overdue, the movie ” Black Panther” was a delight to see. Recalling the tidbit of a preview shared at Blogalicious last year, I knew I wanted to see this movie. What I did not realize at the time, was how much the messaging would resonate to the world as we know it today.
I eat, breathe and sleep gardening. Seeing the beautiful land called Wakanda simply took my breath away. Fiction can always make mediocre things look phenomenal. Wakanda, however was not mediocre at all. It was a self-sustaining community that had not been colonized. Considered a small, backwards farming community, Wakanda was not on the radar of the outside world. This was the blessing that sustained its beauty. From the lush forests, mountains, magnificent waterfalls and beautiful people, Wakanda was naturally a beautiful land. The rituals that took place in the water to the beautiful heart-shaped plants, Wakanda was genuinely a place to dream about.
When Erik Killmonger became a force to be reckoned with, one of the first things he did was destroy life. Erik ordered the destruction of the heart-shaped plants that caressed
the vibranium. This heart-shaped plant was a herb that when properly prepared, allowed only those of royal blood to partake. Drinking this herbal concoction, allowed the person to transition and get advice from the ancestors who had passed on. It also provided strength to the recipient for the return journey back to earth.
In today’s world, as development razes older communities or breaks new ground, one of the first acts is removal of vegetation. Stripping the gifts of Mother Nature, to start with a clean slate. Is it replaced? Minimally, in most cases. The symbolism of this act in the Black Panther movie has stuck with me. When change presents itself, why is it easier to get rid of the unfamiliar?
What about integrating the old into new concepts? I could easily compare this to preparing pots for a new season. Should we dump all of the soil out and start with nothing ? Is it possible to mix in a little fresh soil to enhance the old? Is the old soil totally lifeless…or can it be revived?
All of the imagery was not positive. Just like in the garden, if you leave behind diseased foliage, it will cause problems in the garden. Killmonger was left behind by his uncle, which led him to feel unloved and unwanted. We must stop leaving behind things to haunt our existence as we plant seeds of positivity in our life gardens. Usually there is a way, preferably organic, to address and catch negativity before it becomes a problem.
There was other messaging such as the ability for this community to thrive, without outside influence. There were beautiful fabrics, wonderful market scenes and honestly, the people appeared to be happy.
The messaging in the Black Panther movie was subliminal, but caught up with the viewer after the show. The conversations about the Black Panther will continue for some time.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and I will see it again. I must say, it was quite refreshing to see a movie depicting Africa Americans with a positive ending and a willingness to share. We can create our own version of Wakanda by planting seeds of love, knowledge, prosperity, and by making sure that no one is left behind as we pursue success in this world.
Wakanda Forever…if only in my dreams…
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Valentine Gifts for Your Favorite Gardener
For the gardener, Valentines Day can be a creative way to say I Love You. All things Valentine can be found in most stores and is usually a repeat of last year. From the chocolates to the heart-shaped gummies to the boxed chocolates….absolutely BORING!! If you have a favorite gardener, here is the opportunity to show your love. I have a few things that just might go over very well for that gardener in your life.
If your favorite gardener loves chocolates, a gift of Botanical Interests Gardener’s Scrubbing Soap could be the calorie-free answer. In fact, there is a Chocolate Collection offered by Botanical Interests that includes the soap as well as seeds. Offering Chocolate Flower, Nigella Love In A Mist, Ipomoea Chocolate, Helianthus Shock-O-Lat and a Chocolate Cherry Tomato. A unique mix of chocolate for the gardener in your life!
I have never met a gardener that didn’t love to read. Well among the many new books that are available, one particular book comes to mind. A longtime friend and cut flower farmer Lisa Mason Ziegler has a new book called Vegetables Love Flowers. This book is a must-have on your shelf as you prepare to garden in the coming season. Lisa instructs the reader on how to incorporate vegetable gardening alongside your cutting garden. Answering the questions any gardener might have including learning how to grow and enjoy a pesticide-free garden. Lisa has always had products that were easy to use, seeds that really grow well and growing systems that work. The soil blocker is another loved item offered by The Gardener’s Workshop, Lisa’s business. The Gardener’s Workshop is a wonderful resource for unique seeds and garden related items any gardener would love!
As winter lingers, most plantaholics are studying catalogs.The opportunity for a gardener to pick out their “dream” plants or even pre-planned gardens is the perfect gift! Bluestone Perennials has both of these offerings and more. Known for growing their own plant material in 100% biodegradable pots, Bluestone Perennials is the gift that keeps on giving. The love of your life will learn to look for that email with the weekly specials and coupons. With a 100% guarantee, gifting bluestone perennialsis like introducing your loved one to a family member.
Who doesn’t want roses on Valentines Day? After all it is the symbol of love and passion. Not just any rose but a perfect rose for gift giving. If you are looking for a rose with a natural growth habit, highly resistant to disease, clean foliage, and a wonderful scent, consider a David Austin Roses Known for the quality of his superior breeding practices, David Austin roses truly say you care. A gift like this is more than just a vase of cut roses. It is a day spent with your loved one choosing the proper site, digging the proper hole, amending the soil, and planting the rose bush. Talk about romance in the garden that keeps evolving, David Austin roses just keep on giving!!! In lieu of a week’s worth of roses, your loved one could enjoy a season’s worth of bodacious blooms!!
Think outside the heart-shaped box for your Valentine this year.
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