#offering them a summer surprise. Dig and divide! It makes me so happy!

[bethestaryouareradio]

[daybreak-academy-fanfic]

Daybreak Academy: Chapter 88

Uncle Eraqus

Summary: In which Anora and Brain have an off campus Thanksgiving feast with the latter’s uncle. Word Count: 1,686 First | Previous | Next ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆

It was right in the middle of history class when Anora got a text from Brain.

'Are u doing anything tonight? Wanna meet me by the gates for a Thanksgiving feast off campus? I know a real quiet place by the lighthouse. Wear your jogging pants- I'm not going to let you leave until you gain three pounds.'

Anora only wished that she could have seen her face after reading it. The young woman looked up at her teacher before carefully typing her response. Thank goodness that the keyboard on her slider phone was a quiet one. Too bad that she was generally a pretty slow typist.

'what if i'm not hungry?'

After sending the text off, Anora set her phone in her lap and tried to write some notes down. Brain must have been in the middle of class too- his text came back to her roughly ten minutes after.

'Ur nothing but skin and bones, madam. If I don't stuff you up, my uncle will.'

Anora almost had to force herself from questioning why Brain had an uncle. But, still. If this was going to be a Thanksgiving feast, would more of Brian's family be coming along? A small spike of fear hit Anora's head when she asked him just as much.

'Don't worry pretty girl. It'll just be you, me, and uncle E. Like I said, the buffet is a quiet place even on its worse days. It's got separate rooms like a karaoke bar. It's pretty cool.'

'i don't do karaoke'

'It's not an -actual- karaoke bar. Just trust me. Or don't. You don't have to come if you don't want to. I'm kinda just throwing it at you anyway.'

Anora lightly nibbled at her lip as she thought it over. It wouldn't hurt her to get off campus for a bit. She wasn't really expected to join in on anyone else's Thanksgiving dinner. Brain had also appealed to her social avoidance side too- there would be a lot more people in the cafeteria tonight. Some family members joining their kids on a free meal provided by the school. She knew for a fact that Mog's family would be coming- and that included both parents, a brother, a handful of cousins, and a persnickety aunt or two for good measure.

Come to think of it, she probably wouldn't have had dinner at the cafeteria tonight anyway. Still making sure that the history teacher wasn't going to notice her texting, Anora carefully typed her reply back to Brain.

'do i have to wear a dress?'

The bell that signaled for class end went off before Anora got a reply. She didn't even look at her phone until she got to the next class.

'Of course not. Wear what you've got. E's not picky and I literally just mentioned jogging pants. I'll wait until 6:30 for you at the gates.'

After reading through the message, Anora gave a little nod to herself and tried to focus on the rest of class. If there was one difference between Ephemer and Brain, it was that Anora didn't particularly feel like she needed to impress the latter. Hypocritical as it sounded- considering she was the one that told Ephemer he didn't need to impress her to keep her love for him. Most of her dresses were better suited for the summer anyway.

But she should still dress, nicer, though. Meeting with your significant other's (rebound or not) family was a big deal. She didn't want to give Brain's uncle the wrong first impression. Not that she'd be able to talk enough to form a good impression to begin with…

After classes were over, Anora went up to her dorm and started to go through her winter coats. The one she usually wore, a very warm double down jacket, was a bit ratted from years of use. She had to dig real deep in her stored away clothes for the fancy things. The young woman let out a happy noise of discovery when she found her maroon colored peacoat. It would match well with what she was already wearing; a long sleeved, light brown colored tunic shirt and dark washed jeans. It was respectable, but not too dressy.

She didn't waste any time in meeting Brain at the front gates. He was casually leaning on the brick archway before noticing her. When he did, he stood up and adjusted his hat a bit.

“So all your girl clothes are hiding in winter wear.” Brain mused as he looked her over. “Sounds like the opposite of every other girl I know, but it sounds about right for you.”

Anora suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. “Is it bad?”

Brain shook his head. He took a step or two closer to so he could take her hand and gently kiss her knuckles. “Not at all.” he gently purred. “You're just more unique.”

The blush on Anora's face came quickly and without restraint. Brain chuckled a bit at her before calling up a taxi. As the taxi headed on down to the lighthouse located outside of town, Brain tried to make a bit of light conversation with Anora.

“I'm not trying to scare you, but you should know what kind of guy my uncle is.”

Anora turned to him and raised an interested, but wary, eyebrow at him. Brain laughed at it for a moment before going on to explain himself.

“He's the principal at one of the main Departure County public schools. The same one that Ven came from.”

“Oh.” came the rather small answer. A snort escaped Brain's lips in return.

“Don't worry,” he assured her, gently taking her hand to rub her thumb over it, “I'm just teasing. He'll love you.”

Still giving Brain a wary glance, Anora carefully nodded her head and said nothing further. The drive to the lighthouse was spent in a still silence. When they were close enough, Anora could see a man that, at a distance, looked a lot like Brain. As Brain helped Anora out of the taxi, she continued to study the man. She must have stared for two long because he looked right at them. But he didn't call them out. Instead, Brain politely guided Anora by the elbow to the man and even tipped his fedora at him.

“Long time no see Uncle Eraqus!” he happily greeted the old man.

The man gave a nod of his own. “It's been a long time since we've met...”

“Brain.” Brain finished for his uncle.

“Brain...” Eraqus repeated with unease. “So it's official now?”

“Yep.” the young man boasted, grinning at his uncle with a cheeky certainty. “Well, no. A lot of the school paperwork still say I'm 'Blaine', but as far as anyone else knows, I'm the one and only Brain Renzhen.”

“Certainly is a unique name.” his uncle warily agreed. With this out of the way, Eraqus turned his attention to Anora.

“I don't believe we've met before.” Eraqus politely said to Anora. “My name is Eraqus, young lady. I am the brother of Brain's mother.”

Anora shrunk a bit, but offered him a smile and nod of acknowledgment.

“She's not much of a talker.” Brain laughed. “It takes a bit of getting used to for this little bird to sing.”

“Well, if that's the case,” Eraqus offered, “The let's go secure a private room for just us three. I'm sure it would be a lot better to the more socially anxious.”

Anora gave him a small smile in thanks, and with that the three of them entered the buffet. It was a rather cozy place, with amber lighting and the smell of freshly baked bread faintly hinted in the air. The individual rooms were separated with a sliding divider. Anora still sat a bit closer to Brain as the relatives started to talk to each other. The two seemed to have a rather amicable relationship. But the hardest part Anora had to wrap her head around was that Brain hardly referred to his uncle as uncle. Instead he called Eraqus by his first name only. It took time for her to realize that he was doing the same for his aunts as well. From what she could gather, he had two; one older than Eraqus, and one younger than both Eraqus and Brain's mother.

“Do you have any plans for winter break?” Eraqus asked Brain at some point.

“Not really.” the young man mused as he reached for his water glass. “I know Mom wants me to come home. But that means Beli and Chika are going to be there too with their small armies.” Brain took a sip of water before adding, “Thanks for not adding to the gaggle of cousins, by the way.”

Eraqus gave a rather bemused chuckle. “Not yet, anyway.” he teased. “There's one young man that I've been keeping my eye on. He's not much older than you two, but he could benefit from a more kinder household.”

“Are you going to take him to Christmas or New Year's dinner with you?”

“I might.” Eraqus agreed with a sigh. He then turned to Anora and said, “What about you, Anora? Do you have any plans for the break?”

Anora jumped a little, surprised to be a part of the conversation, before carefully shaking her head.

“Daybreak is one of the better campuses to be on during breaks.” Eraqus told her with a nod. “It's a shame that it can't provide housing for its recently graduated students. Assuming that a Tenth Year didn't buy an apartment in town already. Has the food quality improved any since we last had an all state school conference? Urd still swears she got food poisoning from the meatloaf they served.”

“Doesn't Miss Urd get sick off of anything that wasn't served on a gold plate?” Brain lightly snickered. Eraqus gave a small snort of amusement.

As Brain and Eraqus then went into a conversation that slightly mocked whoever this Urd lady was, Anora found herself lost in her own thoughts. What was she going to do for winter break?

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Three Hundred Fifty: In the Shed ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Fugaku ] [ SasuHina, pregnancy ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ] [ AO3 Link ]

He’s looked for it everywhere. And yet, to no avail. H even goes so far as to call his parents, asking if they recall seeing it anywhere around their place. Mikoto gives a thoughtful hum, trying to remember while her husband gruffly assures her there was no way it was there.

“Well honey, I’ll look around, but honestly I don’t think there’s too much of your stuff left here. You’re sure it’s not there with you?”

“I don’t think so...at least, not that I’ve been able to find. You’re sure there aren’t any boxes of mine left there?”

Another sound of contemplation carries over the phone. “...well...if there are, we’ve probably moved them to the shed. That’s where most of the more random things get stuck anymore. Ever since we did all those remodels, it’s become a bit of a hub for lost things. If you want, you can head on over and check. Why all the fuss about it?”

That gets him to pause. “Just...feeling nostalgic. Been a while since I’ve seen it. Y’know, the older I get, the more I tend to kinda...look back and remember.”

Mikoto can’t help a laugh. “Oh believe me, you have much more of that to look forward to, dear. It’ll only get worse from here!”

Chuckling in tandem, Sasuke smiles against the receiver. “Well...if I have some time this weekend, maybe I’ll drop by and look.”

“All right, honey. We’ll be home, so any time is good.”

“Thanks, Mom. See you then.”

“Bye!”

Ending the call, Sasuke considers his mobile for a long moment before stuffing it back in his pocket, mulling the conversation over. Odds are it is somewhere in that shed. Hopefully nothing’s gotten to it...moths, or mice.

“What was that all about?”

“Asking Mom if she knew where it was.”

“Did she have a clue?”

“Might be in the shed there. Which...is a bit convenient, seeing how they’re going to be home.”

Stepping up beside him, Hinata tilts her head curiously for a moment before brightening in understanding. “...oh! That’s a great idea! I’ll go with you, then.”

“Yeah. We’ll just hint we were on our way somewhere else, decided to swing by and look. They’ll never suspect a thing.”

A hint of mischief shines in Hinata’s eyes. “I n-never thought you’d be so underhanded.”

“Oh, please - it’s not like there’s going to be any harm. Just a little surprise.”

“I know, I know. Just teasing you. Anyway, I was going to fix some lunch - hungry?”

“For your cooking? Always.”

The rest of the week passes in typical fashion. Hinata heads back to work as a first grade teacher, always eager to get back to her class and the job she loves. Sasuke, on the other hand, remains at home. It’s where his office is after all, as an independent architect. His days are spent emailing clients and working on new models, occasionally traveling for expos to pick up new ideas and learn about the newest materials and styles. But this week is rather tame: nowhere to go, and most of his current projects toward the end of their development cycles. A few more weeks, and he can open up again to a new round of bids.

But first, the weekend arrives.

The drive to the other side of town isn’t exactly strenuous, and the pair embark in the late morning after Sasuke texts his mother and announces their travel plans. Her reply reveals she’s excited to see him - doubly so when she hears Hinata will be joining him. Already she assures him there will be a hearty lunch upon their arrival. Or...after their perusal through the shed in search of his desired object.

“Do you think she has any clue?”

“Nah...doesn’t seem like it. She’s pretty shrewd, so...honestly, if she thought something was up, she’d have said something by now.”

“Oh, I hope not...I want to see the look on her face. And this is the perfect way to do it!”

“I hadn’t even thought of that when the idea struck me to dig it out. Honestly it all just had me sort of nostalgic.”

“I’ve been the same way...maybe I should dig out some of mine. I think my father still has those boxes at his house. Couldn’t really take them with me to college!”

“Yeah, same. I mean, I didn’t have that many, but...I’m pretty sure what I did have is over there.”

“Well...guess we’ll find out.”

“It better be...otherwise, I have no idea where else to look.”

“There’s no chance you...got rid of it, right?”

“Nope.” The admittance makes him go ever so slightly pink, though he knows he has no reason to. “I don’t think I ever could. And I looked through all my unpacked boxes, so...either it’s at my parents, or...I dunno. Maybe Itachi ended up with it.”

“That would be weird…”

“I’ve run across some of his stuff with mine every so often. We just swap.”

The conversation idles on until their reach the proper neighborhood. The house, from the outside at least, looks pretty much the same as it did growing up for him. The only real difference is the addition of a front porch. It’s the inside where Mikoto and Fugaku have done the most work renovating.

Much of it is Sasuke’s own designs, his parents eager to help support his career.

Mikoto makes her way out to greet them, burying them both in hugs. “It’s so good to see you! Gosh, you two just don’t make it over here often enough!”

“Well, we’re not retired yet,” Sasuke jokes in reply. “Some of us still have jobs and mortgages.”

That earns a hearty laugh. “I know, I know...now, do you want to go digging first, or eat?”

“Dig, I think. We’ll work up our appetites braving the shed.”

“Oh, please - it’s organized! Just dusty - we hardly ever go in there. But there’s nothing to worry about. If the boxes are there, you’ll find them no problem.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Hinata follows as Sasuke makes his way to the back yard, whereupon sits a rather unremarkable shed. At one time it had served as a playhouse for the brothers, but now is a glorified storage container for things no longer suitable for the house. “All right...let’s see what we’ve got.” Undoing the latch, Sasuke lets the door creak open.

Two rows of shelving divide the space, all chock full of boxes and loose paraphernalia. Every box, to his relief, has a label on the front in black marker. “All right...you take that wall.”

“Got it.”

Scanning the box fronts, Sasuke sees mostly his parents’ belongings: stuff packed out after the remodels to help minimize clutter. A few have his brother’s name on them.

“...I think I found them!”

Glancing over, Sasuke sees his wife point to a few boxes, one of which has the sublabel he’s looking for. Grinning, he opens the flaps, digs around...and pulls out a dusty, slightly-worn dinosaur plush.

“...mister Roary.”

Hinata beams. “He’s so cute!”

“I was such a dino nerd as a kid…”

“...should we head in, then?”

“Yeah.” Closing the box back up, Sasuke considers it a moment. “...should we take the rest?”

“Hm...maybe another time. We k-know where it is, now.”

“Yeah, true.”

The pair then head into the house, smiling as the Uchiha pair greet them fondly. Well...Mikoto is a bit more exuberant than her husband, who gives acknowledging nods.

“Oh, you found it!”

“Yup. Right in the proper box.”

“Oh good, good...it’s been so long since I’ve seen that stuffed animal…” Mikoto looks to it fondly.

“Yeah, me too…” Considering the plush in his hands, Sasuke glances to Hinata before offering, “...figured he was in good enough condition, might as well let him have a round two.”

Expression a bit uncertain, Mikoto tilts her head. “...what do you…?”

Fugaku, ever sharp, stiffens before his wife does.

“Round two, I…” After a pause, her eyes go wide. Staring at her son, she then looks to Hinata, resting dainty hands on her shoulders. “Are...are you saying…?”

“We’re going to have a baby!” Hinata blurts, unable to take the tension any longer. She and Mikoto both burst into excited laughter as Sasuke and Fugaku exchange a look, and a nod.

Latching onto her son, Mikoto beams. “I was wondering what brought this on! You sly thing!”

“You know me,” he replies, embracing her back.

“When are you due, Hinata dear?”

“August. Around the twentieth or so.”

“Another Summer baby, oh good! Boy or girl?”

“We’re leaving it as a surprise,” Sasuke replies.

“Oh, I hope for a girl...I always wanted a girl,” she muses. “But! Either way, it will be so exciting! I won’t be able to stand the waiting…”

“How do you think we feel?”

“You have to indulge your mother, dear. Have you told Hiashi yet?”

“No, not yet.”

“Oh, I bet he’ll be thrilled! Happy to see the family growing again.”

Hinata gives a soft, somber smile. “...yeah.”

The pair stay for lunch, enduring all of Mikoto’s questions as Fugaku lets his wife do all the talking. Only once they’ve exhausted her are they allowed to leave.

“Bye you two! Take care, and make your way across town more often, all right?”

“Will do,” Sasuke calls back before getting in the car.

“Well...I think that worked out perfectly,” Hinata praises.

“Yeah, it was definitely worth the drive. Hope you’re prepared to be hovered over until August.”

“Oh, I’m sure that’ll be the least of my worries.”

                                                      .oOo.

     Well, it's...very late, and I'm very tired. Had a very bad, stressful day so...it was nice to end it with some fluff, but I'm exhausted OTL I dunno if the mystery was much of a mystery, but...I tried? lol      I live for Mikoto gushing about her future grandbabies. Heck you canon for taking that from me xD      Anyway, I...reallllly need to go sleep - thanks for reading!

[goddessgardener]

A Cornucopia of Gratitude

"A person of power embraces challenges in complete gratitude. No matter the situation life may bring, discontent is never justified, rather all is experienced as an opportunity and a privilege to adventure and grow." James Ray

It’s raining! Hurray, hurray for the nourishing drops from heaven. I have always been a sunshine goddess, however, after a summer and autumn of extreme heat, I am so grateful for the sweet smell of the musky earth after a shower and the pile of fallen saffron hued leaves that transport me to my childhood days.

To feel gratitude after an angry Mother Earth has unleashed her fury on our planet for the past several months is heroic.  My heart has been heavy with the multiple hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, fires, windstorms, as well as the horrific terrorist attacks and lone wolf concert massacre.  Despite efforts to shake off the terror, a sense of loss and personal sadness permeates every pore.  As I respond to readers and speak to strangers, a deficit of hope clouds the air. With catastrophe after catastrophe…politically generated, humanly engineered, or natural disaster…is there any wonder that confusion and division reigns?

Yet, what the world needs now is love, sweet love.  As Jackie Deshannon so eloquently sang, “it’s the only thing that there’s too little of.”  We can begin sharing the love by beginning to grow gratitude for what we have instead of wallowing in what we lack or what we’ve lost.

Enter the garden.

The garden is and always has been a safe place–a secret refuge from the concrete jungle.  In the garden we can take a deep breath, delight in the perfume of the flowers, and relish the tactile experiences when touching smooth blades of grass, the fuzzy leaves of lambs ear, or digging our fingers into the dirt. We forget about time in the garden as we witness butterflies, bees, and bugs going about their pollination business while listening to the rustling of the leaves and the eloquent music of the songbirds. A garden creates community and hugs us with affection.  We have the unique opportunity to cultivate and connect to our native roots…earth.

As we celebrate November, the month of being thankful, let us look to our garden sanctuaries with gratitude. In this month’s column, I offer you a collection of my favorite photos that commemorate the sass of the season.  These images reflect the colorful cornucopia of happiness and tranquility on our journey through autumn. I hope you will feel energized and inspired by their beauty, originality, and simplicity.

Gardens are powerful teachers. They comfort and console. They evolve and advance with our loving care. When we collaborate with our surroundings, we sustain and increase our humanity and humility. The garden is with us always and the gifts it dispenses are unlimited.

May your Thanksgiving be a day filled with giving thanks and espousing love.

Cynthia Brian’s Mid Month Reminders

RAKE leaves to mix into your compost pile. Do not put them in the green bin unless they are diseased as leaf mould adds valuable nutrients back into the soil.  

REFRAIN from raking an area completely clean as bare soil is not a natural state. Allow a small covering of leaves to slowly decompose where they fell. By clearing the soil completely, erosion and leaching are invited.

TRENCH plant your bulbs of muscari, tulips, and hyacinths to get the job done swiftly.

ADD healthy houseplants to your interior décor to clean the air, lower blood pressures, help with concentration, and reduce stress.

FORCE amaryllis, hyacinths, and paperwhites as thoughtful green holiday gifts.

SCATTER wild flower seeds for a surprise spring showing.

CHECK trees for stability before winter storms arrive. Call in a professional arborist to help you prune any unwanted or dangerous branches. Safety is of the utmost importance.

FERTILIZE your entire landscape. An especially auspicious time to throw fertilizer or pre-emergent is right before a rainfall for maximum absorption.

PICK the last of your grapes and use the colorful grape leaves in your autumn arrangements.

THROW snail and slug bait before the crawlers devour your precious plantings.

DIVIDE perennials such as daylilies, dahlias, and iris.

EXPLORE the diversity of our local hillsides with an invigorating Thanksgiving hike.

TAP into your inner child and roll in the fallen leaves. Make angel wings as if the leaves were snow. Remember how fun that was when you were just a kid!

ARRANGE dried grasses, mushrooms, acorns, magnolia cones, moss, and lichen covered branches for an elegant tabletop setting.

MEDITATE outside in the chilly autumn air and breathe in the aromas of the earth.

CLEAN, sharpen, and oil tools before putting away for the winter.

ADD a cornucopia of gratitude to your daily fruit basket.

Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends.

Happy Gardening. Happy Growing.

Cynthia Brian

Read more at https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1119/Digging-Deep-with-Cynthia-Brian-A-cornucopia-of-gratitude.html

Cynthia Brian, The Goddess Gardener, raised in the vineyards of Napa County, is a New York Times best selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are1® 501 c3. Please make a donation to help with hurricane & fire disaster relief at www.BetheStarYouAre.org.   Tune into Cynthia’s Radio show and order her books at www.StarStyleRadio.com. My new book, Growing with the Goddess Gardener, is available at www.cynthiabrian.com/online-store. Available for hire for any gardening project.   Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com www.GoddessGardener.com

[bethestaryouareradio]

Dig and Divide

“There are no happier folks than plant lovers, and none more generous than those who garden.” Ernest Wilson

Many years ago, I was considering adopting two miniature ponies. When I visited the ranch where they were living there was a small pond surrounded by a flush of gorgeous pink blooms that I had never seen before. When I asked the property owner what they were, she told me they were Naked Ladies, a bulb that boasted bright green spear-like foliage in the winter. When the foliage died at the end of spring, it was necessary to remove the brown leaves, leaving the turtle- shaped bulbs slightly protruding from the ground. Indicating that her Naked Ladies needed dividing, she dug up a bulb, instructing me to plant it in the sun “anywhere”, irrespective of soil condition.  “Wait for next summer’s surprise,” she said. I followed her directions, and that one bulb has evolved into many hundreds that blanket my hillside in a sea of pink perfection. Over the years I have divided, dug, and donated bulbs to many friends, offering them a summer surprise. Dig and divide! It makes me so happy!

Share StarStyle® Empowerment 

This time of year is a perfect time to divide a wide variety of bulbs and perennials. Besides increasing the number of plants in your garden, divisions can be given to other gardeners. Dividing overcrowded plants will give the remaining plants room to grow, maintaining their health, and rejuvenating your beds.  

Before you begin, water the area well a few days before digging. With a shovel or garden fork, dig a large area to remove a clump with the root ball, bulbs, or rhizomes intact. Once out of the ground, shake off the excess dirt and cut or pull apart individual crowns. For perennials, make sure you have roots and leaves. Bulbs and rhizomes need roots attached. To avoid having the roots dry out, plant immediately in another area at the same depth and water deeply. To conserve moisture, add mulch to these newly divided plants.

Overcrowded and overgrown plants will not bloom profusely, however, not all perennials or bulbs benefit from dividing. It’s best to leave Baptista, goatsbeard, lupine, milkweed, Russian sage, peony, red hot poker, bleeding heart, Hellebores, lavender, verbena, and oriental poppies alone.

Plants that need dividing every few years (two to five years) for peak performance include:

Agapanthus

Bearded and Dutch iris

Daylilies

Daffodils and Narcissus

Hosta

Lilies

Monarda

Phlox

Cymbidium orchids

Astilbe

Rudbeckia

Echinacea

Yarrow

Lamb’s Ear

Blanket Flower

Aster

Coreopsis

Naked Ladies

Agave

Thimbleberries

When dividing plants, follow these general guidelines:

Prepare the soil: Amend the new location with compost and choose a well-draining location for the divisions.

Water: Before dividing, water the plants thoroughly to ensure they are adequately hydrated.

Dig: Only divide healthy specimens. Be careful to not damage the roots or bulbs by gently digging up the plant clumps using a shovel or garden fork. Start at the drip line by creating a trench and work inwards.

Divide: The best time to divide is when flowering has halted. Once the clump is out of the ground, clip off the remaining stems at the base and trim any dead or dying leaves and roots.  Carefully separate plants into smaller divisions using your hands or a sharp knife. Make sure that each division has healthy roots.

Replant: Plant the divisions at the same depth as where the original plant was growing. Water deeply and mulch to conserve moisture.

Maintenance: To establish these new divisions, continue to water and watch. Remove weeds, leaf debris, and grassroots from beds and add a mulch of straw or wood chips. After the blooming season, spent blooms, as well as spent branches, can be removed carefully to keep your beds looking fresh and colorful. 

Bulbs should be divided when they are noticeably overcrowded. Bulbs produce offshoot bulbs and as they grow, flowers diminish although leaves flourish. This is when you know it’s time to divide. Let the foliage die back naturally as the plant needs that energy for next year’s growth. Although most plants can be divided in spring or fall, by dividing plants in September, the root systems are allowed to grow before winter arrives.  Sometimes when dividing in spring, the heat arrives before the roots have had a chance to develop. Ask for assistance from your nursery or gardening expert if you feel your plant has any specific needs. Follow best practices and you will be rewarded with a healthy garden with a plethora of flowers.

The agapanthus that I grow in my garden came from divisions. My favorite color is the midnight blue agapanthus followed by the pure white species. This season I will be dividing my agapanthus and my iris. The healthy green leaves of the iris will be left undisturbed until later this month, then I’ll trim the leaves to approximately six inches and start dividing.

If you are looking for easy-to-care desert-loving species that require minimal water, agave and prickly pear cacti may fit the bill. Agave is propagated by separating the pups from the mother plant and replanting in another location in sandy or gravel-filled soil.  If you enjoy eating the fruit of the prickly pear cacti, and admiring its pretty flowers, I suggest you plant one at the back of your garden so that the spines won’t interfere with your other gardening tasks. The fruit is delicious, the flowers are bold, yet the spines are ferocious. Make sure to wear heavy gloves when working with prickly pears. If you don’t want to cultivate a jungle of these cacti, make sure to pick up and discard any pads that fall on the ground. No need to divide a prickly pear…they spread on their own via dropped pads.

Gardening and sharing the bounty results in joy and happiness. I’ve been fascinated by the flocks of mourning doves that have decided to call my garden home. They do devour my mulberries, but they also eat enormous amounts of weed seeds. Each night I go to sleep to their calming cooing. These peaceful birds don’t seem to mind me photographing them, even in their nests. (See photo).

I didn’t adopt the adorable miniature ponies because the family decided to keep them (smart move), yet I am forever grateful for that single division of the Naked Lady as these belladonnas have brought such beauty to my landscape and the gardens of others. Divide, share, and be happy!

Mark Your Calendar:

On Saturday, September 30th, Be the Star You Are!® will host a booth sponsored by the Lamorinda Weekly Newspaperand  MBJessee Painting at the Pear and Wine Festival in Moraga. Stop by to plant seeds and pick up bags of free potpourri. More info at  https://www.bethestaryouare.org/events-1/2023-pear-and-wine-festival

Happy Gardening. Happy Growing. Divide and Delight!

For more gardening advice for all seasons, check out Growing with the Goddess Gardenerat https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/books. Raised in the vineyards of Napa County, Cynthia Brian is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3. Tune into Cynthia’s StarStyle® Radio Broadcast at www.StarStyleRadio.com. 

Her newest children’s picture book, Family Forever, from the series, Stella Bella’s Barnyard Adventures is available now at https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/online-store. 

Hire Cynthia for writing projects, garden consults, and inspirational lectures. Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com  

Read Lamorinda Weekly: https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1714/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Divide-and-delight.html

©2023 Cynthia Brian. Photos and Text, All Rights Reserved.Subscribe

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