American Horticultural Society

Here's an excellent gift for yourself or a garden-lover that you love: 

A one-year membership to the American Horticultural Society. 

It costs $35 for an individual, or $50 for two people.

The Reciprocal Admissions Program gives you free or discounted access to over 320 gardens across the USA!
2019's participating gardens are listed here.

You receive a beautiful gardening magazine every other month,
and support a national gardening non-profit organization that

"connects people to gardening,
raises awareness of earth-friendly gardening practices,
introduces children to plants,
brings together leaders to address important national issues,
and showcases the art and practice of horticulture."

If you're in California, also considering joining the California Native Plant Society. 

the Way of Tea

Legend has it that Shen-Nong, the first herbalist of Chinese lore, was walking one day, when a leaf fell into his cup. He learned about medicinal, edible, and toxic properties of plants, animals, and minerals through ingesting and experimenting on his own body. So, he imbibed this drink... and found it lovely. Welcome Camellia sinensis, or the "Tea plant."

I'm excited to share a monthly discussion group on "the Way of Tea" at Aum Vibe, our local yoga studio and tea lounge. We'll sip tea, and discuss a passage of Lao Zi's "Dao de Jing" (老子道德經) each month.

Read more about Tea in this highly informative article from Kevin Horan, or flip through Global Tea Hut's extensive archives of monthly tea-themed newsletters.

Here's a few different translations/ interpretations of the "Dao de Jing"

• A comparative study referenced from Andrew Nugent-Head, LAc
• Stephen Mitchell (one of my favorites)
• Feng and English (another favorite)
• Legge (with Chinese text)
• Rosenthal

Visit my website for more information about my clinic + class offerings!