Phoebe with her Almanac…
Hello everyone,
As winter gives way to that lovely in-between season we call sprinter, the pieces have literally just fallen into place for the most exciting and timely invitation I can possibly present: a LUNAR CULTIVATION WORKSHOP with PHOEBE EAST of ALCHEMILLA on SATURDAY 24 AUGUST.
I’m sorry not to be giving you more notice but…I encourage all gardeners to drop everything! Because here is an opportunity to meet and sit in gentle conversation with Phoebe, as she discusses and divulges firsthand, the information contained in her latest ALMANAC.
I say timely because this Almanac edition is literally hot off the press, containing not just Lunar Planting Guidelines for the next 12 months; but as a comprehensive resource that explains the many elements of holistic cultivation, all of us who are gardening can benefit enormously by expanding our knowledge about this ancient sphere of wisdom. I find these threads of information to be compelling, and yet they’re not second nature to me. But I have a feeling that listening to Phoebe will galvanise some of that information…as this is going to be a storytelling kind of day…the best way to learn.
I’ve been following Phoebe’s journey for quite awhile. It was her beautiful flower farming that initially caught my eye – her first farm was in the Northern Rivers of NSW and her second in South West Victoria. Whilst Phoebe’s insta feed has long captivated with romantic images of glorious flowers basking in the sunlight, I soon came to realise she had a great deal more at play, and that underpinning the beauty she presents was a set of wider environmental values; employing the ‘three major holistic agricultural frameworks of biodynamics, permaculture and regenerative agriculture’ in her farming practice.
But it was when Phoebe’s ALCHEMILLA ALMANAC came to light (the first released in 2021) that I began to take a deeper interest in her vast knowledge, not just across holistic farming and gardening, but her deep understanding of the Cosmos and how integrating the lunar cycle into our practice can benefit our growing. Over the last couple of years, I’ve found Phoebe’s (weighty) Almanac to be both an inspiration and resource for timing the best moments for seed sowing at least (if not for my helter-skelter cultivation!).
This will be a gentle day….we’ll be ‘in the round’ and our time will be spent in conversational style. I’ll pitch in to get the narrative underway…and expect we’ll all be eager to participate! There will be a little lunch…some seasonal morsels to stave off the hunger pangs and you will be welcome to linger longer in the garden and to potter in the Barn, as well as to ask Phoebe any further burgeoning questions and of course, to get hold of your very own copy of her Almanac!
How beautifully this dovetails with our Thankful for Soil event the weekend before (where there are just three places still available if you’re keen to join us).
All the details for the ALCHEMILLA LUNAR CULTIVATION WORKSHOP on SATURDAY 24 AUGUST are here. If you have any questions, please get in touch and I’ll reply as soon as I can.
How Phoebe and I will look forward to seeing you here.
With very warm wishes
Mickey
