- The Rising of the Phoenix
- Posts
- March 2, 2026
It has been a while since I have published this newsletter. Things in my personal life became chaotic and challenging. I am in the process of reformatting both this newsletter and The Phoenix’s Nest. I plan to publish them on different weeks going forward. This more often, the sister newsletter less often.
This newsletter will be shorter and forward looking.
The Phoenix’s Nest is information and how-to’s that you can use right now.
I appreciate your patience and support.
QUICK TIP: One part of building resiliency in your life is knowing the track of the sun through your sky. That track changes throughout the year and is different for every latitude. This track informs how you heat and cool your home, how you garden, and how you preserve your harvest to get you through the lean times. The first bit of information that you need is your latitude (or the latitude of the nearest city). When you have that, find the look up charts for the day length and sun elevation. When you have it for one year, it will be pretty close to the same every year. Keep that chart for future reference.
Using The Sun Track Information In Your Life
When you are using the sun tracking information in your life, the first thing to understand is that the Earth acts like a battery. The earth under your feet absorbs heat when sunlight is plentiful and slowly releases it when the sunlight is less plentiful. The effect of this is that the temperature that you experience lags the energy input by as much as 6 weeks. You can use this to your advantage.
1) In the garden, this effect extends the season in the fall and you can harvest hardy crops with a bit of protection all the way to the winter solstice. In the winter, by February, there is enough light in mid latitudes to grow crops, but not enough heat. Green houses and sun rooms can be used to get an early start on the season with salad crops, greens, and other cool season crops. They can also be used to grow warmer weather crops before their season starts.
2) Placement of windows and thermal masses can take advantage of the sunlight when the heat is needed and overhangs and shades and plants can be used to block the sun when there is too much heat.
3) Water barrels are great for capturing and storing heat reducing the swings in temperature in both growing spaces and in homes.
There is so much more that can be done easily with a bit of imagination and research.
Here Is The Solar Information For 41 * 6’ Latitude
Date Hours of Sunlight Elevation
Jan 1 9h 14m 25.7
Feb 1 10h 5m 31.6
March 1 11h 17 m 41.1
April 1 12h 43m 53.3
May 1 14h 2m 63.7
June 1 15h 70.6
July 1 15h 8m 71.5
Aug 1 14h 22m 65.9
Sept 1 13h 6m 56.4
Oct 1 11h 44m 44.9
Nov 1 10h 22m 33.7
Dec 1 9h 23m 26.5
And my belief is that there is life and intelligence in everything if we have the eyes to see and the heart to hear.
The Earth herself will tell us how to live within her cycles. How to live sustainably and abundantly, if we will listen.
Meditation Garden, The 12th Garden
As I contemplate the abundance of my gardens and of the Earth around me, I am grateful for the beauty and nourishment that the Earth has to offer. I honor with gratitude, the wisdom of the lessons learned from both the pleasant experiences and the experiments in hard knocks. At this time, before the Earth wakes from her slumber, I invite you to walk through your landscape or garden and celebrate Earth’s joyous abundance. Remember that life becomes magical when we learn the wisdom and joy of being grateful for every lesson that we have learned.
In what ways does abundance show up in your life? Is it in the air your breathe? A child’s laughter? The scent of a flower? Your herbal tea? Who has helped you in your life? Who have you helped? Where does your courage come from? Where is the beauty in your life? What were the hard lessons? Can you celebrate both?
My 12th garden includes bay, prairie sage, and sweet grass. These are the herbs of my celebration and some of the herbs I use for transformation of the spirit. When ceremony is used consciously and with gratitude, it can transform life into beauty and growth.
Take some time to write down what you have learned and how you have grown.
Here are some other plants to contemplate for the 12th garden: basil, chamomile, parsley, marjoram, artemisia, ginger, mint, lavender, sage, cedar, and juniper.
You are invited to join a community formed to support people on their journey towards food resiliency in Tiny Spaces, Delectable Tiny Gardens.
Virtual gathering on Friday and Sunday, Plant Profiles, Workshops, Tools and Information, Shared Expertise and Experiences.
For Plant Profiles, Resiliency Guides, and to book coaching
