CP NEW MOON NEWSLETTER - MARCH 2026
- Jennifer Jewell
- 60 minutes ago
- 5 min read
The native wild iris are having a spectacular spring in the oak woodlands of interior Northern California. They are harbingers and teachers among us, modeling what it means to garden exuberantly and with care in challenging times.
Happy New Moon of March 18, 2026
"We all have Glorians in our lives, and I can only imagine if you had a circle of Gardeners how each one would speak about a Glorian that they had encountered, in the last week, the stories would be endless, of that moment of meeting, that moment of surprise, the moment they had been cultivating all along that comes into full blossom.”
Terry Tempest Williams on Cultivating Place 3.19.26
Happy New Moon,
And happy Equinox happening Friday, March 20th. Even with the many climate, political, economic, and social challenges we might list here, Spring is still arriving in the Northern Hemisphere, Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. And the Gardeners among us feel it in our bones, our breath, our fingers, and knees!
The plants and their animals (like us Gardeners) are doing what they need to do with these seasonal and current truths in mind. For those greeting Spring, they are budding, migrating, nesting, hatching, seeding, planting, pruning, blooming, harvesting–all in preparation for the season ahead.
They are all "Glorians"–teachers all around us, reminding us what truly matters.
The quote above from my interview with Terry Tempest Williams, airing this week in honor of the Equinox, reminds me that one of the most important things we as Gardeners do, is bear witness. When we come together, and share knowledge, enthusiasm, sadness, frustration, and experiences in general, as we do on the podcast weekly, as we do in our CP Communings (now monthly 🥳), as we do in our garden journals, and garden photos, and garden receipts, we are bearing witness to who was here in this place at this time, what they were doing, and how they were doing.
We are the circle of Gardeners of whom Terry Tempest Williams' speaks.
We bear witness to how the collective we are really doing.
Aggregated and over time, every one of these notations (emails, texts, social media shares, flower & tree & weather & bug & bird & mountain & sun, moon, star photos, songs, sketches, poems, laments & prayers of and for our places in these times become baseline data and original source material in the future, to remind us what was true, for both the most tragic of truths and the most miraculous and ordinary of truths. Including record breaking heat for my place in March of 2026, and that the robins began their seasonal morning song this week, along with the wrens, and the swallowtail butterflies hatched last week, and it has been a spectacular spring for the wild iris.
For the love of tending plants in our places for the care of all, thank you for being in this circle of sharing Gardeners,
Jennifer & The CP Team
PS: Keep reading for updates on all things CP Podcast, Film, and Gatherings...like our preliminary September Symposium save-the-date....
A striking Swallowtail butterfly freshly emerged and resting in the grass along a steep
bank in the canyon this week. SPRING!
CP PODCAST:
Bearing witness is another perennial theme–and purpose–of our 10 years of weekly Cultivating Place podcast conversations. These conversations are an ongoing documentary of who Gardeners are, where Gardeners are, and all that we are growing and caring for our in our world. Never underestimate this, friends.
Since the New Moon of February, we learned about some of our earliest emerging solitary bees, the Orchard Mason bees; Abra shared the amazing history of Annie Mae Vann Reid, an historic and role model floriculturist and garden entrepreneur in South Carolina, in conversation with Mrs. Vann Reid's great nieces; Ben explored the current moment in our Garden world with the UK's John Little and his Grass Roof Company and Care not Capital work with Gardens and Garden education; we celebrated some innovative thinking from a soil nutrient company hoping to catalyze better soil amendments that move more food growers (at scale) to regenerative farming and practices; and, in celebration and honor of the Vernal Equinox, this week I am in conversation with Terry Tempest Williams.
Every CP conversation helps us all–in ways small like seeds and large like trees–grow our way back into relationship with each other and this world we grow with and for.
Enjoy catching up on your listening with episodes from the last month (click each name or image for its audio link)!
Welcome Spring ! We see you and bear witness to your perennial return.
CP: THE POWER OF GARDENERS FILM SERIES:
It was a nearly out-of-body experience to speak with and for groups around the Pacific Northwest this past few weeks. To screen the newest trailer for the Power of Gardeners film series in person with nearly 1000 people over 5 events between Seattle and Vancouver, BC, and to see/hear/feel the messages of the series resonate with them in real time - you cannot underestimate the impact of that on me and Myriam, who was with me in Seattle. Keep your eyes peeled for the rolling out of even more in person and virtual screenings of the first working draft of a full episode of the series as the spring and summer unfold...more growing and exciting things are germinating.
And when you are a CP sustaining supporter,making a recurring monthly gift of $10 or more, or an annual gift of $120 or more, investing in this important work coming to fruition–you get early notice, discounted ticket prices, extra offerings, and value adds all along the way. To say nothing of the satisfaction of knowing you, too, are Gardening with us and growing our world better.
Connect with us about partnering for pre-screenings events in 2026, screening events in 2027, gift licenses for school or garden groups, etc.: cultivatingplace@gmail.com
AND FINALLY...HUZZAH, you made it to the end...
Your bonus?
MARK your calendars to join us for the inaugural bi-annual
Cultivating Place Symposium September 25th & 26th, 2026:
THE POWER OF GARDENERS: SOUTH BEND
co-sponsored by Botany & Co in South Bend, IN
CP sustaining supporters,who make a recurring monthly gift of $10 or more, or an annual gift of $120 or more, look for your CP-investor-only invitations in early summer to register for this catalyzing two-day gathering featuring national speakers, a sneak peak film-screening and panel, followed by a community reception on Friday, and guided Garden and Green Space tours on Saturday morning.
THE POWER OF GARDENERS: SOUTH BEND.... we'd love to see your there ! Join us!
CP EVENTS:
UPCOMING:
(all underlined headings are live links to registration pages)
March 19, 2026 TOMORROW
Audubon of the Rockies
Audubon after Dark - Story Hour
"If you Give a Bird A Garden....."
VIRTUAL 6 - 7 pm Pacific
April 11 & 12, 2026
Cultivating Place
A Cultivating Place LIVE event in support of KWMR Community Radio. Jennifer will host one of the CP LIVE Keystone series interviews in conversation with Rebecca Newburn, a nationally recognized seed advocate and founder of the Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library.
3 - 5 pm
April 21, 2026
CP COMMUNING - BOOK CLUB
Pansies - Led by Ben Futa, joined by the author.
via Zoom 3 pm Pacific/ 6 pm Eastern
May 19, 2026
CP COMMUNING - BOOK CLUB
The Glorians, Led By Jennifer Jewell
via Zoom 3 pm Pacific/ 6 pm Eastern
More 2026 events here: CP EVENTS
The CP Communing on March 17th was a revelation of community sharing how & why we all cultivate our places with care and creativity in these times. CP COMMUNINGS are free, community gathering and sharing opportunities now held on the third Tuesday of every month.
Visit the CP EVENTS calendar for more details on time, topics, and registration.
CULTIVATING PLACE FOUNDATION
Email not displaying correctly?