New Moon 🌚🌙 News - SEPTEMBER 2026
Roses enjoying their late summer bloom, in relief after the high heat and aridity of summer. Butte County, CA., 2026
Happy New Moon of September 10, 2026–because the new moon is a perfect time to start fresh, to grow up, and to grow out...
Happy New Moon, Gardeners, close as we are to the Autumnal Equinox,
I've been contemplating the idea of Dedication.
In the last few months, a handful of people have contributed to Cultivating Place and dedicated their gift in honor of another:
Bhawana Sinha supported In honor of Mani Bhushan Prasad, writing: "The deep connected stories are great to listen too . We have all been cultivars in the past generations."
Wild Cultivations LLC gave in honor of Professor Birdsall;
Tysh McGrail gave i honor of Skip Tilt…
I am deeply moved by people's support of this Cultivating Place work in honor of another.
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Dedicate, Dedicated, Dedication - they have multiple meanings and moods, right? We can dedicate to, we can be dedicated to. Wendell Berry dedicated his life to re-connecting humans to the environment and laws of nature, thereby restoring the environment and human systems to sanity; Dolly Parton was dedicated to music and kindness; Gloria Steinem was dedicated to the rights and value of women. These three humans, who moved on from this physical plane only recently, all embodied dedication and I profoundly admire each of them for this.
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I think of cultivating place as a dedication as well: each of us is dedicated to the human impulse to be in relationship with, and to tend to, plants in our places, and this work of Cultivating Place this past 10 years and counting is dedicated to the value and importance of Gardeners everywhere–and we are everywhere.
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If we understand our own cultivating of place as a dedication, how do we deepen it? How are we more dedicated, and to whom or what is our dedication dedicated?
Mine? It is dedicated to my parents, to my daughters, and to you. To every single one of you. Thank you for listening; thank you for cultivating your place with care and dedication.
Happy seasonal transition; the next new moon will find us fully in the lap of Fall!
In deep appreciation for growing along here together,
Jennifer and the Cultivating Place Team
PS: Keep reading for updates on all things Cultivating Place: Radio Program & Podcast, Film, Gatherings, and Connections...✨✨✨
Red bud pods and salvia seed heads bring late season warm tones to the garden here. Butte County, CA 2026
PUBLIC RADIO PROGRAM & PODCAST:
Dedication is a character trait of most Gardeners, and illustrated time and time again in the conversations on the Cultivating Place radio program and podcast.
Since the New Moon of July, this dedication has shone through in the work of Erin Benzakein and her groundbreaking work through Floret, David Jacques at Frog Meadow Farm outside of Brattleboro, VT, the work of Whitney Jaye of Sunbird Flowers and SAAFON in the Southeast; through the work of Shelagh Fritz of the Gardens of Alcatraz, in the SF Bay Area; and finally, through the work of Erika Rumbley and Renee Portanova of the New Garden Society in the Northeast.
I mean, what, pray tell, can't we grow better together as
dedicated Gardeners??
Enjoy catching up on your listening to the episodes from the last month (click each name or image for its audio link).....
THE POWER OF GARDENERS FILM SERIES:
Our first full screening of the in-progress Episode One, in The Power of Gardeners 10-episode series will take place at The Power of Gardeners Symposium in South Bend, Indiana on September 25th & 26th!
The screening, which is included in the registration price, will (nearly) culminate our Friday of conversations and lectures, and be followed by a panel Q & A with Host and Executive Producer, Jennifer Jewell; Director and Cinematographer, Myriam Nicodemus; and the subjects of two of the episodes, speakers and Cultivating Place Hosts, Abra Lee and Ben Futa. It's going to be incredibly exciting to share this experience to which we have dedicated so much, with so many of you....
EARLY BIRD Registration closes on Tuesday the 15th, so if you're waiting, or on the fence, let me be the first to say: COME ON! And if you can't make it in person, but know you want to participate, early bird VIRTUAL registration is open now too!
When you are a Cultivating Place 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 growing our world better.
You can connect with us about film underwriting, pre-screening events in 2026/2027, gift licenses for school or garden groups, etc.: info@cultivatingplace.org.
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AND FINALLY...Praise to the Garden spirits, you made it to the end...
Your bonus for this dedication?
A head's up that our September Communing, dedicated to preparing collectively for the Autumnal Equinox, is happening September 15th at 3 pm Pacific/ 6 pm Eastern. With all that is going in the Cultivating Place Ecosystem this month, we decided to keep this one as intimate as possible, and only invited previous Communing attendees and #100daysinplace participants. As one of our loyal readers here, I hope you can join us!
September Communing Registration is open through Monday the 14th.
And, one more time:
Please Join us for the inaugural biennial
Cultivating Place Symposium September 25th & 26th, 2026:
THE POWER OF GARDENERS: SOUTH BEND
co-sponsored by Botany & Co in South Bend, IN
Cultivating Place GATHERS:
Other UPCOMING events:
(all underlined words are live links to registration pages)​​
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September 15, 2026
COMMUNING PRE-Autumnal Equinox
via Zoom 3 pm Pacific/6 pm Eastern
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​SEPTEMBER 25 - 27
Cultivating Place Foundation & Botany & CO present:
INAUGURAL CULTIVATING PLACE SYMPOSIUM: SOUTH BEND, IN
FRIDAY: Full day of Lectures on People, Plants, & Places + evening reception w/ CP TEAM
SATURDAY: Place Based Garden tours and Experience
MORE INFO AND REGISTRATION OPEN to public August 1, 2026
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OCTOBER 15 - 17, 2026
AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE
Jennifer Jewell Keynote speaker + Panel Moderator
PLUS SNEAK PEEK Pre-screening of The Power of Gardeners Film Series on PBS stations (April 2027)
November 3, 2026
Garden Club of America Online Conservation Conference
Jennifer Jewell speaking on What We Sow
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More 2026 events here:Â GATHER
The pleasingly undulating forms of wild Monardella on a chaparral slope against the vivid green of wild prostrate manzanita (Arctostaphylos sp.) in the Mendocino National Forest in early September.
CULTIVATING PLACE FOUNDATION
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