VISIONS OF RESILIENCE & NEIGHBORLINESS, DR. JARED BARNES
- Jennifer Jewell
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Dr. Jared Barnes is a big G gardener – and has been since his earliest expressions of self as a toddler. Now a professor of horticulture at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, Jared is also a writer under the name of Meristem, and the host of The Plantastic podcast. where he exclaims that: "Plants can’t talk, but we can! The Plantastic Podcast is a show for plant killers, green thumbs, and everyone in between." He wants everyone’s expression of self to include a love of plants and place. In fact he wants us to see them, know them and care for them as neighbors.
Dr. Jared’s work, his deep place philosophy, and his home garden are featured in a new book "Gardens of Texas: Visions of Resilience from the Lone Star State", by Pam Penick, photographed by Kenny Braun, and out now from Timber Press. Jared is with CP this week to share more about his work, his place, and his neighborly love.
Last week we enjoyed a great and ecologically passionate conversation with that bright spot in Horticulture we know as Rebecca McMackin, this week we enjoy another ecological and plant-minded soul straight from the heart of Texas– Dr. Jared Barnes.
We all need more resilience, and seems to me that the best of gardeners bolster the resilience of people, plants, and places wherever they are. November seems a great time to honor them.
It is a sincere pleasure to welcome Dr. Jared to Cultivating Place!
Follow Dr. Jared online:
and on Instagram:
All photos used courtesy of Jared Barnes, Kenny Braun, and Pam Penick. All rights reserved.
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JOIN US again next week, when we continue our focus on ecological gardening in Texas, this time central Texas in conversation with John Hart Asher of the Blackland Collaborative outside of Austin. We talk design, collaboration, pocket prairies, and fireflies. That's right here, next week. Listen in!
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Thinking out loud this week...
Hey, it's Jennifer—
As we approach this traditional season of thanksgiving and gratitude in
so many forms and ways, Jared Barnes' understanding of Cultivating
Place as being an embodiment of ,and a mandate to, love your neighbor,
seems especially moving to me.
Jared shares a lesson he learned in his current home garden of losing a lot of plants in the first season because he did not get a soil test. But, something about Jared’s Tennessee meets Texas accent, when he first said this I heard: Soul Test. And I thought – wait that is a perfect truth! Our gardens are some expressions of us, and our souls, and in this way – they are something of a soul test. And soil of course is the soul of our gardens the birthplace of all we hope to grow literally and metaphorically.
So, enjoy life with your soul test in this coming season of gratitude, and
all the ways our gardens help us to better love our neighbors.
IN Public Growing announcements this week: we are having an amazing time
over in the #CP100daysinplace project – there are now about 75 of us taking
part officially and the thoughts, the notes, the sketches, and poetry coming
together is such a perfect reminder of why I am here, why I love to garden,
and why I love plantspeople. You can check out some of the participant’s
entries either on Substack, or in the #cp100days highlight reel on Instagram.
Feel free to join us anytime. We will be meeting up for a group check in on
Zoom on Wednesday the 19th of November, Thursday December 4th , and
Thursday December 18th as well.
In other public growing announcements – get your fill of plant fun and
seasonal ritual if you’re in the Northern California area during a
Wonderful Winter Wreathing Weekend taking place on December 6th
and 7th. The 6th is a Native Plant Wreathing Party with holiday bubble
and wreathing at the Gateway Science Museum, December 7th is the
down and dirty (in the best way) Native Plant Wreath workshop at the
Ahart Herbarium at Chico State. There are limited spots for both events,
and all proceeds go to the support of these two important cultural,
biological, and natural history institutions! I will be in person at both
events helping you craft just the right native plant holiday items. Sign up
now!
AND as we begin to tend toward the longest nights and the shortest
days, please join us for our next CP COMMUNING on Tuesday
December 16th , as we consider our intentions for the coming Winter
Solstice on Sunday the 21st . A great time to reground and center the
meaning and manifestation of your cultivation of place in community.
So grateful to be here with all of you.
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