Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Willow Water


Whenever times get tough, or I feel down and unproductive I think of willow branches.

Willows have a natural rooting hormone in them...something gardeners have known about and utilized for centuries. They would place cut up willow branches in pots of water and use the resulting 'Willow Water' to water their cuttings. The hormone, Indolebutyric Acid, that the willows gave off into the water encouraged the cuttings to develop their own roots.

The trick is to remember to use your personal 'Willow Water'. Whatever it is that recharges you, gets you going and growing. It's so easy to get caught up in the dreariness and just spin and wonder what's wrong.

Some of my favorite 'Willow Waters'....

Taking pictures of my children, cats and gardens.

Playing with my children.

In the winter...a trip to a greenhouse.

Working in the garden.

Getting down close to the earth and finding little creatures.

A walk in the woods or on the beach...with an empty mind.

Trying an entirely new art form/media.

These are just a few of the things that work for me. What works for you?

2 comments:

  1. This is wonderful! I'll be thinking about willow water now while at work. :) Some of things that recharge me are: time with my kitties, gardening, walking (I live near the woods), playing with fiber :) , writing, spending time with the people I love, creating, playing with fiber :) , cooking. I love cooking! And baking. I'm going to cook up something new tonight, I think ...

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  2. Thank you for sharing! Seems we have some similar 'rechargers':^)

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