One Green Thumb and Nine Sticky Fingers

Book excerpt: The mythic Greek Sphinx—part lion, woman, and eagle—has endured erosion for five thousand years. She is a symbol of wisdom and mystery and my personal symbol of an invisible, toxic plague that continues to seep into Mother Earth. In ancient Greece, she was a symbol of an enigmatic death demon. If no traveler could answer her riddle, he or she was strangled. Today she represents civilization's pollution time bomb that Mother Earth may soon be unable to defuse. In Neolithic times (Stone Age), the first humans painted with ochre earth and animal blood on cave walls to capture the animal's spirit, mana. The tribe's survival depended on the hunter's kill. Mother Earth was revered. She nourished man, beast, and spirit. Through ritual offerings, humans created the necessary structure to reduce chaos and allowed them to survive and flourish. One Green Thumb and Nine Sticky Fingers is both a serious and humorous guide that highlights some of the ancient sacred rituals and cycles and will inspire both novice and expert gardeners of today. Natural cycles are the spine and theme of One Green Thumb. This book reminds my readers that to survive, modern man must live in balance with plants and animals. This book will inspire individuals and families who want to learn how to understand and grow organic vegetables and flowers, enjoy the protection and privacy of trees, and promote a more balanced lifestyle for themselves and humanity. Mother Nature's rhythmic cycles are signposts that guide the reader through mankind's eons of trial and error with her gifts: the ability to recognize wild weeds as edible herbs as well as to plant and harvest healthy organic plants. The reader learns here to follow the simplest rules of horticulture to maintain humans', animals', and insects' life cycle integrity. We can learn to re-educate ourselves to respect all creatures right to life without poisoning ourselves with toxic chemicals. With inspiration and education, today's gardeners will contribute toward a more harmonious and productive future environment for humanity.