As someone reading this article, it is likely that one of the following describes you:

• You bought The Perelandra Garden Workbook by Machaelle Wright and get excited every time you think about the possibilities, but you haven't yet taken the first step.

• You day-dream about getting the Garden Workbook, but taking a chance on the unknown intimidates you a little bit and you'd love it if you had help.

• You're curious about partnering with nature for your garden or goals, and you would like to follow along to get a better sense of what's involved.

• You have been picking and choosing to apply parts of the Garden Workbook over the years and you're ready to pull it all together this season.

• You consider yourself a full-fledged co-creative gardener because you've been following the steps in the Garden Workbook for years now — and you know each new season is an opportunity to learn more and further your partnership with nature.

We're here with you. We're here for you. All of you.

And we're here today to tell you it's time to get to it!

Your garden can be anything from a couple of sprout jars to a small flower bed, a water garden, a "salad garden" or a bumper crop on acres of farmland.

Size doesn't really matter here. Choose a garden that fits your life. If gardening isn't your passion, but you would like a better understanding of your partner in the soil-less gardens you've already started, a small gut garden will improve your work in those projects.

Partner with nature.

It's the opportunity of our lifetime to have a working partnership with nature and create a vibrant, healthy garden. The only way we can re-establish and build up the balance needed is to ask nature how to do it. This is nature's expertise. Nature knows balance.

Ask nature.

It is easier than you think. There's a brilliant book that tells you how to do this successfully, step by step. Do you do the EoP Biodiversity Process? Easy, right? Co-creative gardening is just as easy when you take it one step at a time. You'll be expanding how you work with nature and take it at your own pace. To get started, you'll need The Perelandra Garden Workbook.

Our Gardening Series breaks it down.

Today and each week for the next few months, we'll give you one step to do. Sometimes it will take 10 minutes, sometimes 30 minutes or an hour. The time you give to this is up to you and depends on if you start small, like with a clay pot on your patio or a few houseplants, or if you start with a section of your garden or one of your landscape beds. Some of you want to go all in and we'll help with that too. You can start a family vegetable garden, create a balanced chicken yard, work with your pond, add a pollinator meadow, or one small section of your farm. No matter where you begin, this series will help you break down the steps into manageable pieces.

We don't want to leave anyone out. If you want to do this but you are waiting for your book to arrive or if you aren't able to invest in the Workbook yet, you can do the first step with us now using this free excerpt:

The Perelandra Garden Workbook — Part 1

Let's get going!

Sit down with your Garden Workbook, a pen and paper, or your tablet/laptop. Today you are going to start your partnership with nature.

• If this is your first time working with nature, you are going to activate a Gut Garden. Follow the steps below for "Gut Gardeners."

• If you already have a Gut Garden, have learned PKTT (kinesiology testing) and want to move on to Gardening 2.0, or if you know PKTT and want to jump straight into 2.0, follow the steps below for "2.0 Gardeners."

If you were inspired by last week's message and already did these two steps, read the rest of Chapter One this week (pp. 3-18). What you learn about nature from these pages will make all the difference through the coming seasons with your partner.

Nature won't judge! Start in your comfort zone so you all enjoy the partnership.
 

Gut Gardeners

You have only one page to read, and just two steps to do!

Open The Perelandra Garden Workbook to page 22 and read it (here).

Do the two steps.

Returning Gut Gardeners

To continue Gut Gardening, first re-read your DDP from last year.

If your DDP still holds true for you, simply hit the start button and tell nature you're ready to move forward with this year's garden.

If you would like to amend your DDP, write that first. Then hit the start button, tell nature you'd like to change your garden DDP and re-read the statements on page 22, Step 2, inserting your new DDP.

Note: When you are ready to change to Co-Creative Gardening 2.0, see pages 71 to 72.

2.0 Gardeners

You have two pages to read. That's it. Two pages, five steps.

Open the Garden Workbook to page 71. Read through Step 5 on page 73.

Do those five steps.

Returning 2.0 Gardeners

Re-read your DDP from last year.

If there are no changes to your DDP, all you need to do this week is hit the start button and tell nature you're ready to move forward with this year's garden.

If you'd like to amend your DDP, do that in writing first, for clarity. Then, hit the start button and tell nature you'd like to continue your partnership and co-creative gardening, but you'd like to amend your DDP. On page 72, Step 2, start with: "I want the following DDP to be the focus of the partnership . . . " In Step 3, ask, "Is my new DDP activated?" and continue through step 5.

When you write your DDP, include a note that you would like climate change to be taken into consideration in your garden. Although nature will automatically adjust for climate changes in the information given to you, it's helpful for you to remember this is part of your work together.

When you finish, close your Garden Workbook and give yourself a pat on the back. You are a co-creative gardener!

Meet us back "here" next Sunday for your second gut gardening session. Remember, every contribution we make to support balance in our own part of the world contributes to the larger world around us, and the planet.

We are grateful to have each and every one of you with us.

Anytime you feel overwhelmed or get stuck, call our Question Hot Line. We will encourage you, get you unstuck and help you keep it manageable and simple.

Question Hot Line
1-540-937-3679
Wednesdays, 10-8 ET

The Gardening Series