This week gardeners here were contemplating the language of flowers - a topic I hadn't got around to contemplating as I hadn't been near my garden to listen. This morning I had a wander before breakfast, thinking about what I need to do today in my neglected back yard.

I do like to think of paying attention to the plants as listening. It might sound like woo woo to talk about them speaking to you, but it's a beautiful symbol of just paying attention. We need to do more of it - it's when we don't that environments are ruined. Focussing on industry over the necessity of nature results in loved landscapes being decimated, wildlife displaced, and the resources we rely on being pillaged and likely extinct.

Extinction is far from the mind of my artichokes. This year I hardly picked any. I've let them all go to flower and the bees are speaking with them, alright - it's a cacophony of buzzing in there as their little bums waggle whilst they are head down and drunkenly communing with these giant purple beasts.

I had a herbalist witch come over once and wax lyrical about how the white sage whispers if you listen carefully. I don't know about that. On warm days it fucking shouts along with the lavender. It's pungent aroma wafts all over the garden, rich and sensual. The mugwort shouts in a different way. I find them my loudest plants, always demanding attention - not to prune or pluck, but just to smell and get benefit from, whether I'm adding them to a tea or just crushing them in my fingers and enjoying them. They're definitely mood altering.

This kangaroo paw is an Australian native. I had a whole row of them that didn't do so well and we pull them out, except a tiny remnant of this one was left behind. Now it's talking to me, lettting me know that kangaroo paws like some mulch and some incidental dynamic lifter that finds it's way there from the neighbouring rhubarb. It's giant and I love it there, both out of place and perfectly nestled amongst mint and apple, rhubarb and rosemary.

As I drink my coffee and finish this post, I'm impatient to get back out there and find out what else my garden has to tell me, so I'll finish now and get my boots on. Have a beautiful weekend.

**PS - This isn't an entry, it's too late - I've just been so busy. But like me, you can write on any of the old topics in a creative, contemplative way for the Hive Garden. It's a good way to feed the community and to be inspired. The new challenge comes out tomorrow.