The Fever of Spring Tending the Tender
A Seasonal Gift from Theresa Tobin Macy
Something inside me begins to stir when the days grow longer.
Not a to-do list. Not even a clear plan.
Just a low hum—what I call my spring fever.
It’s the urge to rearrange, to dig, to unfurl the curled corners of winter’s dreaming.
And this year, the hum became a blueprint.
A soft, slow vision: not just a garden, but a sanctuary.
A space where vegetables grow in deep clay pots and the air buzzes with bees and breath.
This isn’t about tidy rows or rigid fencing.
This is about co-creating with the land,
letting the design emerge from listening.
I began with the tender ones—
Tomatoes. Peppers. Cucumbers. Carrots. Basil and sage.
All tucked into pots, some I can move like tea cups on a tray, offering just the right amount of light, attention, and protection.
But they can’t stand alone.
Around them, I imagined a living boundary—
Not walls, but soft sentries.
Plants the deer tend to avoid. Plants the bees and hummingbirds adore.
Plants that ask little and give much.
I chose:
Lavender, for calm
Catmint, for the way it sprawls like joy
Rosemary, for remembrance and strength
Russian Sage, for its ghostly purple plumes
Yarrow, like a wild lace
Echinacea, strong and sturdy
Bee Balm, the open-hearted dancer
Salvia, with its violet fire
I placed them not in perfect rows, but as a softened edge—a sensory border that invites me in and gently suggests to deer: not here.
I read about what they like and don’t.
I walked the land and watched where they move, when they pause, how they pivot.
I didn’t want to fight them.
I wanted to understand.
This whole process—the mapping, the choosing, the reading of sunlight and slope and shadow—
It became a forest-gardening meditation.
A way of tending myself by tending the earth.
Noticing where I needed boundaries too.
Where I wanted nourishment close to home.
Where I could soften my edges while staying rooted.
Some days, it’s just the act of watering that re-centers me.
Other days, I dream about sitting among the lavender and watching pollinators do what they do best: show up, receive, give back.
This is what I know:
We can design with presence.
We can plant what we love and protect what’s tender.
We can listen for what wants to grow.
And when we do,
the garden becomes more than food,
more than flowers—
it becomes a path
home.
Reflective Prompt: Soft Boundaries & Spring Stirring
Take a few quiet moments—either after reading or outside among your plants, or simply gazing out the window.
Ask yourself:
What in me feels tender and ready to grow?
Where in my life might I plant soft boundaries that protect without pushing away?
What are my “sentries”—those practices, people, or places that help me feel held while I stretch into new growth?
Can I allow myself to move with the rhythms of the land, not just the rhythms of productivity?
Let your response come through images, sensations, or even a sketch of your inner garden space.
There’s no need to rush or get it right. Just let your awareness root down and unfold.
🌼 With Deepest Gratitude
Thank you for bringing your presence to these words, to the land you tend, and to the quiet spaces where new life stirs.
Nature just keeps giving—softly, wildly, generously.
MY gift to you is . A Forest-Gardening Meditation Practice.
I hope the practice meets you at the edge of what’s waking up in you.
But before you open your gift, nature is calling you to step more fully into the spring experience, come join us outside for Gentle Sediments and Sturdy Bedrock on April 26.
You are warmly invited.
Do it. Click the Link ^^^. Come. We want you there! Your friends will be there, old and brand new friends Join U!
〰️
Do it. Click the Link ^^^. Come. We want you there! Your friends will be there, old and brand new friends Join U! 〰️
We’ll walk slowly.
We’ll listen for root and wing.
We’ll feel the earth underfoot and the breeze against our skin.
There will be birdsong, soft moss, maybe even the scent of rain in the pine.
A gathering of kindred gardeners—of soil and spirit.
We’ll be there. With open senses and grounded hearts. ~ See you soon
A Forest-Gardening Meditation Practice
Design with presence. Protect what’s tender. Let the garden be your guide.
Tending the Edges: A Sensory Garden Practice invites you into a mindful way of designing with nature—where deer pathways are read like poetry, soft boundaries are planted with intention, and your tender vegetables are held in beauty and protection.
Rooted in the rhythms of spring and inspired by forest bathing, this practice blends observation, planting wisdom, and somatic awareness. Through simple structures and thoughtful placement, you co-create a sanctuary that nourishes both land and self.
1. Threshold & Orientation
Pause before entering your garden or green space.
Take three grounding breaths. Feel your feet.
Notice the season, the direction of light, the movement of wind.
Prompt: What is awakening in me as the land softens?
2. Listening to the Land
Walk slowly. Sense the ground underfoot.
Observe: Where do deer or animals move? Where does sunlight fall longest?
Mark natural edges, movement paths, and microclimates.
Prompt: Where does life want to flow? Where is rest invited?
3. Planting the Outer Ring – The Sentries
Plant deer-resistant, pollinator-attracting allies to protect and border your tender garden heart:
Lavender – calm and clarity
Catmint – joyful sprawl
Rosemary – strength and scent memory
Russian Sage – feathery presence
Yarrow – subtle wildness
Echinacea – rooted resilience
Bee Balm – open-hearted bloom
Salvia – vibrant fire
These are your living boundaries—soft, not rigid. Aromatic, alive, and aware.
Prompt: Where in my life do I need a soft boundary?
4. Designing the Inner Sanctuary – Nourishment Garden
Tend your tender plants in a more protected center. Use pots, low fencing, or proximity to the home for care and protection.
Vegetables:
Tomatoes
Peppers
Carrots
Radishes
Garlic
Cucumbers
Herbs:
Basil
Parsley
Thyme
Oregano
Sage
Design loosely. Let the plants guide you. Favor curves, clusters, and companion planting.
Prompt: What needs nourishment in me this season?
5. Create a Resting Place
Include a stone, bench, or shaded seat. A space to observe, journal, sip tea, or do nothing.
Let this place become your seasonal pause.
Prompt: How can I rest while staying rooted?
Integration & Reflection
Let your garden be both a physical and inner sanctuary. A place where you come into rhythm with the wild, the planted, and the self that listens.
You are invited to return again and again—
To tend, to listen, to soften, to grow.
Reflective Prompt: Soft Boundaries & Spring Stirring
Take a few quiet moments—either after reading or outside among your plants, or simply gazing out the window.
Ask yourself:
What in me feels tender and ready to grow?
Where in my life might I plant soft boundaries that protect without pushing away?
What are my “sentries”—those practices, people, or places that help me feel held while I stretch into new growth?
Can I allow myself to move with the rhythms of the land, not just the rhythms of productivity?
Let your response come through images, sensations, or even a sketch of your inner garden space.
There’s no need to rush or get it right. Just let your awareness root down and unfold.
Added Protection for the Tender Garden
In addition to co-designing with deer movement and planting deer-resistant borders, here are two thoughtful strategies to add a physical layer of protection around your most tender plants:
Option 1: Deer Mesh Wrapped Around Tomato Cages
Pros:
Customizable to fit any configuration
Subtle and aesthetic with black or dark green mesh
Allows airflow and visibility
Long-lasting when clipped or tied well
Cons:
Requires some assembly and upkeep
Needs an access flap for harvesting
Can sag or be pulled if not secured
Option 2: Bird Barrier Mesh Covers with Drawstring
Pros:
Very easy to use—slip on, cinch, done
Great for small pots or clusters
Lightweight and reusable
Cons:
Less structured for tall or sprawling plants
Not as subtle visually
Can blow in wind if not secured well
The Garden Nest: Trio Cage Enclosure
Theresa’s Hybrid Idea
Nest three square tomato cages close together (in a triangle or cluster)
Wrap the outer edges in deer mesh as one unified enclosure
Leave the front panel free and rollable for easy tending access
Design Notes:
Use clips, garden ties, or a bamboo dowel for the roll-up panel
Anchor corners with soft sentry plants: lavender, rosemary, catmint
Grow tomatoes in the cages with basil, parsley, or flowers at the base
This trio structure creates a functional, beautiful microclimate—one you can walk up to, tend with love, and protect with intention.
Peacefully ~ Theresa
