#01 Nature’s Jewels
Photo Credits: Fernando
Nature is amazing, mesmerizing and giving. And so a new day begins, with rays of sunlight playing with dewdrops on the leaves- and as they change the tension of the water meniscus- rolling escalates into drops falling everywhere. There might not be rain for a while but the humidity in the air keeps things moist.
Hello, my name is John. I was born in South Africa, my parents are Dutch, and I have been very blessed to have traveled our beautiful planet- passing its oceans and many landmasses. In my journey, I have managed to see stunning patterns around me and thus, I have been influenced by the great masters of Gaia.
Currently, I live in the Philippines, on the main island Luzon, in the city Lipa based in the province of Batangas. Lipa is the third coolest city in the Philippines thus, its climate is great for coffee growing. It is also here where the Spaniards planted the first coffee seedlings.
Together with my wife Penelope (Penny), we run a 6,000 square meter coffee farm and education center to inspire people with the potential of growing abundance.
So what inspires me? Well, the main secret is Permaculture!
In a nutshell, it gives us a tool to see the connections of relationships, ratios of form and how they all function in harmony, as everything feeds into another, everything is vibration, thus energy. Nature does not know guilt, it only gives freely.
Imagine laying under a mango tree with its branches swaying in a spring breeze. This tree can reach up to fifteen meters in diameter and grow over thirty meters tall in a span of eighty years. Its fruits are filled with nectar from the Gods! Just peel the skin away from the flesh and the sap drips its ambrosial sweetness, leaving a sweet scent of pure decadence.
How does this abundance evolve its form? Well, the main secret is the power of the Sun, since it is stored and transformed by the plants into protein energy. Together with the Air- with its balanced mix of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and other noble elements, Water- which is the carrier of life, and the Soil, which nurtures a place for all of Life to happen.
Wow! Just reflecting on that mouthful… I get excited! As a human, I can use this powerful realization to create an amazing place on this planet!
Many years ago, I was fortunate enough to wander through the gardens of the famous painter Claude Monet in France. It was a pleasant surprise to see that in his home, he had many prints of Japanese art works, whether they were about crafts, structures or daily activities, and it was evident that Japanese culture clearly inspired him.
In his garden, he had apple trees planted, but they were sculptured very similarly like bonsai. These trees were only waist high, but had two branches on opposite sides of each other that reached out for almost twenty meters, and were bearing lush fruit.
When we understand the language or pattern of a natural element or system, we can grow into a symbiosis with it and create abundance and beauty. Nature is generous and willing to give, always giving priceless treasures- let us just love it for what it is willing to share.
