Desert Garden

More prickly pear cactus.

Bitterroots are a staple food of the Salish tribes, and they were quite abundant at Martin'a Cove.

The Mormon pioneers prided themselves on transforming the wilderness into productive, arable land. As they hearkened back to the biblical verse, "The desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose..." (Isaiah 35:1), they often saw themselves as the fulfillment of ancient prophesy.

They did transform the deserts of Utah, but in my view, the desolate places of the world were not so barren as they once imagined.

On the day we visited Martin's Cove, the desert did rejoice, and I felt blessed to see it. Everywhere we looked, the flowers of edible plants bloomed in their full magnificence. Indeed, all the world is a Garden of Eden, but modern humans have forgotten the connection to our living Earth Mother. We see ourselves in enmity with creation, but with a false and unnecessary separation. Perhaps we can still remember in time to make a difference.

As I consider all the ecosystems of the world, all of them are beautiful in their own way.