Reflecting on 2024

Dear Friends,

Here at the end of a disquieting year, I look out over this dense forest of palms in search of purchase. I imagine my way back to the time when this unlikely garden took root through W.S. Merwin’s curiosity and commitment, and then flourished through William and Paula’s partnership. I return to the present, when the garden thrives under our collective care as a place both elemental and emblematic—a reminder of what is possible with hands in the soil, and minds and spirits turned toward the well-being of our world.

In gardening, as my wife and I go about it here, what are called concerns—for ecology and the environment, for example—merge inevitably with work done every day, within sight of the house, with our own hands, and the concerns remain intimate and familiar rather than far away. They do not have to be thought about, they are at home in the mind. I have never lived anywhere that was more true.

The convictions that reinvigorated this land now find expression through the work of The Merwin Conservancy and the participation of so many—our garden visitors, residents, partners, subscribers to our Stories from the Garden, supporters of our ongoing and ever expanding vision. Together, we have deepened and broadened our commitments to place, poetry, and practice in ways that have surpassed our own imaginings. Have a look at Our 2024 Story. You’ll see how our collective care has allowed us to enact our hopes for this special place—and for the world well beyond it—through our conservation efforts, programs, and perpetual commitments.

With gratitude, 

Sonnet