The Garden Issue (09/25)

To garden is to grow, to cultivate, to nurture. Gardens are where we come together to plant the smallest seeds of ideas and watch them take root. They are places of both labor and rest, where we reflect quietly or bask in the vibrant blooms of growth. Memorial gardens lined with lilies remind us of where we come from. Butterfly gardens, bursting with color, remind us that comfort and stability allow transformation—that wrapping ourselves in safety can lead us to wings and flight. Dead gardens remind us that even with hard work and discipline, things can still fail if nature wills it. And yet—that’s the thing about gardens; they don’t belong only in the open fields. They can be found anywhere: between skyscrapers in a concrete jungle, tucked in the belly of a spaceship, or nestled beside a cozy bookshop café. A garden can be built out of anything worth tending, admiring, or wilting. The Garden Issue consists of twenty poems, art pieces, short stories, songs, and essays; so, enter the garden and watch it bloom.