garden

I love going into the garden daily. Everyday I approach it like I have a new set of eyes. When I’m looking, I always see something different. Yesterday’s blossom is now a teeny tiny bean. The bees have moved on from one plant who’s on the end of its blooming cycle to one that just started. A squash flower has opened, hoping for pollination so it can begin to fruit. A toad had burrowed in a different location, waiting to gobble up a grasshopper (oh thank you so much Mr. Garden Toad, mad love for you buddy!).

Green beans in all phases: blooms to beans.

Being surround by these changes, specifically, having the capacity to see these fine differences, reminds me that I’m part of something so big. Something bigger than I can comprehend or have words to explain. That the world is full of wonder. That I have a purpose within it (even maybe if I don’t have a clear definition of what that is). When I recognize small changes in the garden, I am able to do so because I am awake. And because I am awake, I feel alive!

Now, when we are asleep (figuratively), we lack the ability to connect deeply with the people, places and things happening around us. Snore. We might notice big changes, but we can’t see (or just don’t notice) the minutiae. Perhaps we are wrapped up in feelings that are so big we let them define who we are and they eat every ounce of our energy. We can’t see the forest for the trees, so to say. When this happens, what then are we missing out on because we’ve allowed certain things in our lives to consume us? In the garden, say I plant a lot of tomatoes and only a few snap peas. Obviously, I get more tomatoes because I gave them so much space and tomatoes plants tend to produce a lot of fruit. However, after tasting the peas I see how good they are, but now I have no room to plant more peas….because, you know, all the tomatoes. So I move forward managing tomatoes, picking tomatoes, eating tomatoes, selling tomatoes, when what I really want are more snap peas. (Snap peas are seriously so good, aren’t they?!) Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes. More snore. I’m going through the motions. I’m asleep.

In the garden, I recognize times when my plants are, figuratively, asleep. And there is most often a good reason for this state. Perhaps water is scarce. Or cold nights significantly slow growth. A plant puts all its energy into reserves, unsure what will come next, trying to protect itself. (Humans do this too, am I right?) Rightfully so, they can’t thrive without the right conditions. But, the plants sole purpose? It’s to grow. So, when the conditions improve, it doesn’t forget its purpose. It doesn’t stay sleeping, it begins to grow. A pea plant can shoot up 4 inches in one day. I’ve seen it, so crazy. And then it sends out a tendril to hang on to its trellis for support. With better support and conditions, it is now awake after being asleep and is following through with its purpose. Grow. Produce. Share. Feed. When we approach life with an awake mind, we can see, listen to, and experience the world around us in the finest of ways. We find wonder in small things. We listen to, because we can finally freaking hear, our intuition. We look deeper, because we want to know more. We have readiness to learn something new and we don’t keep what we learn to ourselves, because we want to connect. We thrive in community, and sometimes we need that trellis for support, just like the pea plant. Needing the support doesn’t stop our growth, it SUPPORTS it.

Being awake in life doesn’t mean perfection. Conditions might change, but when we are awake, we adapt and we grow, knowing we are moving towards, within, or fine-tuning our purpose. Just like the bees who move to a different plant when the blooms run dry. Or Mr. Toad who stakes out a new position because he’s awake, noticed a change in the number of grasshoppers he has access too, and went with the flow of it. Because he want to feed himself to survive.

So, how do you ‘feed’ yourself so that you stay awake? For me, it changes with the seasons, but I know for myself that the key is never abandoning curiosity and wonder. In summer, I know I can always find a place for this in the garden. In winter, it’s traveling to a new destination to explore new sights, food, culture and experiences. Year round, it’s moving my body, feeding it healthy food, spending time with friends who fill my bucket and support me when needed. If I don’t do these things, I start to fall asleep.

Staying awake isn’t always easy (think doomscrooling, an example of an asleep function that’s easy). But staying awake is always worth it.

I challenge you today to do just one thing out of your ordinary. Something that supports your awakeness. It could be as simple as doing a crossword puzzle, calling a friend, smelling a flower, watching a bird, or trying a new food from your local farmstand (hint). Then, afterwards, take a intentional moment to recognize how it made you feel.

Wishing you joy in your awakeness,

-L

The garden is growing! As usual, year after year some types of vegetable plants do better than others. This year looks to be a great year for cucumbers, first time ever! I think we finally got the growing location, nutrients, and water cycle just right!

In a moment of zeal, I planted too many cucumber seeds in my second planting so I had to thin the plants. I find the process of thinning plants very challenging. I see every plant as its potential, so when I pull a small plant or seedling I see myself taking all of its future fruit with it. But for two reasons, I don’t need so many plants. First, too many cucumbers can be a problem. I only need so many cucumbers for our eating, preserving, and farmstand sales. Second, growing more than I need isn’t doing the soil any favors. It takes plentiful nutrients to grow these plants. Such as having a overly packed calendar schedule (we have 24 hrs in a day) is too much for the human soul, having too many plants in a small space is hard on the fertility of the soil (it only has the ability to carry and provide so many nutrients).

As I pulled the cucumber plants, I set the seedlings in a pile that would end up in the compost. They slipped easily out of the soil but I saw that they still had excellent root systems started. By the time I was done with my project, I went back to gather the first plants I plucked and noticed these plants were already visibly responding to having been pulled from the soil. They were becoming limp. In otherwords, they were losing the signs of being healthy and full of life.

The soil I pulled the cucumber plants from has many elements of nutrition that the plant needs. I fully pulled the plant from the soil, so I took it from the more important thing it needed, the support of the soil which gives it a sturdy foundation to grow in. If I had left it in the soil, it would still grow but it might not be as healthy if it was lacking certain nutrients from the soil. Also, it would not be as healthy if I added too much of a certain type of nutrient. Cucumbers love potassium in the soil, but if I gave it too much, that could be as detrimental to its growth as too little potassium in the soil.

People are like this too. We have the core thing we’re rooted in. We also have various nutrients we need to feed our souls. And, what we need to grow is different for each human (such as it is for plants too!). If a person is pulled from what they are primarily rooted in, they will begin to wither. Or, if certain nutrients are removed or given too much of, a person will survive, but not thrive in this scenario.

Life in balance is an ongoing personal project for me and is always changing because of my environment. Summertime, for example, has a lot more dosing of my necessary nutrient of community. In summer I get more of that, but adjust elsewhere to make room for it. Just as the cucumbers may find perfect balance, then suddenly there is a cold snap, they may struggle. But, if they are in healthy balance in the first place, the cold snap will be less impactful on them.

What are you rooted in? Family? Community? Faith? Adventure? Learning? Teaching? Nature? Or….what else? Which one is your SOIL? Which ones are your NUTRIENTS?

Peace, Love and Nature,

-L

P.S. If you’ve been on long-time blog reader, you know I absolutely love learning from nature. I enjoy being part of it and I’ve learned that its a major nutrient I need for my soul to grow. Nature teaches me so much. And, in return I love to teach about nature. Last year I held Foraging Adventure for Beginners at White Sky Woods. This year I’m partnering with The Keweenaw Land Trust (KLT) and bringing Foraging Advernture for Beginners to KLT’s Steve Farm Nature Area. We’ll explore, identify, sketch and experience what wild plant foraging the Keweenaw region has to offer. Get all the details here!

Tag: garden

Are you Awake or Asleep in the Garden of Life?

What Are You Rooted In?