1. Weed.Planting seeds means that at some point you're going to have to remove some of
plants so that other ones have
chance to grow and thrive. In
same way, you only have so much space in your life and you need to get rid of
tolerations so you can have
room and
nutrients and
self-care to thrive and grow. In
same way that you let
bigger, stronger plants stay, concentrate on your strengths and let them grow.
2. If you keep doing what you've been doing you're going to keep getting what you've been getting.
There's a place in my garden that just needed a rose bush. I planted 5 there. It's like a blackhole. I went on to try other plants. Whatever I planted there died, and no matter what fertilizer, extra watering or xteme care I gave, I was finally forced to admit that for some reason nothing was going to grow there. I gave up what was essentially an ego position and went with
flow. It now is
place for my garden statuary.
3. On
other hand, If it ain't broke, don't fix it -- and don't listen to other people!
I have another place in my garden where
geraniums thrive all year round. My sister stayed with me a week and she didn't feel like I was watering my garden enough. I started watering
geraniums and now they are spindly and their leaves have turned pale and I question their survival. It seems they were thriving on my benign neglect and were very happy with
way things were.
4. Stay in touch with
soil and water. Stay in touch with life.
Some of my most peaceful moments take place in my garden. I don't wear gloves and I take off my shoes and walk in
mud and turn
soil with my bare fingers. I work with people and with ideas, and bringing my body in contact with
soil keeps me grounded.
5. There's a time to reap and a time to sow.
You'll learn
old elemental cycles of nature. There will be those magnificent sparkling snapdragons for just a few moments in
spring, panseys when it's too cold for anything to grow, and chrysanthemums in
fall bringing back memories of high school football games and mum corsages. Eventually
tomato crop will come in and when they die, it'll be time to plant
broccoli. It's our traditions and
cycles of
year that bring meaning and order to our lives.
6. Delight in
abundant surprises of nature.
The rose bush didn't grow, and
impatiens didn't take off, but a crepe myrtle arose, a shoot from another one about 5' away, when I had no idea they propagated; and
biggest surprise of all -- out of nowhere some chile petines arrived. I have no idea where they came from, but they're welcome as
day is long. Nature provides.