As soon as the rain stopped and the sun came out I decided to step outside, barefoot, into the dampness to take a look around.
I looked over at the patch of garden just beyond my sunroom and noticed the beautiful yellow flowers with water droplets glistening on their leaves. I walked over to take a closer look.
In the past, I would let this area of the garden get totally overgrown with weeds and then take a day to clear it. A day that usually resulted in blisters on my hands and maybe a sore lower back. I have learned in the last couple of years to take a different approach.
Tending to my garden on a regular basis rather than letting things accumulate. Tending feels like a loving act, nurturing the growth, not just removing the things I don’t want there.
Tending means paying more frequent attention and checking in to notice progress. By removing the withered flowers from the plants I’m actually encouraging another flower to grow in its place. It works! One by one as I “dead head” the flowers, the plant appears to rise up a little. It’s subtle, you have to be paying attention to notice.
I continue on and pull the rogue clover (sorry bunny family) and multiple other types of weeds that are trying to integrate with the rest of my garden. They can be sneaky! Some of them actually have a flower or two on them and yet, I know that they are harmful to the overall health of the garden.
It feels so satisfying to remove the weeds that are potentially stunting the growth of the overall garden.
I stand back and take a look to see the results of my efforts. My garden has been refreshed.
Now that the weeds and dead flowers have been removed, I can clearly see how the regular garden maintenance is paying off. Incrementally, rather than waiting until all the plants are covered up by the shade of the weeds. Not waiting until the task becomes overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong here, that approach is sometimes necessary. We get busy and priorities fall off our list. When we wait it may take a little longer to clear the space AND it is still beneficial to do the work in the long run. It is this work that allows the garden to continue to flourish and grow.
I’m guessing that over the last while there may be some weeds that have crept into your garden and now you may be starting to notice them.
These "weeds" may be showing up as a decline in your health, an increase in work time, maybe too much screen time and not enough outdoor time. It may be the "weeds" of other people's attitudes or opinions; the weight of new and different responsibilities that you have taken on or …you fill in the blank…it’s your “garden”.
Regardless of the cause, the weeds, have begun to overshadow your plants. They have taken over and hid the light, causing your plants to wilt. By taking some time to carefully start tending to your garden, separating what you want to nurture and grow from what is hindering the overall health, you will notice that the plants are able to stand tall again. The space created may allow some time for reflection and eventually new growth. It takes time. Time and tending.
Is now the time to start tending to your garden? To create some space for yourself? Take a moment to notice.
