A moment to Pause

I've been reflecting lately on how a gardener's work is never truly complete. In the way that an artist must decide when to set down their brush, a time comes each season for a gardener to say, "Enough," and take in the beauty of their labor for a time. 

Taking a moment to admire the beauty of this space that’s been transforming for two years.

For me, that's the month of July, when it's too warm to plant anything new, and the plants are just entering "survival season." As the gardener, my role transitions to supporting them with water, nutrition and care, but "productivity" takes a break.

This idea of pausing reminded me of a space we have been working in for more than two years, where the gardener has a design sense and style that I've long admired. She continuously walks around her space, taking in the beauty, and adding to it. A new ceramic pot here. A change of a rug or table. A lantern or string of lights. 

She's an ideal gardener in many ways, but mostly for her vision of what the space could become with small additions here and there. The garden we originally planned for her has grown over time to encompass more beds, more pots and more structures for growing in a backyard that's already filled with beauty. 

This time of year, we pull the last of the cool season plants and replace with heat tolerant ones.

Her vision to draw out even more reminds me that our work as gardeners is never done. Instead of filling me with dread, that idea fills me with hope. Over the last seven years, I've been growing a garden in the vacant lot beside my home with lots of help from a neighbor, who happens to be an artist. We've moved yards of compost and mulch, planted countless plants and tried and failed at so many things. All for the sake of beauty, productivity and bringing back nature.

That garden backs up to a piece of vacant land that's for sale. It will likely be developed in the next year, and all of the deer, ducklings, toads and song sparrows that have returned to our neighborhood might be gone with it. So, I've been sitting in my garden often this season, marveling at how much it's changed and missing it already the way it is.

I'm also marveling at the way the garden has provided for me in ways I couldn't have anticipated. My daughter turns four this August, and watching her in the garden, I'm reminded of the way spaces change for the people who nurture them. The energy we give is the energy we receive, and the same is especially true for plants and people. 

There’s still beauty in the ending of plants.

As June's planting season ends, I hope that you'll find a little time to plant a little more in your space before we enter July's season of supporting the garden. Find time early in the morning to feel the cool air, or step outside late in the evening to feel the summer sun slip off your plants. Place a few more plants in the earth, water them in, wish them well, and thank them for their energy. They're going to need it as the summer heat sets in, and so will you.

If you’re in need of some 1:1 coaching in your garden to close out the summer planting season, we can help. Simply click the button below to book.