Reflection
Every so often, especially before the start of a new season, it’s useful to pause and reflect. And when it comes to your yard and garden, it’s helpful to consider each area, one at a time. What worked well and what didn’t? What would you like to see more of or less of? Are there plants that can be divided so you can have a swath of them rather than just one or two? Are there plants that are escaping their borders and need to be reigned back in? Is there a plant with contrasting foliage or flowers that would really make a statement in that area? Or perhaps it needs a focal point like a large rock, a bench, a sculpture, or trellis.
Mother Nature is an amazing teacher and our gardens are a great classroom. The more you do, the more you learn. I may be a Master Gardener, but I find that regardless of how much book-knowledge I have, I’m most confident about the areas of horticulture where I have the most hands-on experience.
And don’t be dismayed by what didn’t work out. Those “failures” often become our greatest learnings. Plants are professors, teaching us what to put where, what to put together and reminding us to read plant labels or do a little research before planting them. This is especially true of those that are going to get really big (like trees) or those seemingly diminutive Napoleons with a desire to dominate everything else in our yards.
Reflect on how you worked with your garden during the seasons. Did you stay ahead of it or did you feel like you were always playing catch-up? For me, it always seems like the seasons race by and my main regrets are the missed opportunities like getting weeds while they’re tiny, planting seeds on time, planting out transplants and so on.
Something that I’m very grateful for is that I do take a lot of pictures of my yard and garden. So, even if I don’t take notes or keep a journal like I vow to do each year, I do have a record of what bloomed when and how things looked. This is invaluable for planning the next season. It also reminds me of the huge transformation that the garden goes through each year season by season. I especially need this on a gloomy winter day as I gaze out onto a dark and mostly dead-looking landscape. I need that visible reminder that after a nice resting period (for my garden and for me), bits of new life will be poking their heads up yet again, bringing a smile to my face, and a renewed energy and desire to garden all over again.
As you look forward to the seasons ahead in your garden, be encouraged. Gardening is not a contest to be won but a partnership with nature, with all the highs and lows that come with being in love with something real.
