Garden Lessons

This week it feels like summer’s already gone, as one dark and dreary day follows another.

And while, as all Northwest gardeners know, some flowers bloom and thrive only in shade, I am not one of them.

But even on the dullest day parts of the garden reflect light beautifully, and if they can do it, so can I.  There, that’s my goal for the day, the week, for life: to reflect more light.

And to that let me add other whispers from my garden’s store of timeless advice: even when progress seems to be all a-tangle and every road looks to be going nowhere at all,  forge ahead.  Or at least squiggle forward.

You can count on happiness to be found in the unlikeliest of places, if you can see beauty in the tie that binds.

There’s a lot to be said for turning your face to the world, even when you’re having a metaphorical bad hair day.

Find some bright and uplifting people, the more of them the better, and hang out together, hang on together, hang in there together.

Coax the bloom from the bud in every way you know how.  Be gentle.

But when aphids bite, when they try to suck the joy and life out of you, bite back.  Bite hard.

When doubt and fear creep in, don’t focus on the stinger, focus on the honey.

Love the one you’re with, even when you’re as different as poppies and peonies. 

Bloom shamelessly for all the world to see.  The sun is bound to come out after a while, and when it does, be ready.  Be very, very ready,

Explore posts in the same categories: French Letters Visits America

Tags: Pacific Northwest garden

You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.