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,
Tags: Pacific Northwest garden
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June 7, 2009 at 12:14 pm
“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.”
Lots of great advice here, Abra. Thanks! Just what I needed, today…
June 7, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Absolutely gorgeous! I love this time of year in the garden. Peonies, Clematis and poppies are some of my favorites.
June 8, 2009 at 11:27 am
Thank you for posting some thoughts that I very much needed to read and think about right now. You may think you’re doing this for yourself, but you’re guiding at least one of your readers along, too.
June 9, 2009 at 5:29 am
That weather has just arrived here, it’s pouring this morning and should last until the weekend. I got almost everything planted, except for the last of the sunflowers. The cats have realized it’s yucky out for them.
I’ll catch up on indoor work!
June 9, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Abra, are those gorgeous flowers in your yard or did you make a tour with your camera? In any event, the pictures are wonderful.
June 10, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Abra, I love seeing your garden and reflecting on the wisdom it reveals. Thank you for the beautiful pictures as well as the encouragement. Even scribbled plants have leaves on them!
June 12, 2009 at 11:58 pm
good words to live by….thanks for them!