LESSONS FROM MY GARDEN... AKA: MY GARDEN HATES ME

I love gardening. I love pretty flowers and smelly herbs and…eating (no surprise there!). This year, my herbs were temperamental, my tomatoes were SLOW and my squash petered out without a single serious harvest. I was so discouraged that I didn't even bother with planting flowers.

I went through all of the stages of grief... I denied there was a problem, I got angry that the soil was so awful and the rabbits were so hungry and WHY DIDN'T I JUST USE RAISED GARDEN BEDS?!

I wrote down the idea for this post about a month ago when the tomato plants were finally starting to flower. I just knew a huge crop of tomatoes was coming. I could feel it!

Well, it's now the third week of September and the only thing coming is a frost. 95% of my tomatoes are green and my peppers are still just baby peppers.

I thought the lesson I had to learn was patience, but I'm finally figuring out that the more important takeaway is the value of the journey. I lost sight of the fact that gardening is supposed to be fun and relaxing. I turned my de-stressor into a frustrating chore.

So, learn from me! Whatever it is you like to do, yoga, running, riding horses, working out, cooking…appreciate the doing of the thing. If your hips aren't cooperating with your pigeon pose or you're avoiding a run because it's not going to be good enough, take the time to think about your why:

I garden to relax

I run to clear my mind

I work out to improve my physical health

I cook to control what I put in my body

I do yoga to improve my mindfulness and flexibility

Remember, life is supposed to be fun, not perfect!