Is your garden not really what you expected this year? A bit neglected? Don’t beat yourself up. Sometimes (well, a lot of the time) ambition runs ahead of capacity. It’s great to have that big, beautiful goal of a sustainable life to keep you inspired, but you don’t reach your goal in one season. Each of us needs to take our own eco baby steps.
I asked a few of my friends, including our own Nature Mom, how their gardens have been growing this year. Everyone I asked is a bit like me: juggling work, kids, volunteering, and a yard full of good intentions. No one was eager to answer me because no one managed to plant the garden they intended this year. Me? I have persistent herbs, berries, and grapes. I have bed after bed of flowers that my mother planted at least 10 years ago. They all grow no matter what I do, and I love them for it. When my friends and neighbors offer me peppers and tomatoes from their gardens, I make sure they go away with hands full of mint and fennel. It’s not much, but it is what my juggling allows. And, it’s wonderful!
Did you have big plans for your garden this year that didn’t quite work out? Don’t worry about it. Love what you have and figure out how to take the few hours next year to take another eco baby step toward the garden that you aspire to have.
Don’t let slip your mind that one step to improve your garden next year, though. Write it out in a bright color and put it next to you desk or on your refrigerator. Put it where you and others will see it. Commit to that one step, whether it’s replacing a dying vine or digging a new bed for tomatoes. Then, let that one step be a source of motivation to you. You can do it.
Image © Tiziano Casalta | Dreamstime.com
