Patience

This is an obvious one, it’s the difference between a scrawny little carrot and a big one you can get at least two bites out of. Wait the recommended amount of days until your crop is ready, and you’ll get a big plump radish instead of a stringy root. Always grow your skill and brush off that unsatisfied feeling. Nothing – and nobody – has a “days to maturity” of a few hours.

You Gotta Have A Little Rain Sometimes

We can’t have good days everyday. Some are better at hiding it than others. Sunny, warm, beautiful days are worthless without rainy, dreary ones. Plants need water after all. Using a hose is only a temporary solution, as desert-dwellers know best of all. We still use well water, and still depend on rain and snow-pack in Colorado. Dreary, sad days are a sign you’re doing something right in life. You’ll figure it out and move forward. Imagine going through life not looking for a partner, or not bettering yourself, or not engaging with others in some way. A bit like purgatory.

By the way, check out John William Hill, the artist above (I added the text, it is not my album cover, I do not have a band or play music). He died in 1879 but I thought I’d give him a shout-out anyway. May he rest in peace.

Knowledge And Wisdom

Knowledge is planting seeds in soils with a lot of organic matter, wisdom is knowing the right ratio of organic matter to sand and nutrients. Knowledge is meeting people with the same interests, wisdom is being able to plan your future by choosing the right people. Keep your minds eye on how things might play out with friends and love interests. Do what’s best for you (or your plants, if that’s the case).

Three Sisters

Everyone has different strengths and talents. In relationships, as in planting, we play to our strengths and lean on others for their strengths. “Using” people isn’t how life works, because we are meant to support each other. The corn provides a stalk for the bean vine to grow on, the beans provide nutrition in the form of nitrogen, and the squash (aptly named!) shades out any weed that tries to grow. Each plays their part and are happy together. If your part is unknown or you are interested in changing the part you play, talk about it with your significant other. Friends too. You are shaped by the people you associate with.

Uniqueness

In a world full of changing attitudes, we have to remember that we are independent of those ideas. Pickling cucumbers don’t hear me say “grow the way I want you to!” and do it because I say so. They grow without worry or second thought, because it works, and they are loved and accepted as they are. Some are squat and plump, some are stereotypical. Square watermelons are molded by humans to be the same on the outside, cubic, boring. Inside they are sweet and tender and juicy, not what you would expect.

Now I can’t wait to have watermelon in the summer.

Check out http://waynewhiteart.com/ for no reason other than because he’s my favorite artist! He’s the person behind Peewee’s Playhouse, and I love his word-art.

Thank you for reading! What has your garden taught you?