Isn’t it funny how sneaky life lessons will creep in when you least expect them? Those that tend a garden space know that springtime is particularly rich with these little gems. As a transitional time between the more defined “winter” and “summer” seasons, spring is changeable by its very nature, one day rainy and cool and the next bright with sunshine and warmth. And every year is different, too. To expect every spring to be the same is silly, and I’m not sure why it surprises me every year to find it cooler, warmer, or wetter than the year before.
It seems every year, I must learn the lessons of spring again: patience, delayed gratification, letting go of things I can’t control, and the perennial classic – the world does not revolve around me.
The Beauty of Waiting
In my neck of the woods (Southern Oregon), spring has been chilly and wet this year, and everything is “behind” in growth and blooms. I have complained and moaned about it and longed for the breaks of sun and warmth that are more usual in our spring seasons. But as buds swell and bulbs finally bloom, I am reminded that there is fresh beauty and satisfaction in watching something come to fruition after long waiting.
The World Does Not Revolve Around Me
Getting to watch and even play a part in the process of growth is one of the most rewarding aspects of gardening. It reminds me that I don’t need to try to control everything, and I am not the center of the universe. How I feel and even what I want at any given moment (less rain, more sun!) may not be what is best for my community or me. Like much of the West Coast, our area has battled drought and wildfires for years, so plentiful rain, snowpack for the mountains, and cooler temperatures are beneficial. When I look beyond my own desires, I can appreciate things that benefit others around me and even start to see them as blessings for myself.
Letting Go
An unexpected upside to our cold, wet spring has been the harmony of plants that don’t usually bloom for me at the same time. To have my early blooms like daffodils, daphne, and camellias in flower at the same time as later bloomers like lilacs, phlox, and poppies is something I don’t often get to see. Most years, we see a steady succession, and the earlier bloomers fade with the pockets of warm weather. But this year is a riot of color that I didn’t expect and couldn’t have planned for. Letting go of my expectations and opening my eyes to the beauty and blessings right in front of me is a lesson I want to pull into other aspects of my life.
