Growing Your Garden

I lived in Shropshire, England many years ago where practically every homeowner has a garden and spends a lot of time in it. Gardening shows abound on television and I sometimes thought that someone must be selling green thumbs along with house deeds! I didn’t grow up in a family that spent much time with outdoor plants or gardens. One time I dug a hole in the front yard and planted some tulip bulbs and was beyond pleased when my one orange-striped tulip poked its head out of the ground. I was good with houseplants and that kept me occupied in my twenties. But then in my thirties, I moved to the suburbs and faced a looming garden crisis. A half-acre back yard that looked like a bramble convention? Nightly groundhog visits, tomato-eating squirrels and a rhododendron that was determined to grow legs and waltz across the front yard…. I was out of my element. Looking back years later, when the rhododendron was tamed, the cherry tomatoes were flourishing and the backyard shade garden was complete, it’s hard to remember quite how wrenching the first months of gardening were for me. I constantly felt ill at ease, not productive, and like I was doing things wrong. Sound familiar? I hear this all the time from my coaching clients. They beat themselves up mercilessly and then wonder why they are unable to create. I come back to the garden metaphor for a calming dose of reality. Gardens are intertwined with the seasons. So are we.