April showers bring May flowers!

How do you chill out while embracing your current season?  I am pondering this thought as the temps hover in the 50's, but the breeze ushering in spring showers also brings cool spring winds. I have to admit the nicer weather brings a sort of impatience to start the spring clean-up and prep for the growing season ahead.  We have been cleaning up debris from Ponderosa tree winter damage and general grounds maintenance.  We got excited on a blue-bird, warm March day and hung the bird netting over the garden only to have old man winter play a cruel joke on us and bring six inches of heavy wet snow over night which tore most of the netting down!  The sad part was that the snow was melted by noon and the netting was draped allover the raised beds.  Oh well!

Watching other homesteaders around the country already growing their gardens can give me FOMO. Montana's short growing season make it challenging to start our garden early. Despite warm days, evening lows can still drop into the 20's and 30's. On the bright side cool temp plants have been busy preparing for their spring debut.  I must admit the joy and surprise I felt heading to garden after the winter snow melted to see overwintered strawberry plants that were green.  Perennial flowers were already pushing growth, garlic growing above the protective straw layer,  oregano, anise hyssop, chamomile, and bergamot all showing signs if life.  

I have in the past tried to push forward in the garden too fast, only to have disastrous results in the end.  These experiences helped me to realize don't compare, but embrace the beauty others celebrate before you do.  Enjoy watching others have something you desire knowing your time is coming.  We wait so eagerly for our planting time to come that we can get weary in the waiting.  Use your waiting time to gain knowledge and know-how for the upcoming season.  Focus on what you do have, not what you don't.  There's a life lesson here in the garden, can you see it?  

Learn to flourish where you're planted in the season you're in. The beauty of the garden, just as in life, isn't rushing through the process, it's embracing the highs and lows of the journey. Don't overlook the joy in the waiting, wishing, and busyness while taking time to smell the roses!  What roses will you stop and smell today?