The Unexpected Joy of Gardening: How Summer Plants Taught Me Patience and Acceptance
In this heartfelt post, I share my summer adventure into gardening—a journey filled with growth, both in my plants and in myself. From the anxiety of tending to heirloom tomatoes to the unexpected beauty of watching flowers transform into fruit, this season taught me patience and acceptance.
I know this isn't exactly about cooking, but it's related to my little gardening project. Well, maybe it's a bit about cooking since I'm growing some ingredients! I'm a complete newbie to gardening, and there's so much information out there about how to grow tomatoes and other garden goodies that it can be overwhelming. Maybe next year I can focus on creating the perfect garden, but for now, I just want to see the fruits of my labor. I have a small backyard and want to keep my garden manageable. Here are some photos so you can see how it's coming along..
As we near the end of summer, I find myself eagerly anticipating the arrival of my favorite season. But before we get there, I want to share my latest summer adventure—gardening. With limited space in the yard, I decided to try container gardening.
Now, to be completely honest, this isn’t my first time growing plants. I’ve dabbled with bell peppers in pots, and herbs and flowers are familiar territory. Still, I wouldn't call myself a green thumb just yet. However, this year, my daughter-in-law's gardening journey inspired me to dive deeper. She started by germinating seeds under grow lights, and I was lucky enough to take some of those seedlings home with me.
For my part, I decided to plant squash seeds directly in the soil, skipping the indoor germination process that most gardening advice suggests. To my surprise, those little seeds sprouted quickly and began blooming beautifully! I had braced myself for a gardening fail, but it turns out my squash had other plans. Watching those seeds push through the soil so fast was an unexpected joy, and I'm excited to see what else this gardening journey has in store!
Discovering the Joy of Gardening
Remember those seeds my daughter-in-law started? Well, among them were my most anxiety-inducing plants—heirloom tomatoes she had germinated. By the time they made their way to me, they were healthy and ready for planting. I’m not entirely sure why the thought of growing tomatoes gave me so much anxiety, but I was determined to push through, no matter the outcome.
In addition to the heirloom tomatoes, I was also gifted two grape tomato plants from a big-box store. While I’m not the biggest fan of larger tomatoes—usually reserving them for sandwiches—I’m all about grape and cherry tomatoes. As a texture person, I prefer the firmness and the fact that they have fewer seeds and gelatinous membranes. When it comes to cooking, I usually reach for Roma tomatoes, which I absolutely love. Maybe next year, I’ll try my hand at growing Romas, though I’ve heard they can be a bit tricky.
Pushing Through
I never realized how satisfying gardening could be. Watching something grow and thrive under your care is incredibly rewarding. Some days, I’d just sit and admire the beauty of the plants as if they were flowers, marveling at the leaves and the vibrant colors they produced. It’s amazing to witness how something that starts as a tiny flower can transform into a delicious treat. The whole process leaves me in awe.
Gardening has also taught me some valuable lessons. The biggest one is patience—waiting and watching as flowers gradually turn into fruits or vegetables takes time. And then, even more waiting as they ripen from green to red, like with my tomatoes. Another important lesson is learning to be okay when things don’t go as planned. My zucchini plants were a complete dud, never producing any zucchinis and often falling victim to ants. But instead of feeling frustrated, I learned to appreciate the plant’s beauty for what it was.
Even though my garden is now fading due to the heavy rains, with only my herbs still hanging on, I’d do it all over again. As I transition into fall, I’ll be shifting my focus from gardening to cooking and crafting. I hope you’ll join me on these new adventures!
Lessons in the Garden
