On Planting a (Native) Garden

I’ve been thinking for a while that I’d like to have a native plant garden and it’s finally coming to fruition. Even given the very small piece of earth over which I have a say, each step of the process has taken more effort than I had initially imagined it might.

First I lived with the space for some time, becoming familiar with not only the current state of affairs, but also with how I felt about it and how it impacted my life on a practical level. What did I want to greet me when I woke up on a new day? What would be life-giving and not dominate my weekends with maintenance?

Slowly a vision emerged. I love color so it was always going to be bright, with purples and blues and perhaps pink too. Options abound and space was a constraint. With the two narrow strips of land I could decorate with foliage, the outer edges would boast the tallest greens, with flower heights cascading down toward the seating area from which I could admire the whole scene.

Next I had to clear out the old shrubs to make room for what was to come. Having opted to give them away online, I dug alongside the happy recipient in the rain to unearth what was now hers. We hadn’t anticipated how tightly the roots would grip on plants that reached only six to eight inches tall! They were stubborn, even in the damp soil, and we burned some calories on the task, eventually emerging victorious, though some of the roots remained lodged in the dirt, clinging tenaciously to their old home.

Churning the soil uncovered pebbles and stones that I picked out by hand, some the size of a fingernail and others larger than my fist! It felt good to remove them, knowing it would allow more room for the nutrient-dense soil to nurture the new plants. Squatting down to find and pull out the stones became a satisfying way to take a break and reset my mind on busy days for a week or two and yet . . . how many did I need to capture before I could move ahead with the larger vision? Knowing I’d probably never get them all and still plant a garden before winter, I let it go at some point in pursuit of the picture in my mind’s eye.

Mixing in a few bags of rich fare to nourish the beauties to come felt good, knowing I was preparing a place where they could flourish, build into the local eco-system and bring delight each time I looked out the window.

Scouting out options at nearby garden shops, I was referred to a native plant expert and sat with her in a complimentary consult to make use of her wisdom. As she sketched out a graphic for the dimensions I’d carefully measured, I asked if she could picture it all in her head, with the colors, heights, shapes of the grasses and flowers and she said she could. “What a gift!” I thought, grateful to partner with someone knowledgeable in an area foreign to me.

After some price checks with the competition, it took several trips to the store to find and transport the plants home, carefully squeezing them into my small car.

Glad I’d given myself a deadline to install the creation as the backdrop of a small garden party I was hosting, I set to work implementing the plan. While it turned out a few hours wasn’t nearly enough to get it all done, I felt sheer joy at seeing the initial results of color splashing along the fresh ground!

Reflecting on the journey, some questions come to mind for future projects:

- What’s working about the current scenario that I want to carry into the new version?

- What’s my vision for what’s next?

- What needs to go and what will it take to send it on its way? Who can help with that?

- How thorough do I need to be in uprooting the old? Might perfectionism hinder progress?

- What resources can support me to make the vision happen?

- What will keep me on track to get it done?

- How will I celebrate the success?’

May your next project be as rewarding as planting a garden has been for me!

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On Presence and Choice: You Know You Float?