I’ve gotten really into gardening lately and I find a lot of metaphors for life apply to plants.

1. Pruning is important to spur growth. We need periodic reviews of our life. Sometimes there’s too much going on and we need to edit. Sometimes that edit isn’t by our own choice – the end of a relationship, losing a job, a death that hits us hard. But that change, whether wanted or not, spurs growth and opportunity.
2. Just Try. You’re not supposed to be a master the second you start a new endeavor. You’re supposed to learn through trial and error. Sometimes a plant loves the spot immediately. Sometimes it dies quickly. Try again. Try a new plant, add different soil, water it more or less. But keep trying.
3. Even low maintenance needs some maintenance. Everything needs some care. It may only be a little water here and there and fertilizer once a year, but everything needs some attention sometimes. Don’t forget to check in on yourself now and then. Even if you’re hardy you’re not invincible.
4. Life gets in the way sometimes – do you what you need to do. Sometimes we can’t manage to do the thing that needs to be done at the perfect time to do it. Sometimes we’ve just got to get it done and do the best we can with the limitations we have. I’ve split plants in the middle of sunny summer. I’ve pruned and moved roses smack dab in the middle of the growing season. They’ll live. Or they won’t. Either way, it has to be done. Do what you have to do. Mitigate the damage as much as possible, but don’t get paralyzed because circumstances aren’t ideal and don’t beat yourself up because you couldn’t make it happen under ideal circumstances. Move forward.
5. Seeds burst from the inside out in a self-destructive ritual creating new life. Closing the door on a prior life may be the only way to take hold in a new version of yourself. You can’t keep a foot on both sides of the fence. Explode who you were that no longer serves your goals in order to get to the new you that grows and thrives.
6. Change is constant. The garden is different every day. Some plants that are thriving one minute are brown and dying the next. Appreciate every beautiful moment you have because it may disappear in short order. And take heart in the moments when you struggle to find beauty – it will come.
7. Seasons are important. Gardens have seasons – some are for showing off and producing and some are for recovering and preparing. Without the recovery and dormancy periods, we wouldn’t have nor would we appreciate the productive periods. Both phases are important and should be respected.
8. You can’t make everything happen all at once. No matter how hard you work, you cannot force a plant to grow faster than it will or be more mature than it is. You just have to put in the time. It requires patience and maintenance. As does anything worth having or doing. Put in the time, put in the work, you will reap the rewards.