My Sunday post is coming out very late in the day because I have been hanging out in the garden. Finally, I am done traveling. And the weather cooperated, making it a great gardening weekend. I also have a new planting area in my yard, created when we moved a fence out to the property line last year. It has been a completely blank canvas. And I’ve been pondering all winter what to plant. So this morning I was excited to finally begin.
Most of the day has been taken up with this newest garden space. Some of that time and energy was justified as there is extra work in preparing a new bed. However, I am also aware that our brains crave novelty. There is a tendency to focus on the new shiny thing. The new feels more interesting than the “old things”. While I am happy to report that the new bed is now planted with red raspberries, amaranth and wild flowers, I needed to remind myself to stop and appreciate the rest of the yard and garden beds.
When I stopped to focus, my “old things” were exciting as well. For the first time since planting them, my espalier apple and dwarf pear tree are loaded with flowers. (I am hoping for fruit this year.) The rhubarb I planted a few years ago is strong and flourishing. And the plants that were shiny and new last summer, a second goji berry and a black butterfly bush, survived the cold dry winter winds and are thriving. I had to step back from the new bed and just take some time to celebrate the entirety of the yard. It is so easy to get caught up in the call of the new, not just in gardens, but in our lives.
So this week, the mindfulness focus is just to be aware of the new shiny things that call to us and grab our attention. They might be very deserving of our focus (or not), but taking a moment to notice our tendency to rush towards the new, is a step toward intentionality. And stopping to appreciate the things that quietly support and sustain us, even if they’ve been around for a while, helps us cultivate gratitude and mindfulness.
For more information on weekly mindfulness focus words click here.
New Garden Plants
Joan J Primacane Red Raspberry
