Happy New Moon May 15th, 2026
Spring Garden Gifts and Challenges
We could make the case that every day in the garden brings gifts and challenges. However springtime seems to have a bigger share of them. Weather extremes and the many tasks needed as the garden wakes up are a part of this.
It is easy to get lost in the challenges: the frost last week that killed some of my small pears and apples, the squirrels digging up every garden bed, the serious drought here in Denver, and just my lack of time to do all the things I want done in the garden. But there is usually a balance of gifts and challenges and we can intentionally focus on the gifts. Sometimes the same event is both challenge and gift.
For example, the spring storm that dumped heavy wet snow all over Denver last week provided some much needed moisture and that was a gift. But it also brought down tree limbs and crushed plants.
Fruit Tree Gifts and Challenges
It’s May, so both my pear and apple trees had tiny fruit already forming. Sadly after the storm passed, a lot of the fruit had turned black. But a few days after the storm, the pear tree began flowering again! So there is hope that I will still have a decent amount of fruit, at least from the pear tree. It is a gift and a reminder of how resilient the plants are.
Snow in May is not that surprising for Denver, and I don’t plant anything that is not cold hearty before the end of month, but I was worried about plants being crushed by the weight of the snow.
Resilient Plants
As the snow began to melt, quite a few plants looked pretty bedraggled. The tops of pea vines that were not firmly attached to trellises were broken, but the plants themselves were okay. Poppies, flax, and motherwort were flattened to the ground, but in a day or two they had popped up and they seemed completely unphased by the storm. And again, the much needed moisture was a blessing for the garden and the whole city.
Surprises and Other Garden Gifts
It is easy to walk through the garden with a long checklist in your head about what needs to be done. But we can intentionally switch that up and walk with the goal of noticing beauty and looking for surprises. Yesterday morning, while walking in the garden I found a lady bug on yarrow. It made me smile.
And not a surprise, but something I am excited about for this summer, is that I have two cotton seedlings (still indoors at night) that seem to be doing fine. It is one of my experiments this year to see if I can get them to
grow successfully in pots.
There are more garden gifts to report, but I am a little swamped as I am currently facilitating a three week training for work while simultaneously attending a qigong teacher training. So I will end here, just noting that spending time in the garden is always a gift. There are challenges in the world and in our gardens. I’m not suggesting that we ignore any of them. But we can adopt an intentional practice to notice the gifts as well.
About this Blog Post & and Qigong Practice
This post is part of my lunar blog series. I post each new moon as it is a great time to begin projects and set intentions with the increasing light. Topics are related to plants and ideas featured in my book, Growing Mindful. . Other topics are related to mindfulness, gardens, qigong, and intentional living. For more details and a list of past lunar blog posts, click here.
About Qigong – I lead qigong at Bluff Lake Nature Center in Denver on the last Sunday of each month. You can find the schedule in announcements on the home page. I have also partnered with other graduates of the IIQTC (Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi) to offer virtual HeART of Body Compassionate Self Care Practice Circles based on qigong and tai chi. Check out the information here: Global Healing Circles or contact me if you need more information.
