Gardeners are perennial optimists. In the cold of winter they pour over seed catalogs making plans for a new beginning in spring. Come spring they plant their seeds — seeds that are symbols of potential, each one carefully sown by a hopeful gardener who intends to care for them throughout their life cycle. When planted in the correct soil, at the correct depth, at the correct time, and watered the seeds become sprouts that break through the sun-warmed earth and reach for the sky.
Seedsmen reckon that their stock in trade is not seeds at all … it’s optimism. - Geoff Hamilton
If you ask a gardener what they have learned about life from gardening they will reply — respect for Mother Nature and patience. Gardeners are natured based life-long learners. For gardens to thrive, the gardener must be attentive to the needs of individual plants and the natural growth cycle. In order to recognize what to provide and when to provide it he or she must draw on knowledge gained from past successes and failures.
All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today. - Author Unknown
When I was sowing seeds into the trays of potting soil I had prepared for them in my greenhouse this year I began to reflect on the life lessons I have learned as a gardener. Thoughts are seeds we cultivate in our minds, consciously or subconsciously. Those we cultivate grow, bud, flower, and set seed producing more seed thoughts. Those we do not cultivate fail to germinate. To me cultivating positive seed thoughts represents recognition of potential for personal growth and commitment to the process. Then I read an inspiring article I will share a quote from:Imagine your self-love as a seed inside of you. Even if it is just a tiny, unnourished, seed right now, you have the ability to grow that seed into something spectacular. The growth of your self-love is not going to happen overnight. However, by taking certain actions, your seed will most assuredly grow. Today, make a commitment to yourself to nurture your inner seed of love. — Zeenat in How to Cultivate and Nurture Self Love – Self Love Story
I’m simultaneously sowing successive plantings of seeds for food for the table and seed thoughts of hope, optimism and self love in the garden of my mind. With loving kindness and patience I am watering and nurturing both my garden seeds and seed thoughts and looking forward to their budding and blossoming. How about you? Are you selectively sowing and cultivating seed thoughts in the garden of your mind?
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Do You Grow Your Greens?
Awakening: We are Buddha Seed
I Love Container Gardening
Seed catalogs have arrived
How beautifully written and sensitively conveyed! This post is quite a gem that will sprout many “seed thoughts of hope, optimism and self love in the garden of [your] mind” and those of your readers who cherish your writings. Thank you very much!
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Inspiring post. I am a literal gardener. My garden is a xeriscape. I dont water it at all unless I installed a new plant. I live in an area where deer, rabbits, raccoons and domestic cats and dogs roam and all are welcome in my garden which is full of drought-tolerant, deer-resistant plants. Because I like the look and because I am a frugal gardener many of my plants are self-seeding. I love to see the deer and their fauns walk by, the occasional duck and her ducklings,hawks and small birds and lots of bees. I think it is a shame to see a garden walled off with a fence to keep deer out. My garden may not win any prizes but to me it is beautiful because I get to share it with humans and animals alike.
You are very correct….’garderners are nature based life-long learners’. They plant seeds and nurture them as saplings to the stage when the plants thrive. Its the same way I feel about parenting…Also your metaphor of seeds of positive thoughts flourishing into real-life treasures is both wise and true :)
Dear TiTi, this is one of the most beautiful articles I’ve read. I agree with “NothingProfound” Your writing just blows my mind. Exquisite is the right word for it. I love how you have tied our own growth to the growth of the garden. I feel this EVERY day, and more so this year. Last summer I made the HORRIBLE mistake of not having a garden because my book was coming out. BIG BIG mistake. You would not believe how deeply that effected me. It was like someone took away part of my soul. It was the first time in YEARS that I did not have some kind of garden. And I needed it more THAT summer than ever. I will NEVER do that again. I really reeeeeally saw how much the garden give me, that deep intimate connection, and as the plants grow so do I, And all the life the garden brings into my yard and into my soul.
You are a truly magnificent and beautiful soul TiTi. I was in awe and wonder of you just reading this. I am thinking of you dear friend, with so much love and compassion. Always, Robin
TT-your writing gets more exquisite and lyrical all the time. I suppose that’s the inevitable result when one writes of the things one most loves. In this case your love of the earth as well as yourself.
Dearest TiTi,
I love your thoughts here on sowing beautiful thoughts….such amazing benefits lay within the process of germination and growth of these seeds.
Thank you so much for sharing my words here. Self love being the most important and precious seed we will ever sow… :)
So Much love to you,
Z~
Lovelythoughts. It occurred to me that I am a ‘slash and burn’ sort of garderner . Bit worrying that. I do love my garden though. The best part of it iis that it grows despite my best efforts.
I live in an apartment so I really can’t grow much but I do buy plants (Rieger Begonias are my favorite) to place around my place. Great post and thanks for sharing.
Lovely post! I am not a literal gardener, but I always try to sow seeds of joy…I don’t always succeed, but I always try!
I’m so glad you liked it. I would love to be in the space where I could sew seeds of joy every day. Lately that’s not where I’ve been at but I’m looking forward to change and I do feel it coming.