The chickens took the first shot at pulling back the blanket of fall from the gardens, kicking through accidental and intentional mulch to get at grubs and worms and cool, cleansing soil.
But along about the time a tiny violet blooming in a neighbor’s south-facing garden signaled that it was time for me to take on the work in earnest, the snow began to fall. I had barely managed to rake a few beds, cut back suckers and broken branches and contemplate where a sweet pea seed or two might be dropped when nature hit pause again.
That’s the way it is in the garden. Stop and go. Watch and wait. Scatter the grass seeds and hope for rain.
For me, this lesson has been thorny. There is no guarantee that the best laid plans won’t be buried or nibbled or sizzled.
And so I look to this new season in the garden and of Grow, knowing only one thing: There will be thrills and disappointments, and many unanticipated moments to step back and enjoy them all. Dana Coffield
