...just Watchin' the Plants Grow...

Ssssh, I discovered a secret activity that gardeners do. It's called Watchin' the Plants Grow. I discovered it quite by accident when I found myself frequently standing in the middle of the deck, just staring at my plants. My eyes feasted on green-ness, bright petals and new lines of shadow that had never been on my deck before. I mentioned my penchant for standing & staring to my mom and she said "Oh yes, I do that too! I'm sure the neighbor thinks I'm nuts because I stand in the middle of my yard so much. They probably wonder what I'm doing!"

I know what I'm doing... I'm watching my plants grow. When you look at your plants often enough, you notice when a leaf lifts up just 1/2" after you gave it a nice drink on a hot day. You notice when a flower puts on a new dress. You notice when a bug or butterfly is taking a fancy to your blossoms. When you look at a plant often enough, you start to believe every day can be a new beginning, a second chance. You start to understand that even the smallest action can make a big difference. You marvel at how a seed can make a tree and no longer take for granted how a tiny plant can grow big enough to give you a juicy tomato to eat.

I like this new awareness very much. I plan on spending many hours this summer just watchin' the plants grow.