Winter Gardening
Winter gardening is definitely an acquired taste. It's cold, things are wet and slimy, and you get to garden in between the raindrops. But there are rewards! Last weekend, we had a couple of days where the temperatures rose to 50 degrees F (10C) and the sun made a brief visit to my neighborhood. I decided to venture into my garden to do some cleanup. I put on my gardening shoes, a warm beanie and a jacket, pulled my gardening tools out from the garage and got to work. One of the major winter tasks is to move plants, as here in the Pacific Northwest, the ground gets very dry in the summer and it's impossible to dig. In the winter, the soil is much looser and malleable. It also allows plants to recover in relatively damp conditions, so the transplant cycle isn’t as risky.
These volunteers are left over from lat year. I think I may be growing peas this spring!
I started digging and pruning bushes and plants I had been overlooking since late November. It was a messy job. As I continued cutting back dormant plants and grasses, the shapes in my garden began to appear. But the more I pruned, the more there was to prune. I lost track of time finding myself totally engrossed with the possibilities of my garden. We gardeners, a hopeful lot, believe that with care and attention, our seeds, bulbs, and plants will return our affections with vegetation, flowers, fruits, and vegetables.
Partially thinned out iris bed. There’s still work to do!
Finally, my two paper yard bags were full and I carried them down to the yard waste bin. The sun was near the horizon (it was 4:30pm) and it was time to call it a day. I had made some progress, yet there was so much more work to do. But I felt a huge sense of satisfaction: I had started this work. I discovered that winter gardening wasn't as hard as I imagined it to be, and the next day, I took pride in seeing my front yard just a little bit neater. I was investing in my garden’s potential, the promise of spring.
A partially pruned hydrangea awaiting warmer days
Of course, you guessed it, there are many coaching parallels. Coaching is a hopeful business, working with clients on different aspects of their lives, seeing growth in some areas, and dormancy in others. With care and attention, many clients blossom and grow into the best versions of themselves. Some are like bulbs and need a dormancy period. Others quickly find their groove and bear abundant fruit! In any case, both coaching and gardening are incredibly satisfying experiences for myself, my clients, and my plants.
What lies dormant within you?
What parts of you need nurturing so that you blossom in the next few months?
Grape hyacinths just waiting for the right time to bloom
On another note, one of my goals for 2023 is to try new things: I'm taking Zumba classes! I'm finding them very challenging, but fun. Here's what that looks like.