Heal me Today

I might be repeating myself, but I just can’t stop marveling at how deeply fulfilling this activity is for me. It brings me so much joy, peace, and a genuine desire to learn and discover new things. It’s a form of nurturing where the love you pour in truly comes right back to you.

Of course, there are times when things don’t go as planned and a harvest fails, but we can’t let that get us down. Just like in life, no path is completely smooth and easy, and growing things comes with its own hurdles—both big and small.

Either way, I have to brag a little! We’re already harvesting our own cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and carrots. Not everything I planted in the spring took root, but I treat it all as a valuable lesson in trial and error.

This week, I planted new strawberries. Those of you who know a thing or two about gardening might be wondering: In September? But I actually checked with the local garden center, and fall is a great time to plant everbearing varieties. So I have new plants in the ground, and I know I’ll tend to them with love. I’m just hoping they settle in well and bear fruit when the time comes. I also planted some garlic alongside them to protect them from pests—and word has it that garlic actually makes strawberries taste sweeter! See? These are all new, wonderful things I’m learning along the way.

While buying them, I stumbled upon something I had no idea even existed: strawberry-raspberries! Have you ever heard of such a thing? I certainly hadn’t! But when I saw a picture of the ripe fruit, I told myself I just had to have it. So, we planted two little bushes in one of our raised beds, and now we wait until next year to see how this experiment turns out.

The last thing I planted this week was an apple tree. You might remember that back in the spring, I planted three saplings—an apple, an apricot, and a peach. The last two are growing beautifully and bring me so much happiness. Sadly, the apple tree didn’t make it, so I had to dig it up and plant a new one. Fingers crossed this one feels right at home with us and brings us our first harvest soon!

You might be wondering why you’re reading a post like this here—after all, if you wanted gardening advice, you’d probably visit a specialized blog. But I wanted to share this to show how beneficial an activity like this can be for our mental well-being. That pure joy when something starts to sprout, or when you taste your own harvest… but also the quiet anxiety when the first frost hits or strong winds threaten to break what you’ve nurtured.

It’s like a whole little ecosystem of life within our lives. If you have the chance to grow anything at all—even if it’s just a single pot on a balcony—go for it! It’s an activity that always gives back something your soul truly needs.