You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt. ~Author Unknown
It’s Ramadan almost! Can’t believe how one year has flown and meshed into another year so quickly. There are so many lessons to learn from a garden. For one, patience. I hate waiting for things to happen, so to go every day outside and look at a pot full of soil checking for signs of life forces me to become patient. No seedling today? Maybe tomorrow? Not yet? Maybe another day? So when the plant finally does emerge, tiny, frail, green, and delicate, it is something to savor. Germination has occurred!
Like people, flowers are so different socially. Some more social, some less. Last year when I had plunked all these sunflowers together, I realized that when put apart, and given space, how they thrive. They like solitude or space, their own pot, their own soil. Just one foot of space will make them happier to be around other flowers. Personal space is important. It’s amazing how you can bloom when you have your space and some alone time.
Some flowers like company. When I plunked all my cilantro/coriander/dhania seeds together, they became happier. They like each other’s closeness. When I plunked just a couple of seeds together, they didn’t thrive. Some people crave social settings more than others. I’m the lesser.
Anticipation: the sunflower bud takes so long to get there, blooms once, blooms beautifully, and then is done. (Or at least mine were.) Currently I’m in the bud stage below.
You Get What You Get, You Don’t Get Upset: a slogan I would repeat to my second graders when handing out colored construction paper, or any item for that matter. Last year I had beautiful sunflower blooms. This year, one of my stems grew nicely, and right at the end, ants got to it, and that was that. After waiting for so long, there was no showcase flower, just disappointment. I have one more bloom coming, so hope that one makes it, but you learn that you aren’t always lucky.
Attune with the Weather: Rain is a sigh of relief for the lazy gardener, me! No more, it’s raining…again?! Now, it’s a yessss, it’s raining again! “Weather means more when you have a garden. There’s nothing like listening to a shower and thinking how it is soaking in around your green beans.” ~Marcelene Cox
Read the Instructions: The instructions on the packet are usually right. I tend to skim things and toss to the side, but it is important to realize which flowers need to be thinned out and given more space, like my zinnias which need more space, and I don’t have it!
A Sense of Wonder:
It’s amazing to plant a plain old seed and get a beautiful bloom in return. It surprises me every time. I think children feel the same way. Baby A loves fingering the cilantro leaves and picking them!
Give What You Can And That Is Good: In spirit of upcoming Ramadan, give, give, give! Quran ayah below that I recently stumbled upon and loved. Some times you hover over your garden and water, and fertilize and get an amazing garden. Some times you don’t hover, give your garden the minimal attention, and it still is amazing and thrives. Pretty cool, Huh? Similar to giving wealth, God knows your true intentions and how much you can give personally, and whatever you are able to personally give whether it’s a million dollars, or one dollar, you will still thrive and be blessed.
And the example of those who spend their wealth seeking means to the approval of God and assuring [reward for] themselves is like a garden on high ground which is hit by a downpour – so it yields its fruits in double. And [even] if it is not hit by a downpour, then a drizzle [is sufficient]. And God , of what you do, is Seeing.
Doodling Through Life 
Beautiful and important lessons indeed!
thanks amma :)! jzk
Wonderful and very true. I would add one more……the biggest pleasures are the simplest ones, the ones that are achieved just by being there, soaking it all in.
so true anna! ramadan mubarak :)!
Hey, message me your phone number and I’ll text you my days off next week and well set something up in the afternoon around early evening so were not in the strongest heat….
Danny says he doesn’t want baby a and little z to get too hot…..
Oh and his says to bring carrots it if you bring apples, bring them cut IP in to largfe pieces…. He has a tooth missing…. OK danny that’s enough. But Reem whatever works on my days off is good….plus your mom can come with you….
salams Anna,
this sounds good! can we do this after Ramadan by any chance? our evenings are pretty hectic! can’t wait 🙂
Reem
ps will msg you my # on facebk!
Oh and from danny and me, Ramadan Kareem
Thanks for sharing such a sweet lesson in tune with the meaning of Ramadan. Also, I love your eye for photography and beautiful flowers! 🙂
Thanks Maria:)! It is fun to photograph flowers! Hope you Keep reading!
Wonderful post, it makes me feel a little happier in rainy days. My boyfriend also grow some mushrooms in his tiny garden so I understand the worry when nothing shows up and the joy when a tiny white baby mushroom arrives. Gardening bring peace to our life, God blesses those who have a kind-hearted.
awesome! it is a great feeling to see something grow :). thanks for reading! enjoy your mushrooms!