New Year is a state of mind.

New Year is a state of mind.

It is all very well to treat the new year as a fresh start when you are in between seasons like all the wonderful gardeners in the Northern Hemisphere.  The previous season behind them, with lessons learnt from the successes and failures and all the hope and expectation of a new season just around the corner.   While the year is still young, plans are made on cold gloomy days.  My social media feeds are awash with enthusiast posts with some version of ‘the year that was’ and ‘the year to come’.   The excitement for a fresh start and a clean slate is contagious…

… Except, here down under, I’m in no position for a fresh start or a clean slate.  My garden is in full swing.  My gloomy day plans are coming to fruition – quite literally.  The harvest basket is beginning to burgeon.  My mistakes are being made and duly noted, so I can try to remember not to repeat them in the next spring, but probably will.   The plants themselves have progressed beyond the clearly defined and well managed phase of late spring and early summer and are now sprawling and flourishing and beginning to encroach on spaces beyond their allocation.  The wild exuberance is like an open invitation to one and all and close observation reveals the presence of pests and possible diseases. 

At this point the best way to productive garden is in the details.  Micro managing everything.  Getting to know each plant up close and personal so anything untoward doesn’t get a chance to settle in and the harvest is anticipated and plucked at the perfect moment.  It doesn’t seem like the right time for grand plans to be made.

Having said that, it isn’t all sunshine and roses at this time of year – especially when a possum ate all my rose buds leaving me waiting and wanting for blooms that just didn’t appear.  But also, the sunshine isn’t a given – for the last few years this ‘summer’ period hasn’t exactly been forthcoming in the blue-sky day department but more reliably delivering wind and rain.  Warm wind and rain, but nevertheless – not ideal conditions.   If it wasn’t for the unbeatable taste of a fresh tomato, still warm from the sun, I would almost be envious of those making plans, as those plans invariably include the elusive perfect season and exclude the undesirable weeds and worries.

However, at this new year juncture in the midst of the season, taking the time to step back to take it all in and make grand plans can be beneficial.  I’m not starting with a blank canvas but looking around me in the middle of a map – if you’ll excuse the mixed metaphors.  The questions to ask are:

• Am I going in the right direction – is the garden looking like I thought it would?
• Am I getting bored with the same old same old? Is there anything different I want to try?
• How is the structure of the garden shaping up? Do I need to make repairs? Is a lick of paint needed?
• Is there anything I have always planned to do but in the midst of the season never found the time? What do I need to change to make this happen?
• Is something just not working, no matter how hard I try?

For a southern summer, a midseason naval gaze is often easy to do as there is generally an opportunity to approach the garden with fresh eyes.  Like it or not, the festive season and holiday period takes us out of the garden and often off to the beach for much needed rest and relaxation…  Although as much as it is needed for the mind, body and soul, it couldn’t be worse timing for the garden which, at this time of year needs the gardener more with no regard for the necessities beyond the garden.  A gardener’s rest comes when things are cold and gloomy, and our hearts and minds are filled with joyous plans and possibilities. 

A break in the growing season is an opportunity to stop and look around and see what isn’t seen in the midst of daily routines and close quarters.  Coming back from the holiday season can be overwhelming and daunting, with weeds in once pristine beds, knee high grass on the lawn and produce dripping from every branch demanding immediate processing.   But before throwing yourself into the effort of restoring order, just stop and be and observe.  Make notes and take photos.  Dream some dreams and set some goals.   Make the most of what is happening in front of you to learn the lessons the garden is trying to teach you.  Slow yourself down and continue the beach pace adopted over the break.  A garden is just as much a place to relax and enjoy, be intentional in not letting yourself be overwhelmed by zucchinis and cucumbers.

It may be the new year, but down here, in the garden it may not be as obvious, but take a moment to make sure you are growing in the right direction.

Come again soon – in the middle of this growing season I’ll still be making plans.

Sarah the Gardener  : o)