Fall is a time of cooling temperatures, signs of a new season, and new plans. Plants in my garden are starting to die back and I’m starting to plan for which ones will be making the transition to winter (rosemary) ,which ones I want to plant next year (the parents at the food bank are rallying for more colorful beans and carrots, and neighbors are hoping for mint for mojitos … lol), and which ones I won’t be seeing again (bye bye Cajun Belle peppers). I grew the peppers by mistake. I was under the impression they were going be mildly sweet with a touch of heat. What I got when I plucked one and dipped it in some hummus was my face on fire. Who created such an evil little beast?
Next year I am going lighter and happier. I figure no better place to start than by planting tulips. Last summer I made the pilgrimage to the Skagit Valley Tulip festival. The site of this event is beautiful on a jaw dropping level. It left me wondering how I could achieve such beauty on a smaller, affordable scale. The answer came to me walking into a Costco, where I spotted the bag of 50 tulips $12.99. Bulbs, or any seeds for that matter, always make me think of relationships. The garden has long been a metaphor I’ve used for relationships. Tending to your garden–weeding, fertilizing, and warding off pests–is absolutely crucial if you want to enjoy its bounty. It’s not hard to tell the difference between a garden that’s been well maintained and one that’s been neglected. The same is true for relationships. While the season continues to change, take moments to connect and be attentive to your various relationships. Doing so means they will continue to come back to you in the future for more connection and they will also nourish your own soul.
Real Life of an MSW 
I was so excited when I learned that you can donate garden fresh produce to organizations that give food to low income families. My goal was to grow food specifically for this purpose, but I am actually terrible at gardening. Every attempt ends in disaster!
However, I know how much low income families tend to be lacking a fresh produce. I love that you are growing food for them 🙂
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I am sorry to hear you don’t have a green thumb. You can still give fresh food to families by donating to a local P-Patch or youth or senior garden club (just google those terms for your area). These gardens are essential in food deserts, so your donation of seeds, seedlings, or gardening tools is much appreciated. You can even volunteer. I have been the head lettuce at a youth garden club for the last several years. It is one of the best job titles I have ever had. Many food banks also accept “real” milk. I still find this astonishing. Growing up we were given cans of powdered milk with the tagline “just add water”. It was dreadful grey sludge. Thank you for reading.
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Beautiful metaphor! Beautiful tulips. I can’t wait to see pictures of your garden next year! Happy fall’
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Beautiful, Thanks for sharing the link with me. Isn’t nature wonderful
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Nature never ceases to amaze me and I been trying to capture much as I can @reallifeofanmsw 😊
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