10 Insights: What My Summer Gardens Have Taught Me About Living Well
Summer Insights for
Living Well
As I'm typing this, summer is officially here. And with it, an Extreme Heat Warning from the National Weather Service. The season is literally coming in hot.
No other practice attunes you to the weather quite like gardening (whether you’re caring for a patch of dirt along a fence or acres upon acres of crop fields).
As I track the weather and its possible effects, I watch over my leafy dependents and gently brush my palms across the tops of their growing shoots–especially the stunningly soft Bunny Tail grass.
Summer is all about growing, reaching, and blooming.
Nature's lessons abound.
When I initially considered which insights to include in this blog, I started with 3, then that grew to 5, and now, here we are at 10.
I could've kept going, but summer draws us into action, not consumption. Let's jump in so you can put these insights to use ASAP.
Practice Morning Watering and Effective Self-Care
Some may think watering is watering, but timing is of the essence, as with many things in life.
Water in the middle of the day, and you risk scorching the plants you hoped to help thrive. Water later in the day, and the leaves might not have time to dry, setting your plants up for disease. Alternatively, you might wait so long that you forget to water at all.
Morning watering gives your plants time to absorb the water in preparation for the heat of the day. It also lets the leaves dry under the softer morning sun.
Self-care is similar. Don't put off self-care for when it’s merely convenient.
Give yourself what you need when you need it.
When you're proactive, you can prioritize healthy, positive self-care. When you wait until you're depleted, your efforts may be ineffective, or, worse, you may turn to "self-care" that harms you in the long run.
Bask in the Warmth of the Sun–And Others' Compliments
This one might be tough for you.
Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a field of flowers. Take a deep breath, open your arms wide, and, like the flowers, turn your face to the sun.
Bask in the gentle warmth and beauty that surrounds you.
This is what it feels like to accept a compliment graciously.
Keep this image with you and deploy it the next time someone compliments you.
Then, smile and say, "Thank you. I receive that."
Practice Companion Planting: Surround Yourself With People Who Help You Thrive
Before gardening was inundated with bottles, buckets, and bags of chemicals, there was companion planting.
By growing plants that support each other, companion planting creates a collaborative effect that allows greater abundance for all. A well-known combination is the "Three Sisters Garden," which consists of corn, beans, and squash.
The tall corn provides shade and a trellis for the beans. The beans stabilize the corn stalks and fix nitrogen in the soil to fertilize the corn and squash. The large squash leaves protect the ground, help it retain moisture, and block out weeds.
It's synergy. And we need it, too.
Engaging with people who inspire us allows us to see possibility and aspire to greatness. Surrounding ourselves with people who encourage, support, and believe in us lets us grow and thrive in ways we otherwise couldn't. And planting ourselves next to those who lead with curiosity, playfulness, and vulnerability, we can discover self-acceptance and release the pressure of perfection.
Be intentional about who you surround yourself with.
Differentiate Between ‘Tending’ and ‘Controlling’ to Create a Vibrant Life
I grow my garden through addition and subtraction.
I start seeds and precisely place the growing seedlings in my attempt to create the desired combinations of form and color. That’s adding.
When I see an invasive weed, I pluck it. That’s subtracting.
But I also give "self-starters" a chance when I haven’t confirmed they’re troublemakers. And sometimes, those become the best additions.
Last year, one of my beds started filling up with masses of serrated leaves growing on delicate stems. Not being sure what they were, I let them grow alongside the seedlings I had already planted.
Lucky for me, the little intruders turned out to be waves of creamy white poppies. I had sown the seeds in 2018 (!) and had long since given up on being successful with poppies.
But there they were in all their delicate glory. They needed time and the right conditions. And now, they keep showing up all on their own.
I'm a big fan of intentionally designing your life. Without intention, you can get derailed and distracted and end up someplace you never wanted to be.
But it's important to remember to hold your intentions with a soft grip.
Squeeze too tightly and you choke out the possibility of serendipity. Fixate too closely on what life should look like and you'll pluck out the dream you've already sown before it finds the right time to grow.
Allow Support and Know You're Worth Supporting
I grow dahlias whose blooms are twice the size of my hand. I tend peonies whose delicate scent and silk-soft petals I eagerly anticipate year after year.
Peonies and dahlias live on the most-wanted list for stunning flower arrangements. Yet, they need lots of support. Without it, the faces of these gorgeous flowers would be bowed down and, often, planted in the dirt.
Their need for support doesn't make them less desirable.
Some days, you might feel strong, scrappy, and independent. But on the days when hot, gusty wind and sheets of heavy rain pound you to the ground, accept support and know you're worth it.
Use Succession Planting for Continued Success
Vegetables and flowers are a great reminder to be patient and stay humble. They also remind us that every great thing must come to an end.
This is where succession planting comes in.
By continuously setting out new plants throughout the growing season, you extend your harvest and bloom time. As some plants are decreasing in production, the next ones are moving into the height of theirs.
The same is true for your goals. Focus is important, but don't get so focused that you forget to continue sowing and nurturing the seeds that help keep the momentum going in every aspect of your life.
Deadhead to Maintain Momentum
Speaking of keeping the momentum going, deadheading is a vital task for gardeners who want to prolong the bloom time of many plants.
By removing flowers that have declined, deadheading serves as a gentle type of pruning.
A plant's natural trajectory is to grow, bloom, and then set seed. This process is essential for the lifecycle of the plant.
Deadheading is an intentional choice to delay that natural winding down process and direct resources to flower production.
It's energy management!
When you want to maintain momentum, judicious deadheading of old ideas, thoughts, and to-dos lets you use your focus and energy for the task you're currently prioritizing.
Let Curiosity Drive Your Growth
I find climbing vines fascinating.
Have you ever watched the tendrils of peas search out their next point of support? They wander and sway until they make contact and then whimsically curl around whatever structure they've found.
Thanks to those tendrils, peas can reach great heights. Without them, the vine would be a tangled mess in the dirt.
Curiosity and exploration can do the same for you. Reach out, test, and hang onto new ideas and opportunities. It's a proven process for growth!
In Life and In Your Garden, Grow What Makes You Happy
I'm not a cook, but that doesn't keep me from growing herbs.
I purposefully allow my garden to be a sensory delight. It's not just about looking good. I incorporate unique shapes, delightful scents, and plants that are a pleasure to touch.
Life doesn't have to be all about practicality. Be sure to incorporate plenty of activities into your schedule whose only purpose is to let you experience joy and delight.
Celebrate Your Wins and Enjoy the Harvest When It Comes
A few years ago, I had a rogue cherry tomato plant take over most of a large 3 x 30-foot planter. It showed up on its own and dominated without any help from me. I've never eaten–or shared–so many cherry tomatoes! It was an effortless win.
Another year, I coddled a watermelon vine for the entire summer, trying to gently coax it into making fruit. It produced exactly one grapefruit-sized watermelon. I enjoyed 4 delicious bites of watermelon-y success.
We can be so consumed by the action and effort of summer that we forget to celebrate and enjoy our wins. Fall may be the ultimate season for harvesting, but summer provides plenty of opportunities to acknowledge and celebrate yourself along the way.
Be on the lookout for those opportunities. Don't miss your chance to celebrate because you were too focused on accomplishing the next goal.
Well, fellow introverts, we've reached the end of our metaphorical garden path.
Thanks for coming along with me.
I'd love to hear what insights you've discovered in your own garden. Let me know at hello@charityhix.com.
Here's to growing together!
Want to learn more more ways nature can help restore your energy?
Learn how to protect and support your energy for greater well-being with the Energy Management for Introverts in Healthcare guide.
You can access it for free here.
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Learn more about working with me here.
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Charity is a physician and burnout coach helping introverts in healthcare escape feelings of apathy, irritability, and resentment brought on by the increasing demands and decreasing rewards of medicine.
She uses her 20 years of experience in clinical medicine combined with coaching to help introverts discover ways to be diligent, thoughtful clinicians while prioritizing their needs and protecting their energy. She wants you to know you don’t have to feel guilty for wanting a thriving life inside and outside of medicine.