Life goes on, doesn't it? Our lives have changed so much since we moved to Oak Hill almost fourteen years ago.

I'm not talking about the changes we've made on purpose, such as striving to live a more sustainable and healthy life; instead, I mean things that life has thrown at us.

But life marches onward, and we all need to roll with the punches and make the best of them.

Our children have married and moved away, I lost my dairy goats in a barn fire, and hubby's health problems forced him to retire early. This has been a challenging time and I've struggled a bit, I admit it. My daily routine completely disappeared, and I'm still trying to work that out.

I've found refuge in my garden the past couple of years. I doubled its size and enlarged the garden fence to enclose the new addition. I've added another raised bed or two each year. I'm not finished, but little by little I'm getting there, and the work and the waiting are part of what makes it fun in my opinion. It's been a labor of love.




One of those projects I'm planning will be a place to sit, think and pray. Hopefully planting mosquito-repelling plants in that corner will keep those annoying bugs away. We've had a lot of rain this year and the mosquitoes are horrible.

After the early years at Oak Hill when my gardens were always completely overtaken by weeds, I learned that gardening takes work and diligence. It's a lesson that applies to all of life, isn't it?

And after years of utilitarian gardens, where only food was worth the space and the work, I'm craving flowers and beauty now too. I've decided that flowers are their own reward, and are worth the space and the sweat just because they make me smile.




Last summer I decided that if there are flowers in bloom outside, there should be flowers indoors too. Next year I'll be planting flowers that I can bring indoors as well as enjoying them in the garden.

Fragrant herbs are also worth growing, such as lavender, lemon balm and rosemary. Orange mint and chocolate mint don't really have a purpose other than the simple enjoyment of bruising a leaf and breathing in the delightful fragrance.




My entire garden is an experiment, a fun, creative outlet. I designed it, then changed the design, built over half of the raised beds myself, made the compost and dug the soil that fills the beds, decided what to plant, watered and nourished the plants.

It's been an education too. Besides learning how to grow each new vegetable I plant, I've also learned how to cook them for dinner and how to preserve them for the winter. I try to plant at least one new fruit, vegetable or herb each year.

Of course I'm not in charge of the results of these experiments. I don't control the rain or the grasshoppers or the heat or the frost; those variables are in the hands of the Lord. But gardeners are ever-hopeful, always optimistic, eager for the next spring and summer. Another life lesson, right?

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I lost all my tomato transplants to a late spring freeze last year, but I bought more while we were on vacation in another state and brought them home with us.

I know, I know, it's a sickness. You can read about it here. But I wouldn't have tried these new varieties otherwise, so we'll say that the freezing weather wasn't a bad thing.

This year I wisely waited to transplant the tomatoes to my garden. And we had another late frost. It doesn't hurt to be cautious!




Some of my experiments work and some don't, but that's how we learn, right? If I didn't try to propagate roses from cuttings, I'd never know it can be done. If I hadn't tried to keep tomato cuttings alive over half a dozen winters, I wouldn't know what does and doesn't work. Persistence is another lesson I've learned in the garden.

Some of my plants and seeds were given to me by friends and I've given seeds and plants to those friends too. I love sharing my garden with my friends and family, and strolling through my garden brings my loved ones to mind.

I even enjoy turning the compost pile. I really do!


Maybe your garden isn't your happy place; maybe you don't have a garden or even a yard to make one in. But you can make a happy place of your own somewhere: a corner of a room in your home, the balcony of your apartment, a chair in front of a window where you can watch the birds outside.

Make it a place that makes you happy: hang a bird feeder outside that window and move your chair so you have a better view. Take some time each day to sit, dream and pray.




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Related Posts:
How to Over-Winter Your Tomato Plants
6 Ways Homesteading Keeps You Healthy




This post has been shared at some of my favorite blog hops.

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