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Sometimes it is hard to be new to something.  It can feel overwhelming- all the things I don’t know, all the things I need to learn.  All the mistakes that I make.

But this time around, in all the newness- I am trying to enjoy the process.  Learn from my mistakes and enjoy the journey- not anxiously pressing forward toward mastery- but seeing the beauty in the process.

I have made so many mistakes as a gardening novice.  Planting things in full sun that should be in partial shade.  Planting things out in the yard that really should be planted next to the house to protect it from the weather.

So many mistakes, little and big- and there are many more to come.  I have planted bulbs the wrong way- have watered things too much and killed them.  And some things have died and it remains a mystery- those are the most challenging- because sometimes I feel like I haven’t learned anything because I don’t know why the plant died.

Nothing can make me stop gardening though- and I think that’s when you know you really love something- and are committed to it.  You work through the ups and downs and still find joy in the most mundane tasks- pulling weeds, watching the little sprouts appear, mulching, fertilizing, planning where to plant new things, doing research on what plants fit best in what locations.

It all brings joy.  I know there are many mistakes to be made in the years ahead- but I also believe that the joy of all the plants inside and outside my house will far outweigh the trials that I may face.

There is something to be said for hard work- it reaps rewards.  Sometimes we forget that.

Here’s to beginnings- and sticking it out to reap the benefits of faithful work.