Gardening has more to do with feeling than anything else. One may plan and record and measure all he or she wants, but the real thrill of gardening occurs when you act based on your heart and spirit. The garden will speak to you and tell you its needs, if you open your soul to it.

I like to think of it in terms of a seed. A seed holds everything a plant needs to grow into its full self. Hence, a full-grown plant is a mirror image of its microspcopic self inside that seed. The plant wants to match up exactly with what the blueprint was inside that seed. Plants need nutrients from the soil, water and air to achieve that full potential blueprint. Much like humans need nutrients from our environment to reach the full-potential mirror image of what our soul holds. Our goal in life is to also match the inside feelings with the outside image.

The garden will speak to you. Observe, feel, sense what your plants are telling you. Is the plant achieving its full measure? What can you do as its caretaker to help it reach full potential? This year, as you start up your garden, begin with observation. What are the natural tendencies of your space? Are there areas where plants thrive and other areas where they don’t do well at all? Observe first, work with your natural ecology and listen to your plants. You will be more successful than ever!