I’m not sure what it is about autumn that stirs something inside me and spurs on the emotions of feeling thankful. Maybe it’s the approaching holidays, or maybe it’s the warm fall colors juxtaposed against cerulean blue cloudless skies. As I rake the russet brown leaves from the giant oak trees in my garden, I think about all the things I am thankful for as a gardener. Taking the time to be thankful makes me appreciate all of it a little more.
I look forward to the beautifully perfumed Scentara Pura® lilacs blooming every spring.
I’m thankful for all the amazing flowers and plants that color my world and make my soul sing. From the fragrant Scentara® lilacs in spring to the frilly-petaled Double Delight® Blush Rose begonias overflowing my containers in summer and my Fire Light® hydrangeas blooming prolifically in fall, I feel so incredibly blessed by it all.
I’m thankful for the miracle of new growth in spring and the resilience of the hardy plants that fill my garden with reliable color, texture and fragrance every year despite the bone chilling winter. How strong they are compared to us gardeners who have to bundle up in down coats, warm hats and woolen mittens to survive winter!
The sight of tulips topping up out of the still-brown earth rekindles the gardening bug inside of me every spring. I’m especially thankful for the daffodil and allium bulbs since the deer and squirrels leave them alone.
I’m thankful for the butterflies, bees and hummingbirds that grace my garden each year, feasting on the flowers I’ve selected just for them. They can’t seem to get enough of my Rockin’ Playin’ the Blues salvia and I can hardly blame them. It’s one of my favorites, too.
I’m thankful for the ample rainfall that comes every spring and fall, and if I’m lucky, summer too. I know that not every gardener has this luxury and that my garden would look much different if there was no rain. Rain makes abundance possible, especially for water lovers like Summerific® hibiscus which dazzle me with their dinner plate-sized blossoms each summer and fall.
I’m thankful for the life-giving oxygen that trees give off and the carbon dioxide they absorb from the atmosphere. Did you know that one fast-growing forest tree can absorb up to 48 pounds of carbon dioxide every single year? Amazing! And this won’t come as a surprise to gardeners, but it has been scientifically proven that doing just five minutes of exercise out in a nature setting can boost your mood and self-esteem. When is the last time you did a little forest bathing? It’s no wonder gardeners tend to be happy people.
You can grow lavender hedges even if you have problems with deer and rabbits in your garden. They leave these highly fragrant plants alone, but pollinators adore them.
I’m thankful there are a few plants that deer and rabbits won’t devour, like my intoxicatingly fragrant Sweet Romance® lavender and my shining yellow Lemony Lace® elderberry. There may be no hope for my lilies and begonias when the deer come to visit, but there WILL be lilacs!
Brandywine™ viburnum is beautiful in every season, but goes the extra mile in autumn.
I’m thankful for those plants that keep on giving a little bit more just when you are starting to think the gardening season is over. My Brandywine® viburnum produces the most exquisite pink and blue berries to complement its fantastic autumn foliage. Cold-tolerant Supertunia Vista® petunias seem to have no intention of ending their incredible show from the time I plant them in spring to the time I begrudgingly remove them after a few fall frosts.
Though I love working in my garden, I am thankful that Mother Nature gives me the winter to rest my aching back and take some time to reflect on the lessons my garden taught me that year. As Alfred Austin once said, “There is no gardening without humility. Nature is constantly sending even its oldest scholars to the bottom of the class for some egregious blunder.” No matter how many years I’ve been gardening, I learn something new every single year.
Last but certainly not least, I’m thankful for my gardening community. I’ve always found gardeners to be such down to earth people, willing to share their hard-earned knowledge and excitement over new plants and passion for their craft. My gardening community lives all around me, from my family members who also love plants, to the neighbors I’ve introduced to the hobby, and the gardeners I meet along the garden path. All of these people have helped to shape me into the gardening enthusiast I am today, and I hope in some small way, I’ve inspired them too. It takes a village to grow a garden.
Contributor Bio: Susan Martin is an avid zone 6 gardener and content creator who enjoys spreading her passion for plants to others across North America.
Patent Information: Scentara Pura® Syringa x hyacinthiflora USPP31119 CanPBRAF;
Double Delight® Blush Rose Begonia tuberhybrida USPP29297; Fire Light® Hydrangea paniculata USPP25135 Can5160; Rockin'® Playin' The Blues® Salvia longispicata x farinacea USPP29604; Sweet Romance® Lavandula angustifolia USPP23001 Can4906; Lemony Lace® Sambucus racemosa USPP26613 Can5719; Brandywine™ Viburnum nudum
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Few bulbs are easier to grow than amaryllis-and few bloom with greater exuberance and beauty. But many just toss them at the end of their initial show.
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