The Garden Is a Little Wild This Year

The garden is looking a little wild these days.

Between several days of rain and my decision to postpone weeding, what started as a garden has become something closer to a small jungle.

Sunflowers have appeared where I didn't plant them. Wildflowers have claimed corners of the beds. There are probably more weeds than I care to admit.

At first glance, it doesn't look particularly organized.

But the butterflies seem happy.

The bees seem happy.

The birds certainly don't mind.

Every year, gardeners are encouraged to leave their gardens alone for a while so pollinators and native plants have a chance to thrive. This year, whether by intention or circumstance, I've done exactly that.

The result is not a picture-perfect garden.

It's something a little messier.

And a little more alive.

As I've spent time looking out at the garden, I've been reminded of something I once heard:

"Weeds are simply plants growing in the wrong place."

I suppose that makes me an equal opportunity gardener.

At least that's what I tell myself when I notice another patch of weeds I've neglected to pull.

The truth is, I've grown surprisingly fond of the garden in its current state.

The bees don't seem concerned about whether everything is neatly arranged.

The butterflies aren't looking for perfection.

They simply show up wherever something is growing.

There is something comforting about that.

We spend so much of our lives trying to organize, improve, and tidy things up. We create plans. We make lists. We try to keep everything moving in the direction we intended.

And then life does what it often does.

It rains for days.

The weeds appear.

The plans get delayed.

The tomatoes wait a little longer to be planted.

This week, my tomato seedlings are finally ready for the garden. Bean and cucumber seeds are waiting their turn as well.

Eventually, the rain will stop.

The weeds will get pulled.

The beds will be tidied.

The garden will look a little more like the one I originally imagined.

But for now, I'm content to let it be.

There is beauty in this season too.

Not because it is perfect.

Not because it is carefully maintained.

But because it is full of life.

Perhaps that's what I like most about it.

The garden reminds me that growth doesn't always arrive in neat rows and orderly plans.

Sometimes it looks a little wild.

And that's perfectly alright.