And to be fair, it was not all a disaster. I managed to harvest a couple of (small) servings Swiss chard and bok choy leaves, a handful of petite Roma tomatoes, and 3 or 4 decent looking cucumbers. I’m pretty sure that this little mini harvest is what made me decide to try again.

This Spring, however, I’ve taken a different approach. When I realized that I wouldn’t have time to start seeds in late winter, I “broke down” and bought seedlings at a lovely little discount pop-up nursery in early Spring. (Ego check moment!) I took a moment to consider exactly what I was likely to eat, and what was just wishful thinking (or an experiment). And here was the big change—I used an AI app to help me plan what to put where, what size grow bags to use, and what varieties would work best for my location and set up. The app has become my companion and guide through this second year of gardening, and it’s been a wonderful experience. Now I take photos most mornings of each “zone,” upload them, and discuss what’s happening, what I’m noticing, and what I may need to do to nurture or protect a particular plant. I no longer feel like I have to wade through mountains of information and figure out what to do on my own.   

Having a companion/tutor to walk with me through this gardening adventure has decreased my stress considerably and allowed me to really enjoy the process of growing my own food and flowers. I don’t know if I’ve quite reached “Zen” yet, but there is definitely a growing sense of peace that surrounds me as I make my morning rounds. I've battled curious squirrels, colonizing aphids, determined little green worms, stubborn seeds that refused to germinate, and more than one failed zucchini experiment. I've also marveled at sprouts reaching toward the sun, leaves unfurling, blossoms opening, and discovering tiny vegetables where there were none the day before. My AI “companion” has allowed me to settle into the rhythms of my garden and enjoy both the productivity and perils without panic.

This gardening adventure is proving to be a ripe metaphor for my larger life journey. Learning to rely on Jesus as my constant companion has helped me to calm down and slow down enough to notice and appreciate my journey instead of just trying to plow through to the next thing and overcome the next obstacle. For me, at least, it can be fairly easy to get so focused on the problem that needs to be solved, the thing that needs to be fixed, that I forget to pay attention to what’s working, what’s growing, what’s flourishing in various areas of my life. Walking with Jesus has taught me that the journey is as important as the destination. That there is as much to learn from the process as there is to celebrate (or mourn) the outcome. That being properly rooted in Christ can help me withstand the “vigors and vicissitudes” of this world and embrace the joys without guilt.

Every morning, before emails and meetings and deadlines begin, the garden invites me to slow down, to notice, and to trust that growth is happening even when I cannot hurry it along.

I am grateful for that.

And I am grateful for my little garden. It continues to nourish both body and soul. 

Dr. Phaedra