Embracing Spring by Expecting Less

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"less is more", blogaday2011, expectations, garden, harvest, labor, Leo Babauta, May, May Day, spring, Zen Habits

It’s May 1st. May Day. We talked about May Day and Maypoles in elementary school though I remember little about the holiday. Apparently, May Day marks the end of the unfarmable winter in the Northern hemisphere. It marks the arrival of Spring while also a time for honoring organized labor in some places.

Unknowingly, I spent the day appropriately, much of it in the garden. Digging and weeding, planting and transplanting. The weather cooperated beautifully and I was appreciating the mild weather, the sound of birds, the smell of dirt and plant life and the ability to grow some of our own food. I am learning much from friends and neighbors which makes the labor fun and relaxing. Thankfully, I don’t have to become an expert in gardening because I have so much support.  Not knowing or doing everything is something I now embrace. I appreciate the way Leo Babauta talks about this as one of his life lessons.

13. You will miss a ton, but that’s OK. We’re so caught up in trying to do everything, experience all the essential things, not miss out on anything important … that we forget the simple fact that we cannot experience everything. That physical reality dictates we’ll miss most things. We can’t read all the good books, watch all the good films, go to all the best cities in the world, try all the best restaurants, meet all the great people. But the secret is: life is better when we don’t try to do everything. Learn to enjoy the slice of life you experience, and life turns out to be wonderful.

Isn’t that a huge relief?  We’re not meant to learn it all, do it all, excel at it all. And life’s better when we let that expectation go and simply enjoy what we can learn, do, experience. That should be a May Day celebration. Something about really tasting life. Knowing we can’t have it all, why not fully enjoy what we do have and trust that the harvest will be plentiful.

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Losing A Yard, Gaining A Plot

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apartment, backyard, community, garden, marriage, midlife, Midwest, transition, yard

In our marriage we’ve had at least seven different yards. Seemed like the thing to do when raising children. With every new move, we made room first for a swing set, then a trampoline, later we added a hot tub which we loved and we always had a firepit to roast marshmellows and unwind on cool nights. It was what everyone did. Is this common nationally or just a midwestern thing? I don’t know but we followed the trend and had some private outdoor space wherever we settled. And as much as possible, I planted a small garden. It was never an obsessive hobby, but I grew up with fresh tomatoes from my dad’s garden and I’ve always loved growing a few vegetables every summer.

Now, living in an apartment with only a balcony for private outdoor space, I’m experimenting with options. Can’t figure out how to have a fire pit, but I planted a tomato, some basil, spearmint and thyme in a pot on my balcony. I’m sure I started too late. I bought my plants in June but didn’t actually pot them until early July. That may have been part of it. But my balcony has a lot of shade and the tomato plant is starting to die after only a dozen or so cherry tomatoes have ripened. So…on to plan B.

I’m thinking about asking our apartment managers if they’d consider starting a resident community garden here next spring. I’ve never been involved in a community garden effort, but I’ve read a lot about them and I imagine I’m not the only apartment dweller who’d like to grow some plants. Community gardening makes a lot of sense. It’s sharing resources, sharing tools, sharing knowledge and the collective satisfaction of harvesting the fruits of our labor. I ‘m also thinking about connecting with a local group working through borrowed and donated garden space to reduce food insecurities in this community. Maybe we could grow extra rows for this group!

If anyone’s ever successfully approached an apartment complex in this way, I’d love to hear about it! I love the idea of it. I don’t have to mow or maintain a yard, but could gain some of the benefits yards offer. I’ll let you know how it works out.