Sowing Joy

It’s officially spring! The birds are chirping, and the red-winged blackbirds and robins have returned.  The daffodils, tulips, and garlic are all pushing out of the soil, and the buds on the lilacs are plumping up. I’m waiting patiently for the peeper frogs to start singing, and then, for me, spring will officially be heralded in. The daytime temperatures will finally settle in at 50-60 degrees this week, and the nights will stay above freezing. It is a time to be reminded how beautiful change can be, and I, for one, am ready to welcome the new season!

Of course, as we step into spring, our garden task list grows, and it seems at times that there is endless work to be done. It’s one of the busiest times of the year for growers as we prepare for the upcoming season. One of the most important tasks this time of year is sowing seeds, as it’s finally time to put those seed starting schedules to the test. The heat mats, seed starting mix, trays, pots, grow lights, and plant tags come out of storage, and it’s time to get sowing!

Sowing seeds is one of my favorite tasks on the farm. Maybe it’s the dreamer in me, but I can’t help but be excited about all the possibilities. When I sow each seed, my mind starts to wander, and I think about all the growers before me that made this seed in my hand possible. The generations of farmers and home gardeners who lovingly grew the variety and had the foresight to save and share the seeds so that future generations could also find joy in growing it. I imagine how these seeds may have brought sustenance to their table for themselves and their families. Or how a bouquet of blooming stems brought smiles to their faces.

When sowing seeds, I can’t help but be in awe of the miracle of it all.  As a grower, you are in touch daily with the cycle of life, from seed to plant to bloom to seed again. Yet, it still boggles my mind when I can place a seed in the soil and, with some care, be rewarded with a beautiful bloom or food for my table. I’ve been gardening for over twenty-five years, and I still get excited every time I see a seed I planted sprout. The anticipation and joy that is felt watching something you planted flourish is like nothing else. And I am humbled that I get to play a part in the journey of each seed I sow.

I like to think about the possibilities and dream of how the garden will transform over the season while I sow seeds. I imagine how it will be bursting with life and beautiful blooms. I dream about all the beautiful flower colors and shapes that will create the look of a patchwork quilt on top of the beds. And I imagine the taste of a juicy homegrown tomato ripened in the summer sun. When each seed is planted, I’m envisioning the garden to come. And as I place each one gently into the soil, I remember the Indian proverb: “All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.” And by gardening and growing, you must believe in all the tomorrows.

I also love to think about what these plants will provide. They will contribute habitat to wildlife and food for pollinators, which is sadly lacking for many of these creatures nowadays. Last season, I had the pleasure of welcoming many monarch butterflies to the farm. Now on the endangered species list, these butterflies came here because I planted seeds. I marvel that planting those seeds made an impact, at least for those butterflies that came to visit. Just by sowing a seed, I may have helped members of an endangered species survive! That’s the power of seeds. And by providing those plants, I witnessed the lifecycle of these magnificent creatures right here on the farm. It was a fantastic experience.

These seeds I’m sowing will provide much more than food and habitat. When I plant each seed, I’m sowing joy. Joy for myself because it feeds my passion for nurturing and immerses me in nature. The plants I sow bring more beauty and flavor to my life; I am grateful for that. Joy for wildlife and pollinators as they find habitat and food on our farm, sustenance for their life cycle. And joy to others as I share what we grow, bringing smiles and happiness to people. So, you see, I’m not just sowing seeds; I’m sowing joy. It’s my way of loving the world through flowers.