Skip to main content

The Process or the Result - Where Do You Find Your Joy?

Most people have seen the gorgeous Snapdragon flowers in gardens around their neighborhoods, but have you ever seen Snapdragon seed pods?  They are funny looking little things, resembling teeny tiny human skulls, holding new life for some of my very favorite blooms.

There is something magical about watching a seed sprout and grow into a beautiful flowering plant.  As a new gardener, few things bring me as much joy as seeing the first green shoots of a new plant poking through the soil.  And one of my favorite plants to watch grow is the Snapdragon.

Snapdragons are beautiful flowers that come in a range of colors, from vibrant reds and pinks to soft yellows and whites.  But it's not just the end result of the gorgeous blooms that makes growing Snapdragons (or any plant) so rewarding - it's the entire process, from seed to flower.

Starting in the winter, I create a planting calendar for various flowers. By January, I've started growing some bulbs and almost every week, I start new seeds as we inch closer to spring.  It's always a thrill to see those first green shoots pushing their way up through the soil.  Growing flowers is a wonderful experience that is full of anticipation and excitement.  It's a reminder that good things take time and that patience is a virtue.  

As I gaze over my seedlings today, I ponder, what do I really like more - the final result or the process of growth and anticipation as I wait to see which seeds will find the most success this year.  Undoubtedly, it's always a joy to watch my flowers grow and bloom and they're sure to bring a smile to face, no matter if they are under the grow lights in my utility closet or blowing in the wind of my yard.

What are you growing this year?  And where do you find your joy - the process or the result?



 



Comments

  1. I am definitely in the process category. Love to start new plants. I have morning glory seeds sprouting now. I seldom cut flowers to bring in because they just don't last long enough for me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've been taking joy in the blooms popping up around me, but I didn't know that about snapdragons! So cool.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Students & Gardens: A Common Thread of Growth

Hello!  My name is Mrs. B and I'd like to welcome you to my very first blog post! I've had the pleasure of being a middle school teacher for more than 25 years now.  I've always had a passion for teaching and for helping students to grow and reach their full potential, but this post is related to how that passion transformed into a new life-long hobby. In the spring of 2020, when Covid had the world in its grip, I was stuck at home and teaching remotely.  I immediately realized that something was missing from my life.  That something was the constant hands-on interaction I had with my students.  I missed them something fierce.  I missed our conversations, I missed watching them grow and I missed helping them become the young adults they were destined to be. No matter how much time or effort I put into our online learning platform, it just couldn't replace the daily interactions I had with my students.  I found my heart aching for those same connections, and that is when

Finding Her Smile

For the last two years, I've been a multi-lingual teacher at a middle school in Ohio.  I love my job and I have so much respect for my students who work so hard to learn a second, third or fourth language.  I've attempted to learn a few different languages throughout my life, but I've never had much success.  My personal failure definitely contributes to the respect that I hold for my young scholars who outshine me in their capacity for learning languages. When new multilingual students transition into our middle school and my classroom, I always keep a watchful eye over them.  They have so many hurdles beyond aquiring a new language - from learning new educational expectations and cultural norms to forging new friendships in a foreign land.  For some kids, this transition can be overwhelming and frightening, and can almost swallow them whole.  When this happens, it breaks my heart.  I attempt to do everything I can to take care of their lost spirits.  I try to pair them up

Hope: It's Been There the Whole Time

I've always loved hummingbirds.  They start to appear in early spring and they quickly remind me of the lazy days of summer, when I sit on my porch with a cup of tea to watch them flitter about, often battling one another for a drink of nectar at one of my many feeders.   I'm never alone when I relax on my porch with the hummers.  Either my husband, or one of my teenage boys or a friendly neighbor,  joins me for the spell-bounding quiet of our little nature preserve.   The tiny feathered creatures buzz around us as we share the stories of our days, our pasts and our futures.  These moments of calm, in the middle of summer, under the shade of our maple and birch trees, are my favorite.  There is no rush to plan a lesson, grade a paper, answer a phone or check off another item on my to do list.  I can just sit, and observe and talk with those who matter the most. In September, shortly after school starts, the hummingbirds leave for the season.  It's always a sad goodbye for m