My Farm Diaries #3 - Messages from the secret garden.

Growth. Ideal conditions are sought and appreciated in order to fully enjoy the beautiful, colourful blooms and the healthy, ripe fruits. When the time comes. The right time. In the meantime, there is the process. The amazing process when things develop. When things are in the making. The seeds are sown. And we enjoy to watch them grow... 

...She has been spending the past few weeks discovering her new garden. She arrived in the best moment. Spring. And a new beginning. And a secret garden, full of little gems and treasures. All waiting to be noticed, revealed, studied, understood, one by one, day by day, sunshine after rain. A secret garden, with plenty of more space to be used, just waiting for her to indulge in a new pastime. To plant. To dig. To create. To care for. To love. To watch things grow. Grow through life. In a timeless everness. Taking with her a secret message every time she closed the door behind.  A secret message of nature. A lesson for life.   

Good foundations. Apply to the most important things in life.

She learned (yet again) that one of the most important things is a good foundation. A healthy soil. And a safe place to grow. Where roots can grow strong. Where there is space for growth. 

A defined bottom, a base which to sprout from. And when the bottom is faced, the only way is: up. 

Jasmine. Up towards the sky...

And the first steps. The little rocks looked cute until the rain messed them up. Note to self: you don't always have to draw a line...

She learned (yet again) that she is not always in full control. No matter deciding, planning. The conditions are not always ideal, no matter how much she wants them to be. Some seeds will grow. And others will never grow. Sometimes it's just good to let go, wait and see.

Excitement in the air. Which ones will sprout?

​Nature decides. Rain or shine. But growth, eventually, is still happening. Growth, the process, the journey.

This is a pea.

This is a nasturtium. A good companion flower.

​She learned (yet again) that everyone needs good company to be surrounded with. Even plants and flowers and veggies. Together they grow, together we grow... It's good to have a stick (shoulder) to lean on, to climb the way up with some support to hold on. A compassionate smile of a friend. And love.

Together we are strong!

The friendship of a tomato and a basil. Time will show if it will turn into a friendship of a tomato and a slug, and an eaten basil by the slug. Basil - slug: 0-1.

Grow cucumber, grow! I will support you.

The irresistible smile of a borage. Only hippies eat the flowers. Or not?!

Sometimes the most beautiful friendships come from diversity. Even though they don't have anything in common. Just by chance.

And sometimes, best practices work. Like with the onion and the strawberries. They just fit.

Lemon balm and lemon combo.

She learned (yet again) that life is made of cycles. Nothing happens ahead of its time. Spring cannot come before winter, only after. ​Everything has its time. To blossom. To mature. To grow. To be eaten. Well, the latter, sometimes, ahead of its time. :)

From flower to fruit. The journey of a strawberry.

Green.

To almost red. Gotta be fast before the birds spot it, or the little hands find it. :)

Apples in the making.

And some berries.

She learned (yet again) that relationships are like flowers. They need sunshine and rain. And they need time, care, love, and regular watering to beautifully blossom. Otherwise the roots will not grow strong and can be shaken and washed away by a heavy rain. Like one of the potato seedlings. Well, maybe the latter was just not meant to be...

Relationships with others. And the relationship with oneself.

And she learned (yet again) that trying new things, learning new things that she has never done before is just amazing. Like recognising and learning what to pick in her garden...

Elderflower. In bloom.

And in the jug.

...that can eventually make it all the way to the salad bowl. :)

Chives.

Thym.

Fennel.

Kale.

Miners lettuce.

All in the bowl!

Once she tasted the first harvest, she was amazed and said to herself:
"What if I will never want to go back to buying veggies in the shop?" :)

Then she sipped from her cuppa, let the lemon balm slowly mix with the fresh lemon's taste in her mouth, sat back, and tried to savour and digest all that she found out in her secret garden...

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Thank you for all the lovely people who helped me learn about gardening and inspiring. :)

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~ My Farm Diaries ~

A story of a big city girl who decided to follow her heart, her intuitions, 
face her fears, step out of her comfort zone, and check out a radically different lifestyle than ever before.
Surrounded by the wild. Turning into a forest fairy in the countryside.
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​To be continued…
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​If you are curious - just as I am -  how this story unfolds, please check back later :)

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​***Got inspired? So happy if you share ;)