10 Things to Know About Gardening - 2022 Vibes

"Any fool can know. The point is to understand." - Albert Einstein

Pink dahlia doing its thing and looking gorgeous.

Each year contains a wealth of knowledge with countless new tidbits learned, most of which without even realizing it.  Since I wrote the last Top 10 Things I've Learned (2 years ago, GASP) a crap ton more has most certainly been learned.  Without further ado, here is a more recent list of Top 10 Things I've Learned - 2022 Style:

1. You don't know anything.  Even when you think you do... you don't.  As soon as you forget this, the urban farm will be sure to remind you.

Here & Now - What Do You Actually Control?

"If you miss the present moment, you miss your appointment with life."

- Thich Nhat Hanh

It's hard to not live in the present moment when you somehow find yourself in some of the most beautiful places on earth.  Peruvian Andes - 2013

As we go through this world there's really no point in worrying about the future or dwelling on the past.  The past cannot be changed nor can you control what happens in the future.  You only have control over what happens in this exact second... right now... nope, this second... actually this second.  To narrow in further, you can't even control what happens to you in this world, only how you react to what happens to you and how you go through the world from moment to moment.

The future holds only about a billion possible storylines for yourself with a billion different outcomes.  It's best not to worry about any of them, whatever happens... happens.  There is a difference between planning for the future and worrying about the future.  If you realize that your land is consistently experiencing more droughts year after year then taking steps now to ensure you have water secured in the future is prudent planning (such as rain barrels).  If you just dwell on the fact that there's likely a lot more droughts coming in the future and nothing positive is coming from that thinking then... what's the point?

Look to the Garden for a Remedy

"Nature itself is the best physician." - Hippocrates

Sun rising on a recent hike in the mountains.

It was a crisp, cool summer Saturday morning at the beginning of August.  The gentle morning rays of sun were just peaking their heads over the horizon and streaming through the tree leaves.  Each breeze brought a pleasant puff of the summer flower fragrance.  The urban farm was buzzing to life with goldfinches sitting on top of sunflowers, garter snakes slowly slithering on the ground and countless amounts of bees collecting pollen as quickly as they could.

I was quickly moving from task to task trying to hurriedly check items off my endless to-do list while also fully enjoying and appreciating the bountiful beauty that only the early morning on a mid-summers day brings.  I briefly stopped to appreciate the amazing diversity of all of the different types of bees that were present on the newly flowered mountain mint plants.  The vast majority of bees I had never laid my eyes upon before as I puzzled over what types of bees they all were.