My Old-Fashioned Morning Routine
A habit of spending 15 quiet minutes in the cool of the morning doting on plants feels positively Victorian to me, in the best possible way.
I start most days with a brisk walk around my block these days, after the kids are off to school, coffee in hand, nodding good morning to the same 3-5 neighbors who do the same.
Ever since I stocked my potting station, I’ve retrained myself to leave the house by the back porch door, down the steps, beside the potting station and out to the road, passing by my garden. Since that’s the only unlocked door, leaving that way will require me to come back in the same way.
And I notice my plants: this needs pruned, there’s some pest damage, that looks ready to harvest, I could divide that and move it in a few weeks, that pot needs water.
I head back to the potting station and set my coffee down, fill my big watering can, grab my pruners. If I walked fast, I might have a few minutes to take care of something. If not, I now have a mental note for later.
My garden most often sees me like this—no makeup, sometimes still in pajamas that pass for loungewear.
As I wrote about in The Uncomplicated Gardener, success with plants at the most fundamental level comes down to what you notice and the habits you build.
The habit of spending 15 quiet minutes in the cool of the morning doting on plants feels positively Victorian to me, in the best possible way.
I follow that up with journaling, reading and prayer on my back porch, then I start my work day, already filled up body and soul.
And when I miss starting the day this way, or let myself get distracted by technology or to-do’s, wow, I miss it.
I fully recognize and appreciate this season of life for what it is, after having spent the last 8 years with little ones requiring all of me pretty much right up until the time the work day started. That season was precious, and this one is, too.
The point of this post isn’t really about mornings: It’s about finding where it fits in your day to be a gardener and enjoying it.