September: National Prosper Where You’re Planted Month. Find ways to keep growing!
Prosper where you are planted – hopeful thoughts for plants as you place them in the ground. Hopeful and kind thoughts that you thrive in your place as a person too.
What type of “soil” are you planted in? How do you nurture it? Like a plant you need some attention to thrive. You’re happiest and most successful in ideal conditions.
Tending your personal garden is a lifelong process. Over time as the “soil” gets richer, you get hardier. Here are some questions and ideas to help you grow your ideal personal garden.
Features
Native to: Where are you originally from? Are you native to the area where you now live or are you a transplant? What impact do your beginnings have on you?
You have ancestors who had special talents and faced adversity. Nice to think that you’re a hybrid of all who came before you; all the possibilities for your life – now – that come from your heritage.
Name refers to: Look up your name to see what it means. Maybe you are named for a family member or family friend. Can you draw strength and inspiration from the origins of your name?
Zones: Maybe the zone where you live has seasonal changes and all the adaptations that come with that. The weather is hot, cold, humid, dry, rainy and snowy.
Adapting to seasonal changes is a way of life. Hot days mean light clothing, icy drinks and air conditioning. Shade outside is welcome.
Winter means heavy layers of clothes, hot drinks, fireplaces and any spot outside that gets some warming sun is wonderful. In between seasons of spring and fall have you guessing what to wear every day. Plans? What’s the weather dictating?
Maybe your zone weather is predictably the same every day. Clothing and plans go forward without changes caused by weather.
What zone do you live in? You might be living where the climate suits your physical needs. Physical comfort is important. Are you living where it’s tough to thrive? Does it require extra attention to make it work?
Can you adapt to your surroundings? Even if the environment is tough, can you find beauty in most days? If not, maybe a new environment, becoming a transplant will help you thrive.
Leaves: As you branch and grow you sprout new leaves – things you learn about your family, friends, yourself. Leaves begin new and green or carry beautiful colors and last a while.
Some leaves change color showing a new side to themselves. Some wither and die to be renewed the next year. You’re always growing new leaves.
Blooms: Some moments in life like flowers are very special. They bud, then open into wonderful experiences. Moments may last only a day like the daylily or weeks like Black-eyed Susan or months like knockout roses or years like shrubs and trees.
All fade after a while, but the picture in your mind stays as fresh as when they first bloomed. Dried flowers and photos are mementos.
Height: How tall are you? Are you tall, medium or small? What is your view of the garden like? What is it like for others in your circle? You keep growing even after you reach full height.
Width: Sensitive area here. Weight fluctuates over a lifetime. Skinny when young, now gaining more weight with age? Maybe always carrying more weight than others?
As a personality, how much space do you take up? Are your flowers bounteous or do you have a quiet, special bloom? Room in the garden for all.
Grows from: Seeds-just beginning; roots-starting to spread out; bulbs and tubers-storing up. Maybe all are part of your garden design.
As an example, design a vision of what your life will look like in the future after seeds grow roots and shoots. Plant seeds now for the life you want to live.
Care
Always a balancing act, caring for yourself is continuous.
- Sunlight: Are you planted in full sun or full shade? Maybe a mixture of both. Do you seek different light just for a change? Travel, even an hour away can change your view of the world.
- Soil: Is your soil nurturing your roots? Do you add amendments to it to promote good growth? Learning is for life. It nurtures your roots. It adds interest and excitement. It never gets old, even if it sometimes hurts.
Did your roots begin in rocky soil? Never too late to improve the soil you grow in.
- Water: Too much water – drowning? Learn to swim or divert it. Not enough water – wilting? Bring some into your life. Glide on top of it, dive deep into it or get a little spray now and then.
- Fertilize: Feeding your roots good nutrition for best growth? Getting enough exercise? Add some play time to the mix.
Problems/Pests
Life like gardens can get messy. Everyone has both problems to solve and pests who won’t go away no matter what you do. Weed out negative people or situations as you can. Find healthy alternatives. Find a positive way to grow in spite of problems and pests.
Mulch or ground cover works well to keep “weeds” down. Surround yourself in the form of good friends, family members, inspirational readings and quotes, favorite music, hobbies…
Laughter relieves tension, restores a feeling of good will. Tears do too. They can make problems seem smaller.
Uses
Are you useful where you’re planted? Are you using your gifts or talents to the best of your ability? Satisfaction in giving your best self and giving back to others makes you glow. Find new ways to grow!
Copyright 2019 Juli Seyfried
