I am a casual novice gardener. When we moved into our house here in Seattle, there was a beautiful raised gardening bed in the backyard. I didn’t know anything about gardening, but it seemed a shame to let the raised bed go to waste. I started planting tomato plants in the spring. One fall I went to the garden store and bought heuchera and helleborus (lenten rose) because I wanted something pretty to look at in the winter.

Last spring I decided to try something new: planting flowers from seed. I went to the local garden store and purchased a packet of mixed seeds. I planted them in a section of the gardening bed, and I waited. Weeks went by, and nothing happened. After about six weeks, I was rewarded for my efforts as tiny green shoots sprouted up out of the soil.

The shoots continued to grow and grow, and in time flowers began to bloom. First a purple flower that I don’t recognize arrived. Then the marigolds blossomed in beautiful bright orange.  There were two flowers that were growing taller than all the others, off by themselves in the gardening bed. They were not in a hurry to show their colors.

And one day, a beautiful sunflower blossomed in the backyard. It brought me so much joy. And a week later, the second sunflower blossomed also. There was something uniquely satisfying about starting with a small packet of seeds, and seeing them grow and transform into flowers. When I planted the seeds, I didn’t know how things were going to turn out. I didn’t know for sure if they would grow. Maybe animals would eat all of them and nothing would happen. There were no guarantees. I had to have patience. Once I had planted them, there wasn’t a lot to do except water them every day. I had to trust that they would continue to grow on their own. In time, my efforts brought the gift of color and beauty into our lives in a way that nourished my heart.

What seeds did you plant last spring, and how are they blooming in your life? What seeds are you planting now, knowing you will not see the results for many months or maybe years from now? I hope your fall harvest is bountiful and plenty. I hope you are planting seeds with patience and love, trusting that in time they will grow and transform and bring beauty and joy into your life.