Parenting the Plot

Sunflowers, cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, beats and more!  Today was a very exciting day for the garden!  We all met to plant our future babies under the soil.  Being new to the gardening process, I must say that again, my mind wandered back to wanting immediate results.. when I was handed the sunflower seeds to plant with Courtney, I quickly looked at the back of the package and saw “10-14 days”  YES!  It’ll be tough, but I can wait that long to see some results!  We followed the instructions and laid out or seeds in rows carefully. As we covered the seeds I almost felt bad suffocating them but then reminded myself that this is a necessary process to allow them to grow to their full potential.  I’ve heard that gardening is like parenting and honestly never bought it, until now.  I want these sunflowers and the rest of the garden to prosper as I continuously check the weather to see when the storms are coming.  I know water is good for the garden, but what about our poor basil?  What if the water is too heavy and hard and hurts him/her?  I honestly find myself feeling like a soccer mom or one of those intense parents on toddlers in tiaras… I went back to check on the garden this morning.. just to make sure everything was how we left it and found my anxiety level lower when I found the plot in great condition.  I think like parents, I need to begin to let go of the anxiety that accompanies raising, or in this case growing something.  I also have to remind myself that what is the worst that can happen?  The plants die (which obviously would be very sad) but unlike human life, plants have a second chance, a third chance, etc to live which is one of the most magical aspects I believe about the process of gardening.