The Season of Chaos: Staying present while planning ahead

I love farming because it grounds me in the moment. Working outside with the seasons keeps you on your toes and requires that you stay present in your work. In the heat of summer my eye is always on the forecast and I plan my week and the tasks at hand by the weather. Harvest the flowers in the morning before the heat of the day, water if there’s no rain in the forecast, install supports if a particularly vicious rain storm is headed our way - There’s never a dull moment! You may think that summer is a busy time for farmers, and physically it is very busy, but mentally it becomes more habitual. Much of the planning is done and it’s a time to maintain the work you’ve already set in motion. The busyness of summer has a rhythm that feels predictably comfortable - harvest flowers, make arrangements and bouquets, create invoices, deliver flowers, weed and water.

Autumn is a season of overlapping tasks that pulls my attention from the current season to winter, to spring and back to Autumn. It’s many, many plates spinning in the air and all require at least some of my attention. As a Vermont grower, stretching the season as long as possible is a must, but the impending holiday season requires lots of coordination and planning, the tasks of spring can’t seem to wait their turn either. There’s garden clean up, planting tulips and fall bulbs, dividing perennials, making dried floral arrangements, and planning for holiday wreaths all in the span of about a month. It feels like all the seasons rush together, clamoring for my attention, and my priorities and attention are scattered in a thousand different directions. It often feels like if I stand still for a moment, all those spinning plates will come crashing down.

In a culture that seems to always be pressing ahead, I find myself resisting this rush while simultaneously being pulled into the fray. The holidays seem to creep ever-earlier, and I’m faced with the dilemma of digging my heals in and avoiding it all or being swept away by the bustling frenzy. Every season deserves its space and a little breathing room, and I hate to jump ahead on the season, and yet here I am, promoting holiday wreaths in October. It’s a paradox to be sure.

In order to stay present I try to schedule in time with family and friends and create farm workshops that feel grounded in the current season. Autumn is my favorite time of year, and I try to make time for apple-picking, Halloween parties, and visits with family - but sometimes the pressure to check something (anything!) off my list gets to a boiling point. That’s when it’s time to take a deep breath and reassess my priorities.

A dear farmer friend once recommended using a particular tree or shrub in your garden as a touchstone, a place to go when you want to connect with your garden and be fully present. Her advice was to visit your touchstone tree every single day, rain or snow. While I must admit that I haven’t been quite that committed, I have taken this advice to heart. Because I can’t choose a favorite, I like to visit two spots in my gardens when I need a few minutes to reconnect - the Hawthorn tree in the lower yard and the winterberries in the upper yard. These plants are not central fixtures in my garden, they are tucked off to the side and often go unnoticed, but they give me a new perspective and place me in areas that I wouldn’t necessarily give my full attention if I were in the midst of harvesting or weeding. Looking at the garden beds from these spots helps me see how things have shifted and grown. These plants remind me that everything has its time, and placing one foot in front of the other is often the best we can do. It’s okay to grow slowly and with intention.

Prior to the chaos of the looming holidays and elections, I encourage you to find a touchstone plant in your yard or neighborhood. It can be any tree or shrub that you connect with - does it have an interesting branch or stir a memory? Use your touchstone plant as a place you can go to reconnect, and find quiet. Look around and see how your environment is ever-evolving. How have things changed for you in this season? What are you looking forward to in the upcoming season? Taking this time to slow down and reassess priorities has been so valuable to me and keeps me grounded, even in the midst of this season of chaos. If you try this, please feel free to share your experience - and of course I would love to hear which plants you choose! Taking the time to breathe and reconnect with our environment and our season can help us to stay present and rethink the big struggles we face.

Take a deep breath. We’ve got this.

Your Magic Bean Farmer,

Sarah

Pre-order wreaths are live on our website. Order before Nov. 1st for early bird pricing