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Ep.75: Gratitude in the Garden: The Five Petals That Root Us Through Every Season
1.3k Plays18 days ago
As another growing season comes to a close, Jennifer invites you to pause and reflect on the power of gratitude. In this solo episode, Jennifer shares how gratitude can carry us through each stage of growth, from the early seeds of an idea to the quiet rest of winter.
She looks back on this past year of farming with honesty and perspective, offering gentle reminders that growth often happens in the unseen moments. Through her reflections, Jennifer encourages you to find gratitude not only in the beauty of what has bloomed, but also in the challenges that helped you grow.
Whether you’re wrapping up your season or already dreaming about spring, this episode offers a moment to slow down, look back, and give thanks for all that has taken root this year.
Connect with Jennifer, Host of The Backyard Bouquet Podcast:
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Transcript
Introduction to Backyard Bouquet Podcast
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Backyard Bouquet Podcast, where stories bloom from local flower fields and home gardens. I'm your host, Jennifer Galizia of The Flowering Farmhouse.
Purpose and Invitation to Engage
00:00:12
Speaker
I'm a backyard gardener turned flower farmer located in Hood River, Oregon.
00:00:17
Speaker
Join us for heartfelt journeys shared by flower farmers and backyard gardeners. Each episode is like a vibrant garden, cultivating wisdom and joy through flowers. From growing your own backyard garden to supporting your local flower farmer,
00:00:32
Speaker
The Backyard Bouquet is your fertile ground for heartwarming tales and expert cut flower growing advice. All right, flower friends, grab your gardening gloves, garden snips, or your favorite vase because it's time to let your backyard bloom.
Theme of Gratitude and Listener Acknowledgment
00:00:54
Speaker
Hi, flower friends, and welcome back to the Backyard Bouquet podcast. I'm your host, Jennifer Galizia, and I'm so glad you're here today. It's November, a month where many of us are taught to focus on acts of gratitude and giving.
00:01:09
Speaker
And today, wanted to just slow things down a bit and start this new month by saying, Thank you. Truly. Creating this podcast is such a joy.
00:01:20
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i am so grateful for each and every one of you who takes time out of your day to listen, to share these episodes, or even send a quick DM on Instagram, letting me know what resonated with you.
00:01:33
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I have to tell you, these messages absolutely make my day.
00:01:40
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Okay, I still am in disbelief that it's November. This year has just flown by in the blink of the eye. Am I the only one that feels this way? Please tell me I'm not alone.
Gardening Challenges and Preparations
00:01:51
Speaker
Because here on the farm, we are still in full go mode. The rain has definitely settled in. Shout out to everyone in the Pacific Northwest who have had their rain gear and digging in the trenches this week. It has been so, so many.
00:02:10
Speaker
The other day I looked down and my feet were covered in mud up to my ankles and I'm like, why does it feel so heavy? Oh yeah, because my boots are caked in mud right now. As I'm recording this, I'm looking out and there's a little speck of sunshine and I'm like,
00:02:24
Speaker
When was the last time I saw the sun? ah It's just that time of year in the Pacific Northwest. And I know some people across the country are just now getting their first frosts.
00:02:36
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We are knee deep in digging dahlias. And at the same time, we're preparing for all of our spring crops on Monday. We have an order of peonies arriving. We are going to be planting our ranunculus.
00:02:48
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And it's that rush to get everything tucked in before winter truly sets in. So much of what we do as farmers and gardeners this time of year is not glamorous.
00:03:00
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It's cold, it's wet, it's messy. But at the same time, there's something so grounding about this time of season. And what it does is it always brings me back to gratitude.
00:03:14
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So I thought today we'd do a little reflection and hopefully challenge you to think about this season of gratitude as well. So I wanted to start by asking you, what's this season like where you are right now?
00:03:27
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Are you harvesting? Are you cleaning up? Or are you already planning ahead for next year? Take a second to notice something you're grateful for in your own garden today.
00:03:40
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i know that when I stopped and did this, I just, and I know I've shared this a few times already, But the fall foliage this year is so incredible.
00:03:50
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And I just feel so grateful for that last burst of color before we head into winter. So today we're going to have a short episode. This is going to be a solo episode.
00:04:01
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You might notice that I'm starting to sprinkle some of these in. If you're enjoying them, I would love to hear from you. If there's any topics you'd like to have covered, please reach out.
Five Petals of Gratitude
00:04:11
Speaker
I'm all ears. um You can find me at the Flowering Farmhouse or the Backyard Bouquet Podcast on Instagram.
00:04:17
Speaker
But today i wanted to talk to you about what I'm calling the five petals of gratitude. And that first petal we're calling the seed. It's gratitude for beginnings.
00:04:30
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As a grower, I'm sure you remember your first spring or the first time you decided you were going to go all in on planting that garden. i mean, how many flower catalogs did you get in the mail?
00:04:42
Speaker
i mean, I'm raising my hand here. I still i like a kid at Christmas when those catalogs come in. I look through each and every one. My husband's like, are you done buying seeds? I'm like, yes, but I still want to look through the catalog.
00:04:54
Speaker
ah So do you remember that first spring ordering your seeds, starting your Dahlia tubers, or maybe your ranunculus, starting flowers from seed and wondering what's even going to grow?
00:05:09
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Even now with each bed we plant, each new seed order, it starts with that same mix of us excitement and uncertainty. i know i just love sowing seeds this time of year or digging up my dahlia tubers. And I'm like, okay, is this going to be a good clump with lots of tubers that I can share or have extras of?
00:05:29
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And so i would love for you to think back to your own beginning this year. Maybe it started with a few raised beds or a plot of dahlias. How did it feel to take that first step?
00:05:43
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Take a moment and just think about the gratitude of those early seeds you sowed. Looking back now, what can you be grateful for in that seed?
00:05:55
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The next petal of gratitude is the stem. calling it the stem, which is the gratitude for all growth. I don't know about you,
00:06:06
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But this season has had its fair share of moments. We started our irrigation. We started this new farm this year with no irrigation on the property. The old main line was broken. It had to be replaced.
00:06:21
Speaker
And I always overestimate or underestimate how long things are going to take. I thought that we would have our irrigation done in a couple weeks. Well, it was more like a month and a half, maybe two months. Our irrigation took so much longer than expected. They had to put in the foundation of our irrigation throughout our 20 acre property. We decided to do the whole perimeter to protect because of fire danger, because we back up to forest land and we are in a fire zone in Oregon. So we decided to take that extra step, but it did set us back and we had a later start to the season.
00:06:57
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I remember being so worried and rushing our irrigation company saying, if I don't get these plants in the ground, i am not going to have dahlias this year. They need 120 days of growing time.
00:07:08
Speaker
And the landscaper's like, well, we're doing the best we can. And so I was so worried, so stressed at the beginning of the season thinking, am I going to even have blooms this year?
00:07:19
Speaker
But you know what? It was figured out. And looking back, I realized that that time really taught me about patience. and problem solving for situations that I didn't know I was even capable of doing at the time.
00:07:33
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So even though they were hard at the moment, when you look back, I know for me, I'm grateful for those times that pushed me, that taught me patience and taught me to find alternative ways to get started. We had to get creative with how we were going to start planting.
00:07:49
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We had to get creative with how we were going to get water to plants before irrigation was all set up. So I am grateful for the moments of growth this season. And I'd love to ask you to take a moment to reflect.
00:08:03
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Where did you face a challenge this year that stretched you, but ultimately helped you grow?
Joy and Lessons from Gardening
00:08:10
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Okay, the third petal I'm calling the bloom, and this is gratitude for beauty.
00:08:18
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This year, like I just said, I was so nervous if everything would bloom, but you know what? The farm did. bloom and it was incredible. And it was, it was a little bit later, but it's still everything bloomed. It was gorgeous.
00:08:34
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And once you see your farm or your garden in bloom, it's like, oh yeah, this is worth it. This is why I do this. And standing in that field of dahlias, I fell in love with dahlias, with farming all over again. There's just nothing like seeing the color explode.
00:08:54
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And knowing that all of that work you put into growing something after weeks and weeks of we weeding and worrying, it's just such an amazing feeling that I know, hopefully you're nodding your head going, yeah, I know that feeling.
00:09:09
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And then getting to share those flowers with our community, each bouquet that left the farm, it felt like a little miracle, like, okay, that seed we planted, those stems that we're growing,
00:09:21
Speaker
They created this bloom and I just felt so much gratitude for that. So I would love to ask you, what is a moment this year that made you stop and say, wow, this is why I do this.
00:09:36
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Perhaps it was seeing that perfect bloom on adalia a kind customer taking a moment to leave you a review or say something positive that made you smile.
00:09:47
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Or maybe it was just a quiet moment in your garden. What was that moment? The next petal is as the season ends, I'm calling it the fading or the gratitude for endings.
00:10:02
Speaker
Daylight savings times just happened. And I don't know about you, but 530 rolls around and I think it's time for bed. I feel like it's nine o'clock at night and the days are getting shorter. The farm looks messy and part of me just wants to rush and clean everything up and put it to bed.
00:10:19
Speaker
But over the years, I've learned that it's okay to slow down and appreciate this stage too, because as we are cleaning up and clearing out, we're making space for what's next, whether that is envisioning what your next year's garden is going to be.
00:10:36
Speaker
Maybe you're moving on to a new hobby or a new plant that you're going to grow. But we are at this time, for those of you in the Northern hemisphere, we are cleaning up our gardens, putting our farms to bed for the season.
00:10:49
Speaker
but also making space for next spring, next season's flowers. And I'm so grateful that that gives us time to clear things out. I think I talked about in a few episodes back about clearing out the weeds, what's no longer serving you, giving you time to reflect and think about those times.
00:11:07
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So I'd love to ask you, what can you let go of before winter? Is it a project, a bit of guilt, maybe an unrealistic expectation expectation What is it that you can let go of so that you can rest and reset this winter?
00:11:25
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And finally, the fifth petal I'm calling the soil and it's gratitude for what sustains us. So even though our fields are looking quiet, perhaps you've had that season ending frost, everything has turned brown, it's quiet, life feels still still less.
00:11:45
Speaker
take a moment and just notice the moisture in the soil. If you're digging your dahlias, are you finding worms? Every clump of dahlias that I'm lifting out of the ground, I'm finding two, three, four, five worms in each clump. And it's the best feeling. like I'm like, okay, the farm isn't dead. it's It's dormant right now, but underground, there is so much activity taking place in the soil and it's storing up energy for next spring.
00:12:13
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And so
00:12:16
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I think it's so important to remember that even though we feel like this time of year, there's not much left on the farm or in our gardens, there is so much important work happening in that soil right now.
00:12:29
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And I think gratitude is so similar. Gratitude is what allows us to sustain through the slow seasons. Gratitude just changes everything.
00:12:40
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This year, i have started a practice where every day i try and say one thing that I'm grateful for, And it just changes your outlook. It's hard to have a bad day when you start talking about what you're grateful for.
00:12:51
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So i would love to ask you, who or what has kept you grounded this year? Maybe it's your family, your farm crew, or the flower community online.
00:13:04
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Have you told them thank you? Have you told them you're grateful for them? Think about that person or something that has kept you grounded this year. How can you show gratitude towards them?
Resilience and Unexpected Growth
00:13:18
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This week while i was out in the field digging dahlias and I was laying landscape fabric for our new peonies that are arriving next week. It was raining sideways. I was drenched.
00:13:29
Speaker
Mud was everywhere. And I remember just kind of laughing out loud and thinking, this is flower farming in real life. It's certainly not picture perfect, but it's real.
00:13:40
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And I hope you agree. It's definitely worth it. After I finished for the day of digging and laying landscape fabric, i took a walk down our driveway to check on our bare root willows that I had planted this past spring along our seasonal Creek.
00:13:55
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We were pretty convinced that these 200 willows we had planted as part of a grant had died. we hadn't had our irrigation until later in the season and the weeds had taken over pretty much the entire Creek.
00:14:10
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So were like, well, I guess we're going to be starting over on these willows. Well, as the season is winding down, The weeds are dying back. I started walking along the creek.
00:14:20
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And you know what? I started noticing one by one, our willows had growth on them. They started out as 12-inch bare root sticks. Some of them were two, three feet tall with new life coming out of them.
00:14:34
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I was stunned. I couldn't believe that they had survived our drought of a summer with no irrigation. But here, now that the rain had come back, they were growing again.
00:14:46
Speaker
And you know what? They probably were busy all summer establishing these roots that are now allowing me to see them grow. And I just took that as a reminder, and I hope you'll see this too, that sometimes the work we do now, the part that's hard and messy, that no one sees, the behind the scenes work that you maybe don't share on Instagram, that's what makes next season possible.
00:15:11
Speaker
The work you're doing now matters. So I'd love for you to think about what is one thing you're doing right now that might feel tedious or tough, but you know it's preparing you for something beautiful later.
Reflecting on Personal Growth and Achievements
00:15:26
Speaker
I hope you'll take a few minutes to reflect on your own season. Think about the wins, the lessons, the surprises. You probably did so much more than you even realize.
00:15:37
Speaker
Remember, the garden doesn't expect perfection. It just asks us to keep showing up. So I have a little challenge for you. This week, I challenge you to write down three things that you are grateful for.
00:15:51
Speaker
Choose one thing that's blooming right now. What are you grateful for that is blooming right now in your life? What is something you're grateful for that is maybe ending now?
00:16:02
Speaker
And what is one thing that you're grateful for that's just beginning beneath the surface? And if you'd like to share these with me, you can send me a quick message on Instagram, Or you could even share in a podcast review.
00:16:15
Speaker
i absolutely love hearing what's resonating with you. it keeps me inspired and reminds me why i love doing these episodes. Here's an affirmation that I have been sharing with myself that maybe you will find helpful as well.
00:16:29
Speaker
Gratitude is what roots us through every season, the planting, the blooming, the muddy middle, and the rest. And so as I wrap up today's reflection, I wanted to leave you with these parting words.
00:16:43
Speaker
Gratitude is the thread that ties every part of the season together. It begins with a seed, a small act of hope planted long before we see results. It grows through the stem, the steady days of showing up, watering and learning as we go.
00:17:00
Speaker
It shines in the bloom, those moments that stop us in our tracks and remind us why we started. It continues through the change. When the colors shift, the days grow shorter and the work looks different than it did before.
00:17:14
Speaker
Gratitude reminds us that even change carries beauty. And finally, it rests in the soil, the quiet, unseen foundation that holds every lesson, every bit of effort, and every ounce of faith.
00:17:28
Speaker
Each part matters. Each stage prepares the next. So wherever you are in your growing season, planting, tending, harvesting, or simply catching your breath, may gratitude be what roots you, nourishes you,
00:17:43
Speaker
and reminds you that you're growing something good.
Closing and Call to Action
00:17:47
Speaker
Thank you flower friends for joining us on another episode of the Backyard Bouquet. I hope you've enjoyed the inspiring stories and valuable gardening insights we've shared today. Whether you're cultivating your own backyard blooms or supporting your local flower farmer, you're contributing to the local flower movement and we're so happy to have you growing with us.
00:18:09
Speaker
If you'd like to stay connected and continue this blossoming journey with local flowers, don't forget to subscribe to the Backyard Bouquet podcast. I'd be so grateful if you would take a moment to leave us a review of this episode.
00:18:22
Speaker
And finally, please share this episode with your garden friends. Until next time, keep growing, keep blooming, and remember that every bouquet starts right here in the backyard.