Nature Speaks: Reaching Toward Spring

By Jennifer Rotermund

"I'd rather be a could-be if I cannot be an are; because a could-be is a maybe reaching for a star. I'd rather be a has-been than a might-have-been, by far; for a might-have-been has never been, but a has-been was once an are." - Milton Berle

Too often, I do this thing while I'm working in a garden where I reach just a little too far. I'm 5'8" with long arms and legs, and I'm accustomed to being able to reach the things I need - even if it takes a little extra stretch - without any extra help and without thinking too much about negative consequences. But there are consequences. My massage therapist chastises me about this on a regular basis because I keep throwing out my shoulders, wrenching my neck, and straining my back. Balance and harmony are not static concepts. They aren't something you achieve once, and the work is done. They demand moment-to-moment attention and adjustments.

Likewise, "reaching" takes many forms in life. Perhaps we reach to shut off the alarm that wakes us up each day, we reach to do a warm-up stretch or as we move through a daily yoga routine. We reach, through our mind's eye and the goals we set, for the things we want out of life. And, sometimes we reach out to a friend or loved one to give or receive comfort. There are endless ways to extend our reach. Knowing our limits, balancing right-timing and appropriateness with self-care, is just as important.

February in the Pacific Northwest feels this way to me. The month kicks off with the Pagan celebration of Imbolc, the midway point between the beginning of Winter and the beginning of Spring. Although it doesn't always feel like Spring is any closer, this is officially the beginning of the growing season - the days are lengthening, tree buds are swelling, and early bulbs are sprouting out of the ground everywhere. Roses pruned right after Valentine's Day will respond with a burst of new growth and set up a new flush of flower buds. Collectively, all of nature is reaching; it's reaching for the sun and reaching for Spring. What inspires me is nature's ability to grow and reach at the right time and appropriate pace to safely navigate the obstacles of the remaining weeks of Winter.

The pea, one of the first edibles we can plant this month, demonstrates this balance beautifully. A pea, planted on President's Day, will quickly send stabilizing roots deeper into the soil while simultaneously sending a bright-green chlorophyll-producing stem through the soil's crust and into the air, reaching for the sun. This little shoot then instinctually balances growth with solar warmth - a warm day means more growth, cold days mean less growth - in a carefully orchestrated process of self-actualization.

I often turn to nature for deep wisdom and meaning. Gardens have so much to teach us about life. In February, I learn about stretching and reaching for life-giving goals, for those things that allow me to thrive, while also paying close attention to my boundaries and limitations. Spring is about expansion. In preparing for Spring, I expand and reach out a little further into each day in a way that allows me to happily wake up and do it again the next day.

Jennifer Rotermund is the owner of Gaiaceous Gardens (an urban farming and wildlife gardening business with a teaching garden/urban farm and certified wildlife habitat/ sanctuary located in Shoreline). She is a Permaculture Designer, is certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a Habitat Steward and serves as a Docent at the Kruckeberg Garden. She is also an ordained minister with a particular focus on earth-based forms of spirituality.