How Motherhood and Gardening are the Same | Mother’s Day Note from Donna Letier

Happy Mother’s Day! This Mother’s Day, we want to give thanks to our moms for giving us gumption, faith, perseverance, good genetics to pass on to our kids, and the belief that we can grow greatness.

All of us love growing something — whether that’s a business, bank account, kids, community, or veggies. And whenever you grow something, there are similarities, so drawing parallels between motherhood and gardening makes sense.

By day and by night, Julie, mother to Amanda and Alexander and I, mother to Madison and Jillian, prove that growing great kids and raising tomatoes are very similar.

Here’s how gardening and motherhood are the same — and some advice to make them both easier.

Motherhood and gardening are both easy…and complicated.

Pro Tip: Keep it simple.

Growing is easy when everything lines up. Perfect weather, the perfect amount of rainfall, healthy kids (who love eating their veggies and keeping their room clean)…but it’s often messier than that. When attempting to master motherhood and balance all the needs of the moment, it gets much more complicated.

What we know for sure is that family time is precious and gardening reaffirms that things in life can’t be rushed — making it worth all the mess.

Dirt & Mess is Guaranteed.

Pro Tip: Laugh all the time.

Gardening or motherhood guarantee dirt and mess — no exception. But playing in the dirt can be fun! When I ponder on what really matters, I’ve come to respect the dirt in your life.

“Be like seeds; do not see dirt thrown at you as your enemy, but as ground to grow.”

Matshona Dhliwoya

Just as understanding what good dirt smells like is important, learning to laugh at all of the messes of life is essential. The more you laugh, the easier the messes become — and the more opportunity you see in the dirt.

Things don’t always go as planned, so learn to deal.

Pro Tip: Wine is ok! (It starts in the garden after all.)

Learning how to deal with unplanned obstacles is essential to motherhood and gardening. The saying, “just go with the flow” is hard — especially if you are a planner — but, sometimes, the greatest gifts come from unplanned moments in life.

So view every day as a fresh start to getting it right. We’re all equipped to handle tough days. Trust that our ability to deal with life’s obstacles was planted and nurtured by those who grew us. Thank you Mom!

The push and pull of being a working mom/gardener is real.

Pro Tip: Bloom wherever you’re planted.

The internal battle never goes away. I need to work, I need to be home, I need to weed, I need to water…Every day requires a fresh start when you are a working mom.

Growing up, I moved around a lot — Singapore, Alaska, London, California, etc. The first thing my mom did when we moved into our new house was put up a little plaque that read, “Bloom where you are planted.” As a mom and gardener, I think about this often.

Take advantage of every moment to bloom, to share, and to find the joy in life. We’ve all seen flowers bloom in sidewalk cracks — not at all ideal growing conditions. Your kids will survive Oreos instead of homemade double chocolate cookies despite the evil glances you get from the “perfectly coiffed, clean haired moms and you will survive motherhood.

Return to your roots.

Pro Tip: Keep the faith.

“You is kind, you is smart, you is important. ”

Kenneth Stockett

This memorable quote from the movie The Help is a reminder that what we hear and see as a child helps form our rootstock. Our moms gave us grit, they told us we could accomplish anything, and they gifted us with faith. I believe in teaching faith. So remember your rootstock!

I think one of the greatest gifts and responsibilities we have as mothers is teaching kids to keep the faith, always. We don’t want to tell them how or where to grow, but you do want to give them the building blocks to grow in the direction of their dreams. Roots matter. Sharing your roots of faith will help them meet life’s challenges with strength.

So this mother’s day, celebrate the true gift of having a mom, being a mom, and growing greatness in your own garden of gratitude.

Check out why gardening is one of the best things you can do for your child’s development.