Over and over, we find that gardening and volunteering in gardens bring kindred spirits together. When we take time to be in this space and focus on the treasures of the earth, we experience a collective harmony.
I (Jen, owner of MTG) found a kindred spirit in a woman named Claire. She is a gardener from England who was volunteering with me at Oudolf Garden Detroit. We started to chat about Sporobolus heterolepis (Prairie Dropseed), a native grass that smells like popcorn. As we continued to talk, we found that we have similar businesses and visions. We continued the conversation later over a cup of coffee on Zoom, and enjoyed connecting over our shared passion for healthy ecosystems and educating people on how to care for their gardens.
We are both garden coaches with an intuitive and artistic approach to design that focuses on regenerative landscapes and healthy ecosystems. It was so refreshing to talk about the nuts and bolts of running a business and connect with the heart and soul of our businesses, and I appreciated the feeling of connection even though a whole ocean separates us. I experienced a quiet awakening to this concept that kindred spirits are waiting to be found. More and more people are coming into my life and sharing their love for the earth with me.
Where are your kindred spirits? We suggest volunteering in your local public gardens or joining a garden club. Some of my favorite educational resources are through Longwood Gardens and the Traverse City Botanical Gardens. Both of these have online learning platforms and community outreach programs. We can make personal connections when working side by side with one another and find a reason to seek a relationship outside of the garden. I have also taken courses online and joined networking groups. Being a writer, I simply searched for “writers in the garden world” and found a community. There’s a group for everyone and everything!
There are kindred spirits found in the garden, as well. We can feel drawn to a certain personality, like the showstoppers in summertime that are blossoming wildly. They can give us a lesson that it’s time to sing loudly. Maybe it’s time to use our voices to speak, to connect with a friend, or to lead. If it’s a time to celebrate, then we must celebrate! Bloom profusely with everything you’ve got.
Meanwhile, the more quiet, supportive members in the background of the garden can teach us to tune into the needs of our community. We can accompany someone who is singing the lead part or let someone lean on us in their time of need. These plants are hardy and dependable, holding down the fort when the winds start a’blowing. The seasonality of these personalities reminds us of the natural ebb and flow in our own experiences. Plants and people have certain messages to be shared at different times.
We hope that this post inspires you to connect with like-minded people over things that bring you joy and groundedness.
Until next thyme,
My Thyme Gardens