The March, April, and May Winds are Blowing!
The March winds did blow. And kept on blowing in April. Now it’s May, and they are still blowing. That’s literal, but they’ve been blowing in our US and global lives for quite some time now!
I asked a friend recently if we could make it stop. Can the world and everyone in it just settle down already? While that’s a fun sentiment, it’s not the current reality of anyone’s life. No matter who I talk to or where I turn, the general mood is that it’s exhausting just trying to keep up, let alone understand it all!
Our last blog was in January 2025, full of fresh New Year hope and expectation! But since then, there hasn’t been much creative inspiration. We’ve been mostly swamped with work and personal life.
You too?
Don’t lose hope, my friends!
When the idea for this post arrived, daylight saving time had just begun. Areas of focus between January and today have shifted more times than I’d like to admit. The garden doesn’t stop, but I love the sanctuary, the joy, and the calm it provides, even when the wind blows all around. Plus, the garden brings a heightened awareness of the presence of God in our lives. It is a happy and calming place (usually), and is essential for my well-being. But even the garden can be overwhelming with things needed to keep it healthy and relatively pest-free!
This growing season, we are wrapping up our first 52 Sundays series on Rumble and planning for the next one (it starts over this May, in two weeks!). Because our lives are blessed not to be bored, we’re now more focused on efficiency in the garden. We want to be intentional about growing plants that are native to North Texas whenever possible, or at least very well suited to our climate. No more babying our plants as we find the best places in the yard for optimal growth and harvest. Microclimates abound, and I didn’t realize there could be so many in a suburban backyard!
While I realize there are many places where information may be found on herbs and natural plants for healing and energy, I want to share what has actually helped our family, and how things were processed without a lot of fancy equipment and commercialized versions of these plants and oils. If you’re learning about growing in North Texas, I’m learning too! So I’ll share what has been successful for me.
AND – we have dried herbs from the last growing season that have been helpful through the winter. They have been beneficial with respiratory, skin, nerve, and focus issues, as well as energy in place of that mid-day cup of coffee! Some organic items we buy from the store and dehydrate for teas and other things, like ginger or parsley.
These are topics that would be nice to dive into with this blog. I’ve got requests for lavender uses already!
Where we’re being more intentional this summer:
1. Purchase seeds and plants that are native to TX wherever possible. Texas Tested Seeds is an amazing site and a great resource for what we’re doing. It’s owned by a retired vet who runs this local seed business. She also has a fun and informative Facebook page! The seeds I’ve purchased from her this season have outperformed any others I’ve used in this climate.
2. Plant trees and shrubs that can not only survive the intense Texas sun, but also survive February, typically our coldest month where gardeners need to bring tender trees and plants inside.
We are actively harvesting radishes, onion greens, and strawberries, and planting summer vegetable seeds.
And we have:
1. Purchased a Satsuma Mandarin Orange tree – the most cold-hardy of the orange varieties. You know what else they need to be able to handle? The intense wind. It seems to never stop in this area. Rather than noticing that the wind is blowing, it is a rare day and much more noticeable when we have stopped to say: “The air is still today – there is no breeze!”
- The orange tree was shipped from Florida. I put it outside in March to slowly acclimate to the Texas sun. It has survived April and May’s stormy winds and I think it is finally acclimated to its new location.
2. Purchased a couple of “sweetie-pie” blackberry bushes.
- Broke the “Texas climate” rules on this one. They were on the clearance rack at Lowe’s and I just couldn’t resist! We’ll see how they do.
3. We have four new types of lavender, purchased from our local garden center.
- These are to replace the one lavender that didn’t survive the fungal outbreak from last year. They are in four separate pots so all won’t be lost at one time if there is another outbreak of anything.
4. Remember the temporary greenhouse? I’ve started another and am really taking my time with this one. It’s a lot longer process than anticipated, but it’s also a three-phase project. It’s springtime. The storms are violent. Rain, wind, hail. It’s all there. But my new greenhouse is still standing at the end of phase one! That is encouraging, and sometimes the things you want to last take a little longer to build.
So again, The Winds of Change – Can they take a break?
Well, no, not really. And to be honest, if it’s the season to be windy, we wouldn’t want it to take a break until the season has fulilled it’s purpose. Change is inevitable, even if it feels like the wind is powered by rocket fuel these days! But here’s the thing:
- Wind can be gentle and refreshing.
- Wind can be fierce, strengthening, and an agent for change.
- Wind can bring clarity: what you thought was strong, is really weak. And what you thought was weak, is really strong!
Some recent observations of what the winds of change are bringing in our world:
- Changes of perspective
- Changes of process
- Changes within relationship
- Changes within industry, economy, and commercialized religion.
They are causing us to:
- Refocus
- Re-evaluate
- Refresh
- Reboot
And they are raising questions to pursue because wind that is out of order in it’s strength or season can be devastating, completely turning life upside down:
- Are these winds bringing visible changes only, or changes of the heart?
- Were we ready for this change? If not – how do we better prepare for next time?
- Can we embrace what the winds blew in, or do we need to put some things back in place that were eroded?
- How can we look back and see where we grew stronger or wiser through these intense events?
Life is all about how we respond to the change that happens in and around us. Do we break during the effort to resist, in an attempt to control what clearly is out of our control, or do we bend and flow with it, like flowing with water?
My friends, I don’t have pics on this post. But then, who can see the wind? We can only see its effects. But I do have some insight to share. It’s not my own insight; I went searching online for scriptural references to the wind. Take a moment to check out this blog I found by “Pastor David” on Bible Study for You. It’s completely relevant to this season we all find ourselves in and it doesn’t hurt to ask for additional Divine insight on how the scriptures and commentary relate to you! I pray it brings comfort and a new perspective, where needed.
Life is worship, and worship is life. ❤️
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