Magical Seasons Filled With Gardening Inspiration
Are you looking for gardening inspiration? There are so many inspiring gardening lessons to learn from old gardening books. In today’s article, I am sharing gardening inspiration from Vita Sackville-West’s book In Your Garden Again.
As the front cover tells us:
“For some fifteen years, from 1946 until 1961, the Observer carried a weekly gardening column by V. Sackville-West. Already established in her youth as a poet and a novelist, and co-creator of the great garden at Sissinghurst Castle, she combined her talents to create a unique gardening chronicle.” Her readers eagerly anticipated each week’s installment and responded in their hundreds with letters of gratitude (or occasional indignation).”
A Garden’s Journey Through Time
Renowned gardener and writer Vita Sackville-West once shared a captivating metaphor in her 1951 article for the Observer, comparing the garden’s seasonal changes to the ages of human life. This perspective invites us to see our gardens as living stories unfolding before our eyes:
Autumn: Mellowing into golden wisdom
March: The moody teenager of the garden year
April and May: The enthusiastic young adult full of promise
Summer months: Growing mature and wise
Spring Gardening Inspiration: Youth and Promise
Here in Michigan (Zone 6A), March brings the first signs of the garden awakening. As Sackville-West noted, “March is by no means always sweet,” bringing uncertainty and moody weather.
March in my garden means seeing the first blooms of the hellebores and snow drops. March also brings the excitement of seeing the first seeds germinating that I started to Winter sow back in February.
The April garden is full of potential with its whole life ahead. Vita Sackville-West describes April with the metaphor of being eighteen years old.
In my Michigan garden, this is the time I start to see my favorite spring-blooming bulbs, the daffodils. I planted a few “new-to-me” varieties this past autumn and I’m excited to see them bloom.
April also brings the bulbs and plants that only visit for a brief time. The anemones, trout lilies and primroses. Such beautiful sights in the spring garden.
May arrives with beautiful confidence, bringing abundant color and fragrance. This is when I see the stars of the spring garden. Tulips, Iris, and peonies. And among the most anticipated are the alliums. Filling my shady woodland border with an inspiring display of purple globe-like blooms.
Summer is The Garden in Its Prime
June marks the transition to the garden’s prime season. As Vita Sackville-West wrote, June in the garden is like being twenty to twenty-five years old. The garden is lush and energetic, confidently showing off its beauty.
July represents the garden at 30-35 years old—experienced and vibrant. This is when the garden is filled to the rim with flowers and pollinators. We can enjoy the fruits of our labor and appreciate the beauty around us.
By August, the garden reaches full maturity. Like someone 40-50 years old, it displays depth and richness that is only earned through experience.
The Mellow Wisdom of Autumn
September brings a softer, mellower mood to the garden. Sackville-West likened this period to being a wise 60-year-old.
This is the time for Japanese anemones. As you look through the garden you start to notice the colors softening. There is a sense of quiet wisdom all around us. The time I start wishing that garden season would never end.
October turns the garden golden and yellower, like a mellow 70-year-old. The leaves change, creating a tapestry of warm colors that signal the garden’s transition toward winter rest.
Inspiration In Every Season
What makes this metaphor so powerful for gardeners is how it reminds us that there’s beauty and wisdom in every phase of the garden’s life—just as there is in our own. Each season brings something unique to appreciate and cherish. There is always something beautiful in our gardens. Even in the cold of winter.
As gardeners, we learn to value each chapter, finding gardening inspiration not just in the spectacular bloom periods but also in the quiet transitions between seasons.
Embracing Your Garden’s Story
What’s most inspiring about tending a garden year after year is witnessing this beautiful cycle. When we pause to notice each stage, our gardening experience becomes richer and more meaningful.
Our gardens teach us about resilience, patience, and the simple joys found in everyday moments. They remind us that life moves in seasons, each with its own purpose and beauty.
What’s Your Favorite Garden Season?
Which month or season in your garden inspires you the most? Is it the fresh promise of spring, the abundant glory of summer, or perhaps the golden reflection of autumn?
No matter which season speaks to you, remember that your garden has wisdom to share in every phase of its journey—just like life itself.
What gardening inspiration have you found in the changing seasons of your garden? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
