Getting Your Gardening Fix in an El Niño Year

Gardening in Spite of El Niño

This year, weather-wise, has been topsy-turvy because of the emergence of El Niño, which consists of warm water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean along the equator. This pattern can wreak havoc on anything related to weather, including gardening.

In my neck of the woods, we have been experiencing record rainfall, while other areas have been experiencing moderate to severe drought. Either scenario is going to affect gardening efforts.

While I have added to my container garden--cherry tomatoes, peppers, squash, and herbs--I have, honestly, not been able to do anything with the main garden this summer. While the weeds continue to grow higher than my head, I could start feeling frustrated and inadequate, not to mention resentful of this weather pattern, but what purpose would beating myself up mentally serve? This attitude would be a waste in emotional energy.

Instead, I've decided to take things a sunny day at a time. On the mornings or evenings it's not raining, I take an hour, or even two, to weed, to tend the container garden, or to prepare the main garden for a fall garden (in my area, a fall garden is feasible and practical). The "Tortoise and the Hare" fable definitely comes to mind here: I know I'll get there, eventually. It's a practice in delayed gratification at its finest.

An example of a container garden 

I have determined that the El Nino pattern could be seen as an obstacle, or it could be seen as an opportunity to slow down and to savor the garden, even if it's not "perfect." The truth is that a garden is always a work in progress: this realization becomes more obvious when one has to seize the gardening moment whenever it decides to present itself.

There's no use in fighting or resisting the El Niño weather pattern: that is an exercise in futility, and who needs that?

"Learn to be an observer in all seasons. Every single day, your garden has something new and wonderful to show you"  (Anonymous Author). This is a worthy goal and lesson--even in an El Niño year.