Giving Thanks This Holiday Season

There’s something about autumn that stirs up feelings of thankfulness. Maybe it’s the approaching holidays, or maybe it’s the warm fall colors juxtaposed against cerulean blue cloudless skies. As you sip your pumpkin spice latte this season, take the time to think about what you are thankful for this gardening season and it will help you appreciate what you have all the more.

We asked our social media followers and content creators what they are thankful for or a lesson they have learned this year from their gardens and were heartened by their thoughtful responses. Perhaps they will inspire some ideas for you, too.

I’m thankful for the many blooms my flower farm produced. My flowers and donated jars from my community allowed me to put out free bouquets every Saturday morning at our little neighborhood bus stop. – Ali, Novella Bloom Flower Farm, Burley WA

We had a super cold winter last year and I was worried about some of the new plants I had put in last fall. I was so thankful when they all came back and grew so beautifully for me in the spring. – Olivia, Toronto CA

This season, I am thankful for the garden’s resilience. Early season hailstorms left many of my plants looking tattered and hopeless, but with time and a little TLC, nearly everything found a way to recover. There is a lesson in that somewhere, for the garden and the gardener. Beauty grows through adversity, and that is something to be grateful for! – Morgan of @coffee.and.chlorophyll, Wyoming

This season reminded us how much joy comes from sharing the garden, not just with each other, but with everyone who follows along. Watching plants thrive and hearing from gardeners around the country has been a true gift. – Eric & Christopher of @growformegardening, Albany NY

After having to remove a lot of plants from my one flower bed, I learned which plants bunnies like to eat, which ones they don't, and which ones they aren't known to eat but do anyway. I also learned I need to be more consistent at fertilizing my hydrangeas. – Michelle, Carmel IN

Fertilizing and water. They make such a difference in my garden. -Sue

I am thankful for my gardening friends who have inspired me to try new things I haven’t thought of before and keep the learning alive while I continue growing as a gardener. The most important lesson I learned this year is the pure joy of sharing my gardens with friends and family in unique ways. I hosted a few “Snip ‘n Sip” events late in the season. Watching them experience the thrill of cutting their own bouquets reminded me that the garden’s bounty is meant to be shared, not just admired. – Stacy of @bricksnblooms, New Jersey

One of the things I learned this year is that catmint is an awesome plant for my garden! Fairly drought tolerant, seems like it’s gonna be a good ground cover in my flower garden and so tremendously many cultivars to choose from! – Henny, OK

This season, I’m thankful for the way the garden teaches resilience. Between unpredictable weather, plant disease and pests, it has reminded me that the garden doesn’t always need perfect conditions. Patience and persistence can be keys to success in the garden too. – Matthew of @southernersgarden, Dayton OH 

This year, I was thankful for so many fun blooms I could cut and share with my friends, neighbors, even my chiropractor! Suncredible sunflowers were my favorite because they last so long in bouquets. – Aimee, Indianapolis IN

I am thankful that I got a new space to garden on our garage deck! It’s a different environment than I am used to, mostly shade, and I got to test out some new plants that I fell in love with. -Bethany of @chicagogardener, Chicago IL

I learned too late after I had already pruned my Let’s Dance hydrangeas that I’d done it at the wrong time of year. I’m thankful they were very forgiving and bloomed for me anyway. I won’t make that mistake again! – Rachael, Norfolk, VA

I’m thankful for the community that plants have built around me. Every conversation, every shared win or struggle, reminds me how deeply connected we all are through our love of growing plants. – Britt of @botanicallybe, Dallas TX

Lilacs were my late mother’s favorite flowers - she grew such pretty ones in her garden. Every time I see them, I think of her and how fortunate I am to have grown up surrounded by beautiful plants. Now that I have a family of my own, I’m making sure my kids have that experience too, even if they don’t appreciate it yet. Maybe they will do the same for their own families someday. And of course, lilacs will always have a place in my garden! – Sophia, Rochester MN

I am thankful I get to participate in trialing or evaluating new plants. I get to see how they do in my landscape and then go to the leading trials in the Southeast. So many of the new plants from Proven Winners bring in pollinators that I not only love but also get to photograph. – Norman of @normanwinterthegardenguy, Midland, GA

The season reminded me that I don’t have to do it all to enjoy the garden. Focusing on what I could do made the season feel especially rewarding. I’m particularly grateful for my gardening community. Connecting with like-minded plant lovers, sharing ideas and making new garden friends truly made this year special. – Steph of @hookedandrooted, Boston MA

Our Northwest Tennessee hot, rainless weeks kept me top watering every three days. Rain has come again. A false spring has azaleas, coral bells and roses highlighting the fall leaves. Nature at its finest. – Ann, TN

I’m thankful for my garden’s rhythm. This time of year, everything slows down and it helps me slow down too. It’s so easy to get busy and forget what really matters, but when the garden quiets, it reminds me to pause, enjoy nature and just be present. – Janey of @digplantwaterrepeat, Sacramento CA

Last summer, we had a terrible drought and record high temperatures. By the end of the summer, I felt completely defeated. This summer was such a reprieve -we had milder temps, and surprisingly, even a few rainstorms. Of course, living in a high desert climate, I'm used to the heat and the dry, but this season I was able to reclaim my joy and remembered why we as gardeners do what we do. I'm so thankful for that. - Skye of @hamiltonhousedesigns, Eagle, ID

Enjoy this bountiful season, friends!