Gardening Tip: Even the Wind Has a Purpose

Well, my potted garden has officially exploded.

I now have 48 dahlias that I started from seed, all moved into 4-inch pots and officially ready for transport. They’re lined up like tiny overachievers—little passengers waiting for their cross-country adventure. Considering how many seeds I started with, I feel like these are the survivors. The ones tough enough to handle life around here.

This year I also added two lavender plants.

One is your classic English lavender—dependable, easygoing, completely unbothered.

The other is an Edelweiss lavender.

She, apparently, did not get the memo that we are thriving.

I moved her into a bigger pot.
Then I moved her again.
Then I found her a spot with better airflow where the wind wouldn’t knock her over.

And somehow she has rewarded me by looking both deeply offended and just a little worse for wear.

Some plants are resilient.
Some plants are divas.

I also picked up some Asiatic lilies in the prettiest colors—soft peach petals with a deep cherry center—and they may be my current favorite.

My sweet peas, on the other hand, have absolutely taken off. They seem determined to prove that something in this garden can thrive without emotional support.

The wind here, though, has been testing everything.

Some days it feels like every plant on this porch is being asked whether it really wants to live here.

And honestly… same.

But I keep reminding myself of something I was always taught: the wind makes the roots grow deeper.

And maybe that’s true for more than just plants.

Because sometimes the hard seasons, the constant shifts, and the things that push against us are exactly what force us to grow stronger underneath the surface.

Even when it doesn’t look like it yet.