When Life Doesn't Grow as Planned: Lessons from a Disappointing Garden Season 🪴

There's something magical about the start of spring. My husband and I spent hours prepping my garden, eager to grow all the tomatoes and peppers I'd need for homemade salsa, cucumbers for pickles and relish, and even some peas and green beans. This was the year I would rely entirely on our homegrown produce for canning and preserving. I could already imagine the satisfaction of filling our pantry with jars of food I'd nurtured from seed to harvest.

But sometimes, life has other plans.

Everything started as expected—seedlings were growing into tall and healthy plants, and the garden was looking good!. Then, one morning in June, I walked outside to see that a deer had helped itself to much of it overnight. Entire plants were gone as if they'd never existed. That sinking feeling in my stomach told me it wouldn't be a good season. And it wasn't just the deer—chipmunks scurried around the yard, rabbits feasted on the greenery, and the weather didn't exactly cooperate either. Despite my efforts, things went downhill fast.

We tried everything—setting traps for the chipmunks and spraying for deer and rabbits. One day, I came home only to find a bunny munching happily on the garden I was trying to protect. At that moment, I realized that there are some things you can't control. I had poured my heart into this garden, but it wouldn't give me what I'd hoped for.

Sometimes, life forces you to decide: do you keep fighting the inevitable or shift your focus? For me, it became clear that the garden wouldn't give us the bountiful harvest I'd hoped for. I could have let the disappointment sit with me, but instead, I pivoted. While I couldn't grow all the food I wanted, I knew there were other ways to accomplish my end goal: filling our pantry with preserved food for the winter.

For years, farmer's markets have been our weekend routine to supplement what I couldn't or didn't grow (and the donuts, sweet potato muffins, and pies are amazing). This year, I am buying all the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and everything I need from local growers. Sure, it wasn't as satisfying as harvesting from my backyard, but it was a beautiful alternative. Supporting local farmers means I am still connected to the food I'm preserving—just in a different way. It wasn't my planned path, but it is still rewarding.

And maybe that's the lesson. Life doesn't always turn out how we expect it to, but that doesn't mean it's a failure. Sometimes, a detour offers unexpected rewards. By shifting my focus from growing everything myself to supporting my community, I can still meet my goal—preserving food for my family for the year—and I feel good about where it came from.

This gardening season reminded me that things won't always go as planned, no matter how much effort you put in. It's true not just in gardening but in life. You can't always control the external forces that come your way—the deer, the weather, and the busy schedules that pull you in different directions. What you can control is how you respond to those challenges.

Resilience isn't just about bouncing back; it's about adapting, shifting, and finding new paths forward when the road ahead gets blocked.

Of course, I'm already thinking ahead to next year's garden. This season may not have worked out, but it taught me some valuable lessons I can carry into the next. We're adding more fencing around the beds and sprinkling coyote urine around the perimeter—an old trick to ward off deer and rabbits. It's all part of learning and improving. I'm optimistic that next year will be different, but if it isn't, I know there are always other ways to meet my goals.

Each setback teaches us something. Whether it's gardening, career goals, or personal plans, things will always be out of your control. But how do you react to those setbacks? That's where your true power lies.

We all face seasons where things don't turn out as planned. Whether it's a failed garden or a goal that feels just out of reach, it's easy to let disappointment take over. But what if we took those moments as opportunities to shift focus, adapt, and find new ways to succeed?

Next time, life doesn't go your way; remember: the goal might be the same, but the path to get there can take many forms. And sometimes, that detour brings unexpected joy. So keep planting, keep trying, and when the deer eat your garden, head to the farmer's market instead.

Love and light,

Shelley