Planting Seeds, Submitting Ideas

My husband and I love gardening. In fact, we enjoy it so much the planning begins in late March for what we’ll harvest in July and August. Staring through the window at our dormant backyard, we visualize it pregnantly green, almost ready to give birth. We decide what we’ll plant, and when, and where. Watching the seedlings grow and bloom, and then produce, is one of our greatest summertime joys.

Right this second, there are cucumbers piling up on my kitchen counter and tomatoes ripening in a bowl on top of my microwave. I’ll spend some of my time this weekend making freezer pickles and tomato sauce.





We planted Stargazer Lilies last year along the side of our front porch. As soon as enough of them bloomed this month, I placed a bouquet of them in my office. It made me smile each time I glanced at them, or their scent drifted to me in the breeze from the open window.


Writing is a lot like gardening. You have a thought. The thought germinates into an idea. You submit the idea to an editor or publisher. You produce the article, essay or story. You reap the harvest by way of pay, publicity and/or exposure.

Any creative endeavor is always about growth.