Tuesday, I was deep in a state of frustration with the way the new garden was shaping up when I heard the first cicada for the year. The 19th of September. I usually post when I hear the first cicada each year and I’ve not posted one in the month of September before.

The reason for my frustration I think is that I have felt pressured with the new garden and trying to get things set up. As my helpers, Mr T and Mrs P dozed under some makeshift shade, I meditated. I decided to shift the plants in containers closer to each other and the vege garden and leave it be for a time. No need to rush, our summer garden has been started. I will post more on this thought process and the pressures later as I think it is important to record it.

We’d done enough digging and planting in setting up the tropical area – which feels right – that I didn’t want to endanger wasting any time if I changed my mind further along. No, much better to relocate our plants and focus on moving ourselves so that I can spend some time just observing and thinking about the shape of the garden to come.

I recall Bill Mollison’s response to the question “How do you know you are doing the right thing?”

To which Bill replied “If resources keep gathering around you – and a lot of them will be people – your doing the right thing.”

After the last couple of days I am confident I have made the right decision to hold off on the garden for a while. Already resources and contacts have started to appear.

In the end it will be better for all concerned. Even the cicadas.