The rush of spring is over. The allotment, once bursting with urgent tasks and sprouting life, now seems to exhale. It’s mid-summer. The beds are almost full, the weeds are incredibly persistent, and the heat, it seems, is quite consistent. This is the part of the year I call the lull. Not quite harvest, not quite idle. For me, it always brings an energy shift.
Over the years, I’ve noticed that this point in the growing season often mirrors my mental health. Spring brings optimism, energy, and that start-again feeling. But by July, especially after a period of stress, grief or burnout (A levels and GCSEs in our house), I sometimes find myself stuck in a quieter, slower, more uncertain space. A bit like the garden, waiting.
The allotment has taught me not to fear this phase. It has become a teacher in how to embrace the pause.
Listening Instead of Forcing
Mid-summer reminds me to stop pushing. The big sowing jobs are done. It’s not the time for frantic energy or fresh starts. It’s the time for tending, noticing, and making small adjustments. Just like in my own mind, it’s when I stop trying to fix everything that I begin to understand what’s really going on underneath.
Sometimes my mental health asks me to do less. To water what’s already growing instead of planting something new. It’s not laziness or failure. It’s part of the rhythm.
Allowing Space
There’s a danger in always chasing progress. The garden shows me that growth often happens invisibly. While I’m standing still, roots are strengthening. Fruit is ripening. Compost is quietly becoming nourishment.
It’s easy to mistake stillness for stagnation, especially if you’re used to running on adrenaline as I am. But stillness is powerful. It’s what gives energy a chance to return.
Gratitude for What Is
During this mid-summer lull, I try to take stock. I look around at what’s thriving, even if it’s just a single healthy courgette plant or the way the calendula has self-seeded everywhere. There’s always something.
This helps when I’m feeling low or disconnected. It’s a reminder that not everything needs to be perfect to be valuable. I might not be at my most motivated, but I’m still showing up. I’m still here.
Letting the Garden Reflect You
If you’re feeling the lull too, emotionally or energetically, know that you’re not alone. The garden is in this with us. You don’t need to be wildly productive to be a good gardener. You don’t need to be endlessly upbeat to be doing well.
Let the garden be what it is, and let yourself be that too.
Mental health and gardening go hand in hand. Not just in the joy and busyness of spring, but in the slower, more reflective seasons too.
I’d love to hear how you’re navigating this midsummer space, in your garden and yourself. You can connect with me on Instagram @sarah.diggingtheearth.org.uk.
Take care,
Sarah
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