Some years ago I watched this youtube series, where a guy tours the states and visits different organic farms and permaculture orchards and things and interviews the owners.
If you know the channel, please link, because I can't seem to find it. ('Great Amrican Permculture Tour' or something)
Anyways, One video really gave me an epiphany.
This one guy had a lush orchard in California with all sorts of citrus plants, olives and other warm climate species, I'd love to cultivate. I was so jealous. He had it all.
At the end of the tour, he went to his most priced possesion, his favourite tree:
Elderberry
It was just a shrub, it had multiple layers of bird nettings over it, he spend a lot of time caring for that bush and it still looked miserable.
This is just a random elderberry, randomly growing in my garden:
I don't have to do anything. They grow like weeds everywhere.
My grandmother almost hated them and always made me cut them.
Now, I manage the garden. I just let some of these bushes be.
I recently learned that Germanic tribes considered elderberry as a holy plant and a connection to 'Frau Holle', who lives underground... whatever... I don't really believe these things - I still found it cool.
The lesson
Instead of growing things that take a lot of effort and that don't really belong in this climate, or are hard to cultivate, I'll just go with what comes easy.
These elderberrys could probably catch a premium price in California. Here they just grow. They are the easiest thing to 'cultivate' (I really don't have to do a thing).
I consume the flowers as tea; 'Holunderblütentee' (drinking one right now).
We make jelly from the flowers, but also from the berrys later in season.
Someone's trash is someone elses treasure. (or something along those lines)
The grass is always greener on the other side.
...and other sayings come to mind.
Just be grateful for what you have and make the most out of the things you got, instead of trying to grow citrus-fruits in Northern Germany.
Since I adopted this mindset, I have a much better time gardening.
I just stick to what grows easy and now I get good harvests.
Sure, some local people think I am a bit stupid for growing elderberry, but I think they are stupid for growing miserable olives and other exotic things over here.
I spend my time finding recipes and uses for the plants I got, rather than immitating other cultures, which grew around different plants.
This can include plants that 'don't belong here'.
If it grows easily and I can find a use for it, I'll adopt it.
I choose the easy route.
...btw...does anyone need 3 buckets of thyme? 😅