As a non-gardener, the first thing I think of when it comes to fall and gardening is, “Whew! Gardening is over and I get a break from keeping up with it.” When the weather turns cooler, the plants stop producing, and no more fruit will grow. Then the leaves dry up and fall off, sometimes in a spectacular display of color. That’s one thing I learned since we got blueberry plants. They are beautiful in the fall. Their display of fall color rivals any tree.

The grass stops growing, meaning mowing gets less frequent. Yes, there are leaves to keep up with, that’s true. My kids love jumping in the piles though, which is fun to watch. I remember what that feeling is like; the freedom of throwing yourself into them, knowing there is something soft to catch you. Fall definitely seems like a nice reward after a summer’s worth of keeping up with the garden.

However, now that I have planted some things that will take a few years to start producing, I need to learn more about gardening than what may be obvious to the uninitiated, such as myself. While I know by now that rosemary is hardy and will survive a winter’s neglect just fine, tomatoes will die and never come back, so we just have to cut them back, and then start over again each year. With fruit trees though, the work comes up front. The reward comes later. They can take about three years to produce a good amount of edible fruit. It’s worth it though – a healthy snack when I’m in my garden certainly is a nice reward.

Fall may seem like a break from gardening, but it’s actually one of the most important seasons. Fall is when spring bulbs should be planted, so they’re ready to bloom at the perfect time. It’s a good idea to overseed grass in the fall, so it can grow rich and healthy the next year. It’s also the perfect time to put tree saplings in the ground, so they can take root in their native soil and strengthen over the winter. Fall is a time of preparing – laying the groundwork for what happens in the winter, and then seeing the results show up in the spring. It takes work, and it takes faith.

When trees lose their leaves in the fall, they stop growing and nothing is left but barren sticks. This is the case for months. Through the cold and snow they stand there, resolute and unchanging. But change is happening – below ground and out of our view, winter is when trees sink their roots deep into the soil, nourishing it and strengthening it, even though it’s all hidden from view. Then in spring when the fresh shoots grow, that foundation built during the winter allows it to flourish and reach toward the sky. And I’m hoping, after a few years, produce some fruit. This is why we prepare and plant some things in the fall, for this invisible work over winter, which yields results in the spring.

I love this analogy of life. As humans, we go through winter seasons. We put in the work, but don’t see any immediate results. From the outside we look stuck and barren, beaten down by the troubles life blows at us. But as we struggle, we build our strength. We grow a foundation through our difficulties that makes us harder to knock down in the future. It doesn’t seem fair that growth and strength come through adversity, but the more I think about it, the more I see that it’s true.

We may not look like we’re achieving much during those times, at least by the metrics by which the world measures achievement and success, but having a strong foundation is fundamental. It’s the solid rock on which those metrics are based. That is why there is no need to be discouraged by our seeming lack of success during difficult times. We’re building the foundation – growing roots invisible to the eye. If you’re in that season, I want to encourage you. Have faith in the work you’ve done and are doing, and when spring comes, which it always does, you will see the results of that foundation of strength that you have built.