Listening to the Plants

Listening to the Plants

Working with plants over time teaches you that they speak in subtle ways.

Not in words, of course, but through growth patterns, resilience, and response. When you spend enough time tending a garden or walking the same rows season after season, you begin to recognize what healthy looks like — and when something needs attention.

Lavender is especially good at teaching this. It responds best to care that is thoughtful rather than excessive. Too much interference can do more harm than good. Learning when to step back is just as important as knowing when to act.

There is a rhythm to plant care that develops through experience. Observation becomes second nature. Small changes are noticed early, long before they become problems. This kind of attentiveness shapes how we work — not only with lavender, but with the land as a whole.

Plants carry history with them. They have been grown, used, and respected for generations. Being mindful of that history encourages care that is intentional and restrained. The goal is not control, but balance.

At JW Farms, listening is part of the work. It informs how we grow, when we intervene, and when we allow nature to lead. The plants respond to that relationship, and over time, they guide us toward better stewardship.