Your Piece of the Puzzle

​Sitting down to work on a jigsaw puzzle can be an exciting yet slightly daunting experience. Most puzzle enthusiasts begin with the edges, but after that, individuality takes hold. Whether you obsessively group colors and textures, or prefer focusing on the subtle differences in shapes and hues of sky pieces, one fact is indisputable—although each piece has a different appearance, every single one is equally important to the completion of the final picture. (Just think of the times you might have searched under the sofa, the table, or even someone’s hand for that Last. Missing. Piece.)
Gardeners play a similar role. When we think beyond our own property edge, we realize that there are millions of gardeners caring for countless acres of land, each with the ability to make decisions about their pieces of the puzzle that directly affect our ecosystem.
Our gardens have the capacity to support life, manage water, feed pollinators, and yes, be endlessly entertaining and beautiful. Whether you have a two-acre habitat or back patio of potted plants, each is a valuable piece of a larger puzzle. When we start connecting these habitats with one another, the picture expands.
But where do you start? You start with your piece of the puzzle.
Author: Pam Ford
Graphic: Gordon Johnson