April is always a special month for me. As spring begins to emerge, you can see flowers begin to bloom and the buds on trees begin to come alive. Birds seem to be returning back from their southern sojourns and the weather seems to take us on a thrilling ride each day, vacillating between wintry mixes, warm spring days, pollen storms, and torrential rain showers. There are mornings where you’re bundled in a coat and hat, and afternoons spent in a tank top, before returning to your scarf by the end of the day.
A few months ago, I asked my mother when I could repot many of my plants that have outgrown their current homes. She told me the old wive’s tale was to wait until spring. She said that’s what her mother did, and her mother’s mother, and that is why she waits to plant her garden or repot her plants until the spring. I am definitely not going to defy my matriarchs, so I too will be repotting my various plants during this month.
Not surprisingly, April is National Plant a Garden Month. This is a time to literally sow seeds and begin anew. As I am constantly reminding my readers of this column, each day is an opportunity for us to begin again. If we fall short, we can always begin anew at the start of each week, each month, or each year. April is especially a time for new beginnings since it is the official welcome of spring, when nature emerges from its months-long slumber.
I am always amazed at the buds on once-barren trees. During the cold winter months, it often feels like the green on the trees will never emerge again. Similarly, when planting a few tiny seeds into the ground or a pot in my windowsill, it feels like a plant or herb or even a small flower is just a mere wish. Watching plants grow has been so good for my soul. Rooting and planting has helped me with patience, as well as increased my appreciation for the smallest forms of life that surround us every day, even on a mundane walk to the subway.
Since we are encouraged to plant a garden during the month of April, let’s aim to plant something that will make us happy throughout the summer or even throughout the year. I am thinking about planting herbs to use in my kitchen and even some flowers to enjoy this summer. Whatever you decide to plant, I hope you will be reminded of the generations who came before us who made their living off of the land and were sustained by the land, even during some of the darkest of times. Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC and host of The Blackest Questions podcast at TheGrio; and is a 2023–24 Moynihan Public Scholars Fellow at CCNY.