Joanna Gaines, the celebrated star of the popular television show ‘Fixer Upper’, recently provided a refreshing glimpse into her garden as she began preparing it for the impending winter months. In an Instagram video shared on 14 October, the 48-year-old designer gave followers a candid tour of her outdoor space at their Waco, Texas farmhouse, which she shares with her husband Chip and their five children.
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In the video, Gaines candidly portrayed the reality of her garden, now largely dormant, starkly contrasting its usual vibrant beauty. “So you know I love the garden and I love to show you beautiful flowers,” she expressed whilst holding up a wilted plant at her garden’s entrance. “Especially when the garden is in full bloom, it’s quite glorious, but there’s also a season where it’s just tough. And we are in that season right now,” she remarked, shedding light on the often-overlooked side of gardening.
As she wandered through the now-bare garden beds, Joanna emphasised how this period of dormancy fosters a sense of patience within her. “This is the season that teaches me patience. Not everything’s got to look good all the time, but there’s actually good things happening in the soil,” she explained. This sentiment resonated deeply, showcasing her perspective on the importance of appreciating the cyclical nature of gardening and life.
Throughout the video, Joanna articulated how her garden’s current state is intertwined with valuable life lessons. “What I love about the garden is that it teaches us in every season that there are seasons of rest, there are seasons of failure, there are seasons of beautiful bloom and abundance,” she noted. She acknowledged that the garden might appear “pretty dormant” for the next few months, as she and her family work to prepare it for the winter.
The message she conveyed was clear: beauty is not a constant, and sometimes, there is significance in decay and stillness. “So here’s my garden, [not in] full bloom. It’s Texas,” Joanna concluded with a smile, sharing the reality of transitioning through the seasons.
In the accompanying caption, Joanna reiterated the profound lessons her garden offers with each passing season. “I have to trust there’s still good work happening beneath the soil. In time, all good things flourish again,” she wrote, encapsulating a message of hope and resilience.
In addition to her garden reflections, Joanna shared her thoughts on the fall season in a recent issue of Magnolia Journal. In her editor’s note, she explored the notion of hosting and the pressures associated with curating the perfect atmosphere for gatherings. She recounted her struggle with allowing joyful occasions to unfold naturally, often feeling compelled to end the night prematurely due to the anticipation of chores awaiting her.
“There was, still, something in me all too willing to call it a night before giving it a chance to wholly unfold,” she confessed. Joanna reminisced about her tendency to extinguish the candlelight before the evening had a chance to linger, highlighting the conflict between her desire for perfection and the value of enjoying the moment.
Over time, she learned to foster an environment that fosters connection and mindfulness, rather than focusing solely on the tasks ahead. “Instead, whenever people are gathered around my table — whether it is a planned or an unexpected moment — I’ll pull out the candlesticks with no end in mind,” she shared. “Instead of watching the clock, I watch the wax gather, then drip. I let it land where it’s meant to, and as for the evening, I let the same hold true.”
Joanna Gaines’ reflections on her garden and gatherings serve as a poignant reminder that life unfolds in various phases; there are times of vibrancy and times of rest. Embracing the stillness and trusting in the processes that occur beneath the surface are key lessons we can all carry into our own lives. Through her Instagram insights and written musings, Joanna invites her audience to appreciate the beauty of every season, both in nature and at home.