Today is the start of Lent. Interesting read about how Lent, Easter is all part of the nature we have when we garden.

image from Christian.net 

​We have clear, blue sky in Dougherty this morning. BUT we have wind which is leading to a Red Flag warning which means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly.  A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.    High today of 51F(11C).  stay safe. 
 
Australia family and friends for Feb 19, Thursday seems a little warmer at high of 81F(27C) stay cool, stay safe.
 
There are always articles on about Lent, but this is a different way of looking at Lent and around the nature we all work with for gardening.
 As the author wrote,” In this way, Lent only makes sense because it leads somewhere. It is the long inhale before the exhale, the pause before the turn of the season.
 
The meaning, dates, and traditions of Lent  Written By:  Catherine Boeckmann
Lent arrives at a curious moment on the calendar—after winter’s longest stretch, but before spring fully begins. Observed in the weeks leading up to Easter, Lent has been marked for centuries by simple habits and deliberate pauses. Though rooted in Christian tradition, it also reflects something deeply human: the instinct to slow down before renewal and to notice the turning of the year.
Lent is the 40-day period before Easter when Christians traditionally prepare through simplicity, reflection, and restraint. It unfolds during late winter and early spring, a time long associated with waiting, conservation, and readiness for what comes next. Even the name hints at its seasonal roots. The word Lent comes from the Old English word for spring, lencten, meaning the season of lengthening days.
The tradition developed in early Christian communities as a period of preparation and, over time, became a shared season on the calendar—one that shaped habits and expectations year after year.
When Is Lent in 2026?
Because Easter’s date changes each year based on the Moon, the dates of Lent change as well.  In 2026, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18. The day before is known as Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras), traditionally a time to use up eggs and fat before Lent begins.
When Does Lent End in 2026?
In 2026, Lent runs through Holy Thursday, April 2, with the Easter Triduum beginning Thursday evening. As Lent draws to a close, it gives way to Holy Week, a series of days that mark the final approach to Easter. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and includes Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, leading directly into Easter Sunday.
A Season Set Into the Calendar
Lent does not fall on the same dates each year. Like Easter, it is part of a movable season tied to the calendar and the Moon rather than a fixed day. Its timing shifts because Easter itself is determined by the lunar cycle, following the Paschal Full Moon in spring. As a result, Lent always unfolds in late winter, when daylight is returning, but the land is not yet ready. It occupies a familiar place on the calendar—a threshold between scarcity and abundance, rest and growth.
Lent and the Natural World
Long before modern calendars and grocery stores, late winter was a lean season. Stored food ran low, fresh growth had not yet begun, and daily life required careful use of what remained.  In this way, Lent mirrored the natural world. Eating simply, using less, and waiting patiently aligned with the realities of the land. Fields were resting. Seeds had not yet gone into the ground. The work of spring was coming—but not yet. Old seasonal wisdom often carried the same message: longer days did not always mean warmer weather. Lent, like the land, called for patience.
Over time, Lent gathered traditions meant to reflect its reflective nature. Many people choose to give something up—not as punishment, but as a way of paying attention. Others took on simple practices meant to quiet daily life.
These habits varied widely by place and culture, but the intention was similar: to create space. Less noise. Less excess. More awareness of time passing and seasons changing.
Lent was never meant to be showy. Its traditions tend toward the ordinary—meals, routines, choices made day by day.
Lent, the Moon, and Moving Time
Because Lent leads to Easter, its timing is tied indirectly to the Moon. Easter Sunday is observed on the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon, so Lent shifts each year with the lunar cycle.
This connection places Lent within an older way of keeping time, when calendars followed the sky as much as the sun. Sacred seasons moved, adapted, and returned—not by dates on a page, but by the rhythms overhead.
The End of Lent and the Turn Toward Easter
Lent ends as Easter approaches, giving way to celebration and renewal. What was held back is released. What was quiet gives way to joy.
In this way, Lent only makes sense because it leads somewhere. It is the long inhale before the exhale, the pause before the turn of the season.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/what-lent-season-preparation-easter
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  Beckysgreenhouse.com  Facebook Becky Kerndt Litterer or Becky’s Greenhouse