In my Sims game, I enjoy playing with four-week-long seasons while ensuring my played Sims don't age. I do use mods, although I can't recall if any of them alter the growth rate of things. Perhaps I have a mod that sneaked in without my knowledge. However, I haven't noticed any significant variations in plant growth times, despite hearing about it from others. Maybe there's a hidden mod responsible for it.
Lately, I've been immersed in the "one tomato" challenge, which starts with an empty off-the-grid lot and only one tomato. To make things more challenging, I use a cheat code to remove all simoleons and start from scratch. The sole income source for my Sim is gardening, including the use of money trees. However, I can't sell any harvests from wild plants; instead, I must either eat them or replant them. Additionally, I'm restricted from venturing beyond my immediate neighborhood, so I rely on the plants that grow during the spring in Newcrest. I believe there were bluebells and strawberries, and I managed to fish up some apples that I planted as well. Other plants appeared in the summer and autumn, such as lilies, but I can't recall the full list. Luckily, I eventually grew dragon fruits, which turned out to be my most profitable plants.
When I disable aging and extend the length of the seasons, I find myself less concerned about the passage of time. It's akin to playing on Easy Mode, but that's precisely what I prefer. Games are meant to help me relax, not induce stress.
Speaking of seasons, in Sims 3, I used to set variable season lengths. Since my real-life location lacks winters but experiences long summers, I customized the game to have 28 days in summer, 21 days in spring, 14 days in autumn, and 7 days in winter. If I had the option in Sims 4, I would certainly do the same.
By the way, I just remembered I have a mod installed that ensures plants on my own lot thrive in all seasons. Although it doesn't affect wild plants, it aligns with my preference. This mod replicates the behavior of plants in Sims 3, which mirrors the climate where I reside and feels more realistic to me. For some players, mods enhance realism, and in my case, this particular mod brings the game closer to my real-life experiences.