GARDEN MADNESS

Don’t tell anyone, but today, for a few moments, I stood in the middle of my garden in bare feet. Yes, squishing dirt and pebbles and maybe a worm or two between my toes. I know, it sounds dirty and gross; but it felt wonderful ~ a stress cure ~ like child’s play (think mud pies, blowing bubbles,splashing in puddles). Standing there, I looked again at the beauty of a garden. I really can’t even take credit for all the balance it provides. Sure, I work the dirt, spread a bit of mulch and drop in a few seeds here and a planting of varieties there, but the real sense of calm comes when you stop a moment and look at how the garden grows.

When I was younger, I thought gardens were for senior citizens and farmers who had a lot of time on their hands. I thought gardens meant nothing more than a labor-intense, continuous, tedious, endless chore of weeding and watering. I was wrong. Gardening is not for Sissies. Gardening is a Science. In fact, those “old people” and farmers who passionately garden? I wouldn’t mess with them. They know what they’re doing.

Now that I’m “older”, I understand that long gloves, floppy hats and pruners are standard tools for the trade of a gardener and that cultivating can be done with relative ease in between the rest of Life’s duties. However, once one gets caught up in a garden and all its glory, you begin to wonder why anyone would want to rush through the experience. Where else can you unabashedly hum on the top of your lungs your favorite tunes and breathe in fresh air while clearing your mind? In fact, I can get lost in my garden at times; I subconsciously solve problems by letting my mind rest in a lazy, peaceful, soothing way. My little planned 10X10 plot is my little connection to nature; where plants offer condolence, joy, harmony and give back a bit of love: the colors (!) the textures (!) the smells (!) And who would dare argue that anything tastes better than what you’ve grown in a garden? Just biting into a juicy tomato, cutting cucumbers and zucchini or adding herbs to a summer meal makes one appreciate what nature can give back. 

What a delight to the senses a garden can be!

Maybe it’s the idea that plants are alive, giving you a sense you are interacting with a life source. And as a result, you, the nurturer, tending and coaxing the little sprouts into healthy maturity, reap the benefit of the vitamins and minerals we need for a healthy existence. And as an added benefit, your sweet-talking (yes! I talk to my plants!) assurances encourage them into willingly releasing their essentials oils for our well-being; free aromatherapy in the garden!

On sunny days, I love to bask in the garden with the warm rays kissing my neck. It is a welcoming place, a tech-free environment where birds sing, bees buzz and butterflies soar; the physical energy of weeding, watering, trellising and pruning gives me zip-pep-and-go while relaxing me at the same time.  What an oxymoron! This is just how a small patch of earth can inspire healthy habits.

Eventually, I had to put on my shoes and go back to the busy-ness of Life. But, oh! What wonderful madness moments are spent in the garden! And don’t worry. I rinsed my feet before getting into my nicely-made-this-morning bed.

Carpe-Diem!