My Garden

Hello friends,

It’s my favorite time of year--the birds are out singing, the weather is warm, and sometimes, there’s no better place to be than in a garden.

So much can be gained from gardening--it’s a stress reliever as well as a good workout, and not only can you fill your yard and living space with beautiful plants and flowers, but grow your own vegetables, fruits, or herbs as well. There’s something so wonderful about being in nature, tilling the soil, and being surrounded by the sounds and smells of a garden. Regardless of how much gardening helps my body or relaxes my mind, it’s simply great to just be in nature and watch things grow.

There’s so much that can be found in my garden--the wild forest of bamboo along the fence, the pretty perennial flowers growing around my fountain garden, or the wild exotic flowers that you’ll never expect when you start with tiny seeds. I have some crazy ‘potluck plants’--little seeds that I’ve planted together in the various pots I have around my house, and sometimes you’ll find yourself with a huge stalk shooting several feet high!

Not only is gardening a wonderful stress reliever, but it’s really a great workout for the body! Once I even broke my foot trying to pull a root out (tip: Do not garden at night!). Gardening is a lot of soil tilling, shoveling, squatting--mix some healthy movements into your gardening, rather than bending over with your back. You’ll find it a lot more pleasant, and your back will thank you later.

One of the other things I love about my garden are the fountains. I love listening to running water--it’s so relaxing hearing it both outside and inside the house. The fountains themselves don’t have to be glamorous--just plastic piping will do, and if it’s covered by some beautiful flowers, nobody would even be able to tell the difference. I used to even have some fish in my fountains, but I think the cats liked the fish even more than me.

Here’s one thing I learned while gardening, particularly about the fountains. Every morning, I’ll reach into the fountain and pull out some leaves or flower petals from the pump in order to keep the water running smoothly. You can either look at this as an annoyance or a reflection--a necessary care in order to keep the water flowing. I find that this relates so easily to getting into my head space--every morning, be it with meditation, a walk in nature, or any other activity that brings you reflection and peace, you have to unclog those pipes in order for everything else to flow beautifully.

What do you do to keep the water flowing smoothly, and what brings you joy? Maybe it’s writing in a journal, or mountain biking, or photography--maybe cooking brings you the same meditation that I feel while I’m in my garden.

Find that hobby, that place you can go to that brings you joy--and hey, maybe you’ll find yourself starting a garden of your own.

Let me know what you do. Have fun and spread the joy.