Garden of Life
"A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in... what more could he ask? A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars." - Victor Hugo. Gardens, plants, trees, and nature have been used to teach us many life lessons that are important to know. Concepts such as gratitude, hope, patience, and faith can be explained using nature as an example. "Gardens also teach us to live more in the moment- to listen, to watch, to touch, and to dream." - James Van Sweden. A garden is a way for us to take care of living things. "Watering a plant is a promise- small, silent, and deeply sacred." - unknown. The same could be said of feeding a pet or another human- they are sacred acts meant to prolong the health and happiness of another.
Gratitude-"You normally have to be bashed about a bit by life to see the point of daffodils, sunsets and uneventful nice days." - Alain De Botton. Appreciation of the things this world offers is often voiced about things found in nature. I know that when I am feeling down or powerless, I can admire the sunset or a tree in the park and tell myself that no one can take away my right to enjoy these beautiful things that I see. When our lives are shattered or almost over, these small things do not seem so small. "But a chair, sunlight, flowers: these are not to be dismissed. I am alive, I live, I breathe, I put my hand out, unfolded, into the sunlight." - Margaret Atwood.
Hope- Gardening is all about hope. Seed catalog companies start sending out their books in the dead of winter, knowing that's when you're most vulnerable to dreaming about the garden to come. Many happy hours are spent looking for plants that will thrive in your growing zone, deciding on colors and varieties, plotting the best location, and figuring out how much it will cost. "Gardening simply does not allow one to be mentally old, because too many hopes and dreams are yet to be realized." - Allan Armitage. All this planning gives you a future to look forward to. "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow." - Audrey Hepburn.
Patience-"Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circle of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace." - May Sarton. As anyone who wants their yard to look good for a family event knows, it is hard to force plants to do what you want, when you want it done. Planting a tree is a lesson in patience, as is waiting for that bare spot on the lawn to fill in, waiting for that first strawberry to ripen, or the peony bud to open. "The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit." - unknown. Our world now revolves around speed; we want what we want instantly. It would be a tragedy if future generations discovered that ordering flowers is more cost-effective and easier than growing them and then decided never to try doing it themselves. We appreciate growing things when we are the ones planting them because we understand the time it takes to nurture them along (if they even reach maturity at all).
Faith- "Help us be ever faithful gardeners of the spirit, who know that without darkness nothing comes to birth, and without light nothing flowers." - Mary Sarton. Believe that what you can't see is busy building a foundation to support growth. Believe that long, sunny days are coming. Believe that there will be a harvest. "God spoke today in flowers, and I, who was waiting on words, almost missed the conversation." - Ingrid Goff-Maidoff.
A garden is a sacred space for humans. The Garden of Eden, Zen gardens, victory gardens, community gardens, all places that are a part of our Earthly story. “To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves.” – Mahatma Gandhi. Tending the soil, watching plants grow, and keeping in tune with the seasons help us maintain that connection with the natural world that we rely on. It is a place of peace and escape from the hardships of modern life. "When the world wearies and society fails to satisfy, there is always the garden...." - Minnie Aumonier. Your 'garden' may be a public park, a few plants on the balcony, or a potted plant, but it is still sacred. It is still a refuge and a beacon of hope. Add a book or two, and you may have just found your happy place. "If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." - Marcus Tullius Cicero.
Love and Hope,
Big Sky Baby