5 Things your Garden can Teach You About Life
5 Things your Garden can Teach You About Life
I have totally fallen in love with my garden and like to walk through it daily to check for any subtle changes, any buds starting to bloom, and new growth, any pests that I need to deal with. I feel a complete sense of ownership and responsibility over my garden and, I guess, a lot of that has to do with the fact that I have started this one from scratch with little to no knowledge and armed with nothing but enthusiasm and an idea in my head of what I wanted to create. I have learnt a lot over the past couple of months about the different plants, the different types of soil, which plants attract the bees and the butterflies but, above all, I have learnt a lot about myself too. When I’m in the garden, I feel at peace and totally connected with what I am doing. Through this time that I have spent in the garden I’ve realised that many of the lessons I’ve learnt about the garden and in the garden can be transferred into everyday life. Nature is a great nurturer and a great teacher and this is what I’ve learnt…
5 Things your Garden can Teach You About Life
- Patience:
This has been one of the hardest lessons for me. Once I’ve made my mind up about something I go all out to make it happen in the shortest possible time. The garden, however, is a slow simmer. Beauty takes time and nature definitely won’t be rushed. I am busy working on our back garden, a clean slate with endless possibilities. I started out by planning the layout and what plants I wanted to see…I had to get professional advice (thanks, Grandad) as what I know about gardening could be deemed dangerous.
It takes time to cultivate things. Plants take time to grow and won’t be hurried but, as my garden has shown, the good things are worth the wait. It also makes the experience rich and worthwhile…it’s rewarding. There’s a lot to be said for delayed gratification, a greater appreciation, a stronger sense of responsibility and greater ownership – a real life lesson.
2. Presence:
Everything you do matters – what you reap is what you will sow…whatever you plant will add to the micro ecosystem of your garden. The same is true in life: what you put in is what you get out. If you plant brightly coloured and fragrant flowers, they will attract the bees and the butterflies, the birds will come; a whole network of interdependence that makes the mini ecosystem work well. Presence allows you to connect and notice when things are good or bad. Being present means that your body and your mind are in sync, there’s a balance, an emanating harmony that promotes growth and abundance. Be present and mindful in all that you do, both in life and in the garden, as it all matters.
3. Purpose and Perseverance:
Nature is all about excess when demonstrating it’s power in the universe: hurricanes, monsoons, and whipping winds, shifting sand dunes, caves carved out of cliff faces and huge cumulonimbus clouds heavy with hail. However, despite these excesses, there is no wastage. Everything in nature has it’s place, has its purpose and has its time. And even during periods of seeming lulls, nature never rests. In order to achieve we need to follow our purpose and persevere. All of our energy should be put into our purpose so that we can be the ‘greatest oak’ purely because we stuck our ground.
4. Pruning:
Pruning is part of growth. Cutting away dead branches and deadheading reinvigorates the plant and makes way for new growth. So too do we have to unburden ourselves of the dead-weight, the things that are holding us back, the doubts, the fear, the self-criticism. Pruning helps with growth and, although it can sometimes seem like a difficult decision as to what needs to be pruned, I think, deep down, most of us know. We need to be relentless in our efforts to declutter and clean out to make way for the good and to enable the beauty to shine through without being choked and blocked by overgrowth and debris.
5. Potential and Possibility:
We, as humans, are blessed with many gifts and endless opportunities. The key is recognising these gifts and seeing the possibilities. From a rocky patch can bloom the most beautiful flowers. Even the desert, as hostile as it is, is home to a huge variety of fauna and flora. We plant seeds never sure if this will yield a healthy and productive plant but we must believe in the potential and the possibility. Always believe in the potential and the possibility.
The garden is a wonderful place to experience a oneness with nature, a place where our bodies and minds can synchronise and harmonise and bring forth clarity of thought. Nature is the perfect teacher and I her willing student!
Read all about my plans for my back garden here…keep an eye out because I will b e doing an update soon.
HAPPY GARDENING! ??